Tiffany Proffitt, DO
It’s 9 a.m. in urgent care, and your next patient is here for a sore throat. They want a rapid strep test and antibiotics. But we all know that most sore throats are viral, and antibiotics won’t help. That’s exactly why clinical decision tools, such as the Centor and McIsaac criteria, matter. They guide testing decisions, help us avoid unnecessary antibiotics, and keep care efficient on a busy shift.
It’s every clinician’s nightmare: a pediatric patient in full-blown anaphylaxis, your team scrambling to find the epinephrine vial, draw it up, calculate the pediatric dose, triple-check the concentration — oh, and do it all in a resource-limited setting.
It’s been more than a decade, but the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has finally released updated guidelinesfor complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs) — and there’s a lot for clinicians to digest.
Herbal supplements are everywhere—and so are the bold claims that come with them. From tea tree oil to echinacea to zinc, they’re often marketed as natural cures for everything from acne to the common cold. But how much of it actually holds up?
If you’ve ever worked an ED at 3 AM during a holiday weekend, you know what’s coming: a patient visiting from out of town presents with a radiology report that is positive for a DVT. With no hematology or cardiology consults available, no access to the patient’s records, and the clock ticking, you’re left to manage the situation.
We’ve all done it—given patients the standard advice to “increase your daily fiber intake” without a second thought. After all, it seems like a simple, harmless suggestion, right? But what does it actually mean to crank up the fiber, and when should you rethink the recommendation?
Just because it’s over the counter doesn’t make it safe.