Brief description of patient problem/setting (summarize the case very briefly) While talking to a patient prior to her colonoscopy she mentions she has heard that she needs to be on an all-clear liquid diet before her colonoscopy. She has read online that people have been taking a low residue diet to much success over a clear liquid diet and wonders if a low residue diet might be a better alternative for her. Search Question: Clearly state the question (including outcomes or criteria to be tracked) Does implementing a low residue diet over a clear liquid diet prior to a colonoscopy …
Month: April 2024
Surgery – PICO #2
Brief description of patient problem/setting (summarize the case very briefly) While watching an anesthesiologist induce a patient to become intubated for their laparoscopic appendectomy, the anesthesiologist mentions she is using propofol. You remember the last anesthesiologist used etomidate. You know that both anesthetics have different indications for them, and wonder if both can be used together to optimize both drugs synergistically during intubation. Search Question: Clearly state the question (including outcomes or criteria to be tracked) Does the combination of propofol and etomidate incite more hemodynamic stability for patients being induced for surgery versus propofol or etomidate alone? Question Type: …
Surgery – PICO #1
Brief description of patient problem/setting (summarize the case very briefly) On the surgery floor you go to talk to a patient about a future appendectomy. The patient has read about robotic-assisted appendectomies. He wonders about if they are a better match for him over doing a laparoscopic appendectomy. Search Question: Clearly state the question (including outcomes or criteria to be tracked) In surgical patients undergoing an appendectomy, do robotic-assisted approaches to an appendectomy reduce operative time and time to discharge versus doing a laparoscopic appendectomy? Question Type: What kind of question is this? (boxes now checkable in Word) ☐Prevalence …
Pediatrics – PICO #3
Brief description of patient problem/setting (summarize the case very briefly) In the pediatrics ER, you notice a symptomatic child with a bulging tympanic membrane and prescribe amoxicillin. The father of the child you are treating mentions that the last time his son had an ear infection and was treated with amoxicillin, he had diarrhea for days. The boy’s father read online that probiotics might shorten the duration of the diarrhea or can possibly eliminate it. Search Question: Clearly state the question (including outcomes or criteria to be tracked) In pediatric patients, do probiotics, given with antibiotics, shorten the course and …
Pediatrics – PICO #2
Brief description of patient problem/setting (summarize the case very briefly) 30-month-old F, accompanied by her mother, comes in to the pediatrics emergency room c/o a cough that has not gone away x 2 days. You hear a bark-like cough, but the child does not seem to be very symptomatic. Search Question: Clearly state the question (including outcomes or criteria to be tracked) In children with mildly symptomatic croup is oral dexamethasone still the go-to steroid to administer verses oral prednisolone in reducing the duration of a child’s cough and illness trajectory? Question Type: What kind of question is this? (boxes …
Pediatrics – PICO #1
Brief description of patient problem/setting (summarize the case very briefly) 8 y/o F, accompanied by father, comes in to the pediatrics emergency room c/o red itchy eyes with discharge x 2 days. Pt’s father reports daughters’ eyes were crusting every morning and needed to be cleaned out. This is their second time in the pediatric ER within the last two days. Search Question: Clearly state the question (including outcomes or criteria to be tracked) In pediatric patients with viral conjunctivitis, are ophthalmic antibiotics more effective than symptomatic treatment, in reducing duration of illness and clinical course? Question Type: What kind …
Reflecting on the Rotation
My surgery rotation consisted of 12-hour days during the week with a 24-hour shift every fourth day (including weekends). I was first a little nervous about how long those 24-hour shifts were, and what would I get done during those hours. Through-out my rotation, I saw many surgeries during those 24-hour shifts, and I was happy I was a part of it. My surgery rotation consisted of going to various types of surgeries and procedures including exploratory laparotomies, colon and small bowel resections, mastectomies, laparoscopic cholecystectomies and appendectomies, hernia repairs, colonoscopies, hemorrhoidectomies, fistulotomies, and anal fistula repairs. We were also …
Site Evaluation Summary
For my site evaluations, I did my surgery SOAP notes on several different types of patients. One patient had a family history of breast cancer and had a fibroadenoma that was benign years ago. A new breast mass was found on exam and a breast core biopsy was recommended. The second patient was brought into the emergency room for right upper quadrant pain for a few days after having a high fatty meal. Her right upper quadrant was tender to palpation and a CT abdomen showed gallstones in her gallbladder. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was indicated for the patient. The third patient …
Typhon Posting
Journal Entry
Antibiotics vs no antibiotics in the treatment of acute uncomplicated diverticulitis Diverticula are small outpouchings that can form in the lining of the digestive system (more commonly found in the descending and sigmoid portions of the colon). They form when the inner lining of the intestine bulges or herniates through weak spots in the muscular wall. They are usually asymptotic when they are not inflamed. When diverticula become inflamed, it is known as diverticulitis which can cause abdominal pain, fever, nausea, and changes in bowel habits. Acute diverticulitis has different scales and scores to classify what type of diverticulitis a …
