Hematologist/Bone marrow transplanter at UCSD/educator - loves teaching all of Twitter medicine, husband+father/Guitar 🎸/Nirvana best band ever!/Loves tacos
Learning Anticoagulants is Easy (kind of)
Drugs target Xa = Xa in name
ApiXaban
BetriXaban
EdoXaban
RivaroXaban
Drugs target BOTH Xa+thrombin = PARIN (pair) in name
HeParin
EnoXaParin
DalteParin
Drugs target only IIa = B (2nd letter)
ArgatroBan
Bivalrudin
DaBigatran
Life as an oncologist
In 1 day
Tell a patient they relapsed after 5 years of remission
Next room, celebrate scans with remission!
Next room, transition long term patient/friend to hospice.
Then go home eat dinner with family and ask kids how school was.
Tweetorial - How to learn an antibiotic!
I learn following about every abx
Does it cover
1. MSSA
2. MRSA
3. Enterococcus
4. Pseudomonas
5. Anaerobes
6. Scary gram negatives (ESBL)
7. Unique coverage (ampicillin = listeria)
8. Unique toxicity (imipenem = seizure)
Current medical training system for experts
4 years of college
4 years of medical school (+4 yr for PhD for some)
3-7 years of residency
1-3 years of fellowship
1-3 years of sub fellowship
End product = Physician who treats 1 disease at major medical center most can't access
How to learn an antibiotic!
I learn following about every abx
Does it cover
1. MSSA
2. MRSA
3. Enterococcus
4. Pseudomonas
5. Anaerobes
6. Scary gram negatives (ESBL)
7. Unique coverage (ampicillin = listeria)
8. Unique toxicity (imipenem = seizure)
Example over next few days
USMLE Step 1/2 Review for Med Students!
Brief Tweetorial
5 Leukemias
5 Blood smears
Be able to differentiate them
1. AML
2. ALL
3. CML
4. CLL
5. Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma
Bad food = Bad infections
A collection of infections for USMLE!
Raw milk = Brucellosis
Undercooked pork = Trichinellosis and Cysticercosis
Left over rice = Bacillus cereus (toxin)
Crab/cray fish = Paragonimiasis
Raw meat = Clostridium perfringens
Oysters = Vibrio vulnificus
I’m a doctor but I would be labeled a “difficult patient” if I am ever admitted to the hospital
I would refuse
Daily blood draws
q4hr vital signs
Bed alarms
Colace/PPI
Fluid restrictions
Low fat diet
I would destroy the beeping IV poll.
Just give me the cefepime and let me be
How to learn an antibiotic!
I learn following about every antibiotic I prescribe
Does it cover
1. MSSA
2. MRSA
3. Enterococcus
4. Pseudomonas
5. Anaerobes
6. Scary gram negatives (ESBL)
7. Unique coverage (ampicillin = listeria)
8. Important toxicity (imipenem = seizure)
If people want to play along with my quest to re-learn internal medicine this is the book I am using!
I read a little bit every morning (like a page). Usually inspires a question for twitter and helps me learn better also.
Honestly I am enjoying it.
Hypercalcemia: A Tweetorial for Internist
Calcium regulated to levels between 9-10.5 mg/dL
↑PTH = ↑calcium
↑Calcitonin = ↓calcium
PTH produced by the chief cells in parathyroid glands
Calcitonin produced by the parafollicular cells in thyroid
It should be illegal for an “alternative medicine” doctor to tell a patient of mine to forgo “conventional” therapy for their life threatening malignancy and go “all natural”. Yet they can do this with no consequences.
For the new interns - Anticoagulant Mechanism Name Jewels!
Drugs target Xa = Xa in name
ApiXaban
BetriXaban
EdoXaban
RivaroXaban
Drugs target BOTH Xa+thrombin = PARIN (pair)
HeParin
EnoXaParin
DalteParin
Drugs target only IIa = B (2nd letter)
ArgatroBan
Bivalrudin
DaBigatran
For specialist trying to keep their internal medicine skills sharp I highly recommend this book. I try to commit a few pages to memory most Sundays and it makes me look like a star on rounds.
