HIV and ID Observations

October 8th, 2018

“Mini”-Really Rapid Review — IDWeek 2018, San Francisco

Once upon a time, the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) wasn’t much of a research conference. It consisted mostly of review sessions on topics deemed worthy of an update or a refresher, led by noted experts in the field. They would cite the latest literature on endocarditis, or mycoplasma, or prosthetic […]

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August 12th, 2018

Apologies, Our E-Mail Notifications Are Not Reliably Going Out

Last week, I wrote something I really wanted my long-time friend and colleague, Susan Larrabee, to read. Susan is the HIV social worker-extraordinaire I’ve been working with for a million years, give or take a few. The piece covered how rewarding it is to care for people with HIV. If anyone could affirm that view, it’s Susan. […]

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June 24th, 2018

A Migrating Facial Worm, and Time to Vote for Your Favorite Cartoon Caption

Over on the New England Journal of Medicine, there’s a picture on the “Images in Clinical Medicine” series that’s getting quite a bit of attention. And it’s no wonder. This 32-year-old woman in Russia went to her ophthalmologist with a series of selfies she took over a 2-week period. The pictures demonstrated nodules (bumps) that moved around her […]

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June 3rd, 2018

My Dog Louie Was Attacked by Another Dog — He’s Fine, I’m a Mess

On a cool morning recently, I was taking my dog Louie for his morning walk. We headed to a small local park, a place we’ve been hundreds of times in his 5-year life. He loves it. Lots to sniff. A chance to trot around without his leash. Perhaps a soggy tennis ball to chase, after I’ve given […]

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May 6th, 2018

Looking Back on a Decade of Blogging About HIV and Infectious Diseases

Last week, Dr. Wendy Armstrong from Emory kindly invited me to spend some time with their smart, energetic ID fellows. (See if you can pick me out of the group in the photo at right — hint, I’m the old guy on the left.) Before the trip, Wendy asked them whether they’d rather hear me give a […]

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April 22nd, 2018

Some ID Stuff We’re Talking About on Medical Rounds — with Bonus Andy Borowitz Podcast

As an infectious diseases specialist attending on the general medical service each year, I am the beneficiary of a wonderful knowledge exchange. The smart house staff and my generalist co-attending teach me the latest about hyperkalemia, anticoagulation, anemia, alcohol withdrawal, acute renal injury, COPD, atrial fibrillation, pancreatitis, asthma, diabetes, and congestive heart failure — to name […]

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June 18th, 2017

On Father’s Day, A Rumination on Families with Lots of Doctors

My father is a doctor. So was my father’s father. And my father’s uncle. And my father’s cousin. But that’s not all. My father’s brother was also a doctor — he loved being a doctor more than anyone on the planet, and attended neurology meetings long after he retired, right up until the time he died last year. […]

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March 14th, 2017

Poll: Should We Allow 24-Hour Shifts Again For Interns?

Over on Boston’s NPR site, I wrote a piece about the decision by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to allow 24 hour (or longer) work shifts again for interns. My goal in writing the piece was to relay what I experienced doing these long shifts way back when during my internship — the good […]

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December 18th, 2016

Holiday Distractions, Dirty Pets, and Time to Vote for Your Favorite Cartoon Caption

Many people find it tough to concentrate at work this time of year. So much to juggle: Holiday parties. Shopping. Travel plans — specifically, should we go with DEET or picaridin? Lots of high-carb, high-calorie foods stealing blood from our brains. Maybe too much eggnog or punch doing the same thing. Kids on vacation, with their demands for […]

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December 4th, 2016

Just Wondering: Quick ID/HIV Questions to Ponder During Month Number 12

A selection of ID/HIV questions that have been dogging me over the past year, some longer: Why is there no reliable, readily available PCR diagnostic test for malaria? Seems especially ironic since the one for babesia has become so commonly used. Does the Binax antigen test make it unnecessary? Why aren’t we actively recommending Zika testing for couples who return from […]

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