infectious disease | wellnessrounds

If you are a medical student or resident… You’re welcome!

There are teachers, and then there are master educators… Dr. BK Titanji is an infectious disease expert at Emory who recently posted this on Bluesky:

I emailed her to ask her for the original PDF so I could post it here with better resolution. This is not just a great tool for anyone who prescribes antibiotics, it’s a beautiful example of how to teach complex subjects.

Cosmic Smile

While we’re on the topic of space, time, and the space-time continuum….

The ring around the galaxy cluster in this amazing photograph is called an “Einstein ring” (because he predicted that it would exist).

“An Einstein ring, also known as an Einstein–Chwolson ring or Chwolson ring (named for Orest Chwolson), is created when light from a galaxy or star passes by a massive object en route to the Earth….Gravitational lensing is predicted by Albert Einstein‘s theory of general relativity.^[1] Instead of light from a source traveling in a straight line (in three dimensions), it is bent by the presence of a massive body, which distorts spacetime. An Einstein ring is a special case of gravitational lensing, caused by the exact alignment of the source, lens, and observer. “(Wikipedia, Einstein Ring)

Around the world, Ebola and other infectious diseases take the lives of mothers, fathers, sons and daughters … and place at risk those who care for them. This risk is known to all who choose medicine as their career. It is part of caring for the ill, and always has been.

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“A healthcare provider has an ethical and professional duty to address a patient’s needs, as long as the patient’s diagnosis – or when the patient’s initial complaint, on the face of it – falls within the provider’s scope of practice. Refusing to do so is not consistent with the ethical principle of beneficence. “ Twardowski, et. al. RI Med Jl October, 2014

Around the world, physicians, nurses, and all healthcare workers willingly fulfill their duty to care for patients who are or might be ill with Ebola and other dangerous diseases, reflecting the altruism and compassion of those who choose medicine for their career.

Emory Nurse ‘Could Not Be More Proud’ of Those Treating Ebola

Ebola doctors sacrifice all to bring hope.

However, the duty to care for these patients does not automatically extend to those who are learning medicine. Without the experience, context and well developed skills of established providers, trainees are potentially at greater personal risk.

When I operate on patients with HIV, Hepatitis, or any blood-borne pathogen, I take every precaution possible for myself and the staff who are scrubbed. I also take advantage of the “teachable moment” to discuss ethics and universal precautions with my trainees…. but I don’t allow medical students or junior residents to directly participate in the case. Likewise, I am sure that learners will not be allowed to provide direct care for patients known to be infected with Ebola or other dangerous diseases… or to travel to West Africa for clinical experiences while the epidemic is still present.

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All of us in medicine honor those who provide care to the ill despite the risk …and we thank you for the example you are setting for those learning to heal. We hold our colleagues in Dallas, Atlanta, Africa and around the world in our thoughts as they work tirelessly to heal the sick and contain this terrible disease.