Good book
When ever I see a new patient in oncology clinic I try to remind myself right before opening the clinic room door that right now is likely one of the worst/scariest/anxiety provoking days of their life.
Then I go in the room.
Oncology Clinic is Strange.
In 1 day
Tell a patient they relapsed years after remission
Next room, celebrate scans with no cancer
Finally transition a long term patient/friend to hospice
Then go home, pretend as if nothing happened, eat dinner,and ask your kids how school was
When ever I see a new patient in oncology clinic I try to remind myself right before opening the clinic room door that today is likely one of the worst if not worst day in their life. Then I go in the room.
How to get into medical school:
1. Straight As (orgo, physics,molecular bio etc…)
2. Do lots of research (preferably in lab)
3. Lengthy CV
4. Ace the MCAT
5. Spend lots of💰to do above
6. Be competitive!
How to be a good doctor:
1. Listen to your patients and communicate well.
Hematology Gold!
My malignant hematology cheat sheets were requested.
Intended for medical students, residents, or anyone interested in malignant hematology.
DM for word file
Feel free to correct mistakes and edit
I need to motivate my daughter in third grade to publish more instead of playing with her friends so she can get into medical school and residency.
Any suggestions?
Anticoagulant Mechanism Name Jewels
Drugs target Xa = Xa in name
ApiXaban
BetriXaban
EdoXaban
RivaroXaban
Drugs target BOTH Xa+thrombin = PARIN (pair) in name
HeParin
EnoXaParin
DalteParin
Drugs target only IIa = B (2nd letter)
ArgatroBan
Bivalrudin
DaBigatran
Discovery of ITP was Epic
Dr William Harrington, a hematology fellow at WashU, injected blood from an ITP pt into himself
His plt count dropped immediately, and he was admitted to Barnes Hospital with epistaxis, gingival, rectal bleeding
1 week later his plt returned to normal
My Favorite Medical Mnemonic of All Time!
Feel free to share yours
Causes of Pancreatitis
I GET SMASHED
Idiopathic
Gallstones
Ethanol
Trauma (steering wheel)
Steroids
Mumps/Malignancy
Autoimmune
Scorpion sting (from Trinidad!)
Hypertrygliceridemia/Hypercalcemia
ERCP
Drugs
"Doc my back pain is worse when I sit still but improves with movement. Also my eyes hurt."
Diagnosis?
Huge bonus points and respect if you can name the rock guitarist who has this illness!!!
Why doctors run late in clinic!
1. Clinic overbooked. This allows patient care to not be delayed weeks to months.
2. They spend more time with patient then time slot given (can’t tell someone they have cancer and then say bye in 10 minutes)
3. Prior patients showed up late.
Massive Blood Transfusion Complications!
⬆️PT/PTT = pRBC contain no coagulation factors
⬇️Platelet = pRBC contain no plt
⬇️Ca = Citrate in pRBC binds Ca
⬆️K = K leaks out of cells in stored RBCs
⬇️Temp (hypothermia) = RBC stored at 4°C
⬆️Ph from metabolism of citrate in pRBC.
Complications of Massive Blood Transfusion
⬆️PT/PTT = pRBC contain no coagulation factors
⬇️Platelet = pRBC contain no plt
⬇️Ca = Citrate in pRBC binds Ca
⬆️K = K leaks out of cells in stored RBCs
⬇️Temp (hypothermia) = RBC stored at 4°C
⬆️Ph from metabolism of citrate in pRBC.
Look at those beautiful eyes!
Med students, I would expect you to know the diagnosis.
Hematologists, I would expect you to know why this cell is so good at evading the immune system.
Pathologists, I expect you to know everything
@shakira
we made our daughter a Shakira cake for her birthday and she’s delighted even though we’re trapped inside during a tropical storm/hurricane!