April 7th, 2011
The Colors of Life
Greg Bratton, MD
For a week, the patient in bed 301 had been fighting. After being found unresponsive and hypothermic in the field, this 48-year-old male was brought to the ICU and was treated for metabolic acidosis, end-stage liver disease, hepatic encephalopathy, and an acute upper GI bleed, all in the context of presumed alcohol intoxication/withdrawal. It was not […]
February 23rd, 2011
The Passion of Medicine and Its Music
Greg Bratton, MD
I admit it. International medicine and I don’t dance. Whereas a lot of my former classmates and current colleagues have gone to Brazil, Ghana, Haiti, Israel, Thailand, and Papua New Guinea for medical missions, I typically travel only as far away as high school football buses can go on a tank of gas. I prefer the […]
January 31st, 2011
The Real Breathless CPR
Greg Bratton, MD
Residency is hard. The hours are long, the work is grueling, and, simply put, hospital food is not good. Many days, we, as residents, walk the wards in a lifeless haze – coasting on the wings of our white coats, our fuel tanks pointing way past empty. During these times, we find ourselves sitting in wheelchairs that are stored […]
November 22nd, 2010
Thanks (for) Giving
Greg Bratton, MD
This is my favorite time of year. Not because the leaves are falling and Texas is finally cooling off, but because the upcoming holidays give me time to reflect on the year’s events and appreciate what I have been given. For some, this might bring to mind a big promotion, a new addition to the […]