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In 1998, Andrew Wakefield published his infamous and fraudulent article in the Lancet - a very well known medical journal. In the article, Wakefield concludes that there is a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. The article has since been RETRACTED. Indeed, vaccines do not actually cause autism. With this article, an idea began to spread. In this episode, I discuss the implications of the anti-vax movement and a recent article published in the American Journal of Public...

Towards the middle of my third year in Residency, I had the idea to make this episode. I wanted to get a bunch of tips and tricks from all my attending's and co-residents. What ended up happening was a little different than I planned. Unintentionally I switched the question I was asking from "what is a tip or trick you have?" to "what is your one bit of advice?". What resulted is a mix of advice, tips and life lessons from some of my best friends and colleagues. Also, pardon the brief...

I am starting a series of interviews with physicians who have led interesting careers and have great stories to tell. The first of many future interviews to come. There is more to medicine than just working in the hospital - tactical medicine, wilderness medicine, entrepreneurs, founders, international medicine and doctors involved in politics and film. Through this series of interviews I will explore all the various paths that are available to physicians - clinical, non-clinical and...

A special short episode just in time for Christmas. Here we review an article published in The BMJ entitled "Dispelling the nice or naughty myth: retrospective observational study of Santa Claus." This article, while funny, was also touching. As healthcare providers we are constantly surrounded by death, negativity and people at their worst. We sometimes focus on the medicine and forget the human aspect. Even worse, we are sometimes 'forced' into customer service roles, relegating...

Guide to the in-hospital fanny pack: The decision to have a fanny pack was a natural progression. It started in 4th year medical school when a resident gave me a bougie and told me "son, you should keep this in your pocket for your entire rotation". From that moment I felt something inside of me change, I felt more prepared. I wasn't a pro at intubation but I knew I had one of the three things any ER doctor needs to be ready for any situation: KnowledgeEquipmentThe Ability to act Then...

Each video larnygoscope model has its subtle quirks and troubleshooting techniques. The following techniques are useful when intubating with the Glidescope AVL: withdrawing the glidescope slightly. "upper 1/3 of the screen". Verathon Glidescope Technique VideonotTry shiftinglefthold the ET tube by the end furthest from the patients mouthConsider withdrawing the stylet 3-5 cm For tip #3 I mention that you should be looking at the mouth while introducing the ET tube. During this, it is...

Show notes at www.medicalcasespodcast.libsyn.com. Remember in medical school when you were taught to treat the patient and not the numbers? It sounded so good, right? So why are we so aggressive with treating fever in patients with sepsis? This episode reviews the article "Acetaminophen for Fever in Critically Ill Patients with Suspected Infection". Bottom line: for septic patients with fever, you can use acetaminophen to treat symptoms but there is no mortality benefit. Furthermore,...

The topic of this lecture is how to approach a Rapid Response in the hospital. The website has a PDF version of the RAPID RESPONSE CHECKLIST that you can download/print/laminate. There are three sections: While the topic is short, the general theme is one that I will continue to expound upon throughout the podcast: you need to be prepared to perform during variant or labile situations in the hospital. A systematic approach is one of keys to being ready. Caveats to the list: You don't...

Episode #2 A knowledge pearl episode with a short case seen during intern year of residency. These three clinical entities all share a common theme; they develop quickly and need definitive management within minutes. Fentanyl rigid chest syndrome: chest wall/abdominal/masseter rigidity following the administration of fentanyl. More commonly seen with doses >4mcg/kg but can be with ANY dose. Risk factors: higher doses, fast push rate, extremities of age, critical illness and use of...

Motivated by the podcast greats in the EM world; the very first episode of MCP. What inspired this podcast was a month long elective ER/ICU rotation during my second year of residency. In preparation for rounding and doing H/P's in Spanish I wanted to improve my medical vocabulary. I listened to a lot of medical podcasts in Spanish. What I wanted at that time was a podcast with variety, excitement and that fit my interests of EM/IM/critical care. There was nothing that fit that description...