The Curious Clinicians

Tony, Hannah and Avi are back at it with another cardiology-nephrology episode, this time examining why calcium "stabilizes" the cardiac membrane in hyperkalemia. For that matter, what does it even mean to stabilize a membrane? Check out the show notes on our website. Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits , courtesy of VCU Health! Sound editing by Nodderly .

In this episode The Curious Clinicians investigate why furosemide can improve dyspnea in acute heart failure almost immediately, long before any diuresis occurs.  Check out the show notes on our website. Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits , courtesy of VCU Health! Sound editing by Nodderly . 

On this episode Tony explores the benefits of fevers, including why even trees and bees mount fevers in response to infection.  Check out the show notes on our website. Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits , courtesy of VCU Health!

This episode is another installment in our Intern Question series, where Hannah examines why some patients feel short of breath specifically when bending over aka "bendopnea".  You can read the show notes for this episode on our wbesite.  Don't forget to pick up CME/MOC credits , courtesy of VCU Health!

The Curious Clinicians explore a theory about the prevalence of CFTR gene mutations and why cystic fibrosis carriers may have a selective advantage. You can read the show notes for this episode on our website. Check out Avi's tweetorial on this topic as well. Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits , courtesy of VCU Health!

Hannah, Avi and Tony examine why we feel cold while febrile (shouldn't we feel hot?) and can develop shaking chills/rigors. The answer has implications for why rigors may be a more timely predictor of active bacteremia than fevers.  You can read the show notes for this episode on our website.  Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits , courtesy of VCU Health!

Avi, Hannah, and Tony investigate why myocardial infarctions lead to ST elevations (and/or ST depressions) on EKG. The answers they found are mind-bending.  You can read the show notes  for this episode on our website. Don't forget to pick up your  CME/MOC credits , courtesy of VCU Health! 

This episode is another installment in our "Questions from Intern Year" series. Hannah explores whether disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) can itself be a source of shock. You can read the show notes for this episode on our website. Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits , courtesy of VCU Health! 

In this episode of The Curious Clinicians, Tony, Hannah and Avi learn about the mechanisms of thirst, why drinking liquids immediately quenches thirst, and why patients with primary polydipsia drink excessively.  Remember to get your CME/MOC credit for listening to the episode. Check out the show notes for the episode at our website as well as Tony's original tweetorial .  You can support the podc...

This is the second episode in a two-part series called "The Eyes Have It", where The Curious Clinicians explore questions related to the eye. In this episode Hannah, Avi, and Tony learn about why bilirubin deposits in the eye, as well as why the term "scleral icterus" is anatomically incorrect.  Remember to pick CME/MOC credit just for listening to the episode!  Check out the show notes for this e...

This is the first episode of a two-part series called "The Eyes Have It", where The Curious Clinicians explore questions related to the eye. In this episode Tony, Hannah, and Avi explore why Wilson disease can present with Kayser-Fleischer corneal rings.  Remember to pick up CME/MOC credit just for listening to the episode!  Check out the show notes for this episode and read Avi's tweetorial on th...

Tony appeared as a guest on the Bedside Rounds podcast with Adam Rodman. Tony and Adam delve into race, racism, and the social determinants of health through three historic plagues in the United States — yellow fever in New Orleans, poliomyelitis, and the early days of HIV/AIDS — and explore what lessons we can learn for the current COVID-19 pandemic. This episode was recorded live at the annual m...

Learn about why cryptococcal meningitis can cause such severe elevations in intracranial pressure, while often causing only minimal inflammation.  Don't forget, you can get CE/MOC credit just for listening! Check out the show notes for this episode and read Avi's tweetorial on this topic. You can support the podcast and pick up some sweet swag from our online store .

This is the next installment of our series on questions from intern year, with a question that came up on rounds. Hannah examines theories as to why septic pulmonary emboli often present in the periphery and bases of the lungs, while "bland" pulmonary do not.  Don't forget to pick up your CE/MOC credits , courtesy of VCU Health! You can read the show notes for this episode and subscribe to our mai...

The Curious Clinicians plug-in to learn about why uremia interferes with platelet function and increases bleeding propensity.  Don't forget, you can get CE/MOC credit just for listening! Check out the show notes for this episode here . And you can also read Tony's tweetorial on this topic here .

The Curious Clinicians are back at it, exploring why magnesium so effectively treats the arrythmia torsades de pointes. Hint: it's the same mechanism as magnesium's effects on bronchospasm in severe asthma and seizures in eclampsia! As always, you can get CE/MOC credits just for listening! To learn more, check out the show notes for this episode on our website. You can also read Avi's original twe...

This is the first in a series where Hannah explores clinical questions that have arisen during her intern year. In this episode, The Curious Clinicians learn why acetaminophen toxicity can lead to an anion gap metabolic acidosis.  Don't forget, you can obtain CE/MOC credits just for listening! To learn more, check out the show notes for this episode on our website.

Avi, Tony, and Hannah are back at it, investigating why metronidazole treats both bacterial and parasitic infections, why it's only effective against anaerobic organisms, and how this relates to the supposed disulfiram-like reaction.  The episode opens with an important message from Dr. Mark Shapiro (host of the Explore The Space podcast) about VoteHealth 2020 . Here are some links for obtaining C...

Hannah, Tony, and Avi dig into the origins and mechanism of that most wondrous of flavors: umami.  Show notes: https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=722 CE/MOC: https://vcu.cloud-cme.com/course/search?p=4000&curriculum=Curious%20Clinicians

The Curious Clinicians examine why coronary ischemia can present with dyspnea. Show notes: https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=888 CE/MOC: https://vcu.cloud-cme.com/course/search?p=4000&curriculum=Curious%20Clinicians  

The Curious Clinicians dive into the history and physiologic effects of IV fluids and why saline is definitely not "normal". Show notes: https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=824 CE/MOC: https://vcu.cloud-cme.com/course/search?p=4000&curriculum=Curious%20Clinicians

Avi, Hannah, and Tony investigate why the antibiotic azithromycin has anti-inflammatory properties.  Show notes: https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=741 CE/MOC: https://ce.vcuhealth.org/ CuriousClinicians

Tony, Avi, and Hannah examine the mechanisms of contraction alkalosis as a result of diuretic use, as well as the roles of chloride and a protein that none of them had previously heard of: pendrin. Show notes: http://curiousclinicians