Infectious Disease
The U.K.’s pandemic missteps: insights from the ongoing inquiry
Since June 2022, the U.K. has been carrying on an inquiry, still ongoing two years later, into the response to and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, hoping to learn lessons that could be useful in the future.
Here are a few of its revelations.
Matt Hancock, health secretary to Boris Johnson, prime …
Using technology to diagnose sepsis [PODCAST]
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Join Robert Scoggins, a physician executive, as we discuss the challenges of diagnosing and treating sepsis in the emergency department compared to other emergent conditions like stroke and heart attack. We’ll discuss the …
Unveiling the unseen: the hidden costs of health care-associated infections
Many aspects of health care-associated infections are unseen. The bacteria that cause infections like C. difficile or catheter-associated urinary tract infections are invisible to the naked eye. Beyond the financial burdens of additional treatment and longer hospital stays, less obvious costs often fall below the radar in the form of suffering, distress, and shattered trust in the health care system when patients fall victim to preventable infections.
And, often low profile …
Eating our way to the next pandemic
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported the first case of H5N1 avian influenza in a human who contracted the virus not from a bird but from an infected dairy cow. The next pandemic could be around the corner, and the food we choose to purchase (or not to purchase) is playing a role in its development.
As we saw with the COVID-19 pandemic, viruses can undergo mutations rapidly, …
Long COVID and your brain: the effect of virus and vaccines
A bunch of symptoms, which may persist many months or even years after an acute COVID infection has cleared, have been described in the medical literature with increasing frequency since the onset of the pandemic. This constellation of findings has been dubbed “long COVID.” Long COVID’s effects on the brain, in particular, have certainly been in the news, and it’s also been popping up in the medical literature. So, what’s …
A critical care physician’s journey through long COVID [PODCAST]
Biotechnology and biological warfare [PODCAST]
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We welcome Ketan Desai, a physician executive, as we’ll delve into the fascinating and concerning realm of biological warfare and bioterrorism. Join us as we explore historical instances of biological weapons, the implications …
When physicians disagree with medical journals [PODCAST]
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Join infectious disease physician Sami El-Dalati as we delve into the complex issues surrounding medical literature and clinical guidelines. Sami sheds light on the challenges faced by medical providers in delivering patient-centered care, …
A potential discovery of highly fatal SARS coronavirus?
Has a highly fatal SARS coronavirus already been discovered? Maybe yes, but just its report is highly concerning. On January 4, 2024, a letter to the editor was uploaded to a preprint server which gave too few details but described a 100 percent fatal virus in genetically modified mice. The modifications made these mice similar to humans by adding a human ACE2 receptor to their cells, including in …
Sepsis protocols coupled with rapid host response technologies are the key to improving patient outcomes
Patients come into the emergency department (ED) with symptoms, not diagnoses. That’s when time is of the essence. Clinicians must quickly triage patients and establish an appropriate care pathway to obtain the best possible outcome. Most patients entering the ED are time-sensitive, requiring clear protocols for care. However, even some of the deadliest conditions still lack the necessary data, tools, and standards to quickly diagnose and effectively treat patients.
Over the …
Critical care physician battles long COVID with hope and grit
I recognize your anguish. Long COVID is new, and I will do my best to support you through this new and confusing illness. This is all I wanted to hear in my countless doctor’s visits. Some came close. The rest were baffled, given how healthy I was prior to a “mild COVID” infection.
I felt patronized by my own colleagues for trying experimental therapy. When activities of daily living are a …
Why the medical community should be invested in understanding chronic wasting disease
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible prion disease seen in the deer family – including mule deer, whitetail deer, elk, and moose – in countries throughout the world. The prion affects nervous system tissue in infected animals. Eventually leading to erratic behavior and certain death. Currently, there is no evidence of direct transmission of CWD to humans. However, given the biological plausibility for transmission, equity/ecological concerns, and the …
Do parasites predispose to dangerous behaviors in humans?
Those of you who have followed the game or series The Last of Us will recognize the name Cordyceps. This is the fungus that causes a global pandemic of zombies to break out and start attacking their fellow humans. The writers, in this case, did a good job by using this infection in their story.
