Healthcare Musings Blog

Nov. 13, 2024

The Battle Against An Ignoble Death

In a previous article, I discussed how, as a critical care specialist, I wage multiple battles in the ICU. Along with the primary battle against critical illness itself, one of the most important battles is the one against an ignoble death. This…

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Nov. 13, 2024

Redesigning MDRs to Include Social Determinants of Health

In my conversation with Dr. Greg Johnson, Chief Physician Executive of Unity Point Health and former CEO of Hospital Medicine for Sound Physicians, we touched upon health equity, and he quoted a maxim that I took to heart: "There is no quality w…

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Nov. 13, 2024

Get Your Living Will Done Today

A patient arrives in the ICU after suffering a traumatic brain injury. He does not have decisional capacity as he is on invasive mechanical ventilation. He only has one sibling and no spouse or children. In the state of Illinois, therefore, his …

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Nov. 13, 2024

PLEASE Do Not Do This To Treat Food Poisoning

I came across an article in the NY Times about a TikTok video that claimed drinking alcohol may prevent you from getting food poisoning. The person in the video ate something she felt was questionable, and so she cited a study that suggested alc…

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Nov. 13, 2024

Beware the Potential Dangers of Cannabis

On October 4, the NY Times published an article entitled, "As America’s Marijuana Use Grows, So Do the Harms."It recounted the growing number of dangers of cannabis use, especially as more and more states legalize its use, and the cannabis bei…

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