Cordyceps is a genus of over 600 fungal species spread around the world called endoparasitoids, meaning …
Travel’s hidden health risks [PODCAST]
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Join Tami Burdick, a patient advocate and the author of Diagnosis Detective: Curing Granulomatous Mastitis. We delve into the world of travel, uncovering hidden health and safety risks often overlooked by travelers. From airport concerns to international …
What’s trying to start the next pandemic? AI drug discovery and the quest for a pan-antiviral drug
As the world continues to navigate the challenges posed by respiratory viruses, recent developments have highlighted the urgency of advancing our therapeutic arsenal, particularly in the realm of broad-spectrum antivirals.
1. Winter is here. It is winter again in the northern hemisphere, and with it come the known respiratory viruses like flu, RSV, and COVID-19. Recent reports have also identified a wave of childhood pneumonia in China, not entirely attributable to …
How one family’s hero ended a pandemic [PODCAST]
Pandemic aftermath: Navigating a new normal in health, education, and social dynamics
Psychological distress. In 2021, 40% of high school students felt sad and hopeless, 20% seriously considered suicide, and 10% attempted it, with suicides among young people hitting their highest rates ever, though they fell in 2022. Since the greatest increase was before 2017, we can’t really blame the pandemic. And some “innovative” approaches for combatting …
Bridging the health care divide: All our actions matter
Much has been written on the social divides laid bare and amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully, the more divisive punditry and polemics have receded along with the COVID-19 mandates. And yet, as professionals in health care who have worked in direct patient care and in support of our clinician colleagues, we still see a broad gap separating the culture and worldviews of the people in health care and the …
CMV: the silent epidemic expectant mothers need to know about [PODCAST]
Past Week
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How can we make neurosurgery more accessible to future generations?
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PGY-22 has a steep learning curve
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Why doctors must take charge to save our failing health care system
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How COVID changed doctor-patient-nurse communication forever [PODCAST]
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Radiologists need to be realistic about the job market
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How empathy and emotional intelligence transform patient care [PODCAST]
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Past 6 Months
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Why is our health care system going down the drain and no one seems to care?
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Nurse practitioner reveals startling flaws in APRN education: Is patient safety at risk?
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Why EHRs are ruining health care: a doctor’s shocking truth
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Climate change is exacerbating diseases in vulnerable populations in America and abroad
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Stop using “whole person care” if you are not assessing and providing whole person care
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How biased medical experts are destroying doctors’ lives and careers in the opioid crisis
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Recent Posts
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How COVID changed doctor-patient-nurse communication forever [PODCAST]
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Why prayers alone couldn’t save my friend from cancer
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The health crisis no one’s talking about: Why teens need better health education
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Inside the toxic reality of surgical residency [PODCAST]
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We can prevent another Apalachee High School, if we have the courage to act
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The shocking impact of incivility in health care: Are your team’s behaviors putting patients at risk?
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Past Week
-
How can we make neurosurgery more accessible to future generations?
-
PGY-22 has a steep learning curve
-
Why doctors must take charge to save our failing health care system
-
How COVID changed doctor-patient-nurse communication forever [PODCAST]
-
Radiologists need to be realistic about the job market
-
How empathy and emotional intelligence transform patient care [PODCAST]
-
Past 6 Months
-
Why is our health care system going down the drain and no one seems to care?
-
Nurse practitioner reveals startling flaws in APRN education: Is patient safety at risk?
-
Why EHRs are ruining health care: a doctor’s shocking truth
-
Climate change is exacerbating diseases in vulnerable populations in America and abroad
-
Stop using “whole person care” if you are not assessing and providing whole person care
-
How biased medical experts are destroying doctors’ lives and careers in the opioid crisis
-
Recent Posts
-
How COVID changed doctor-patient-nurse communication forever [PODCAST]
-
Why prayers alone couldn’t save my friend from cancer
-
The health crisis no one’s talking about: Why teens need better health education
-
Inside the toxic reality of surgical residency [PODCAST]
-
We can prevent another Apalachee High School, if we have the courage to act
-
The shocking impact of incivility in health care: Are your team’s behaviors putting patients at risk?
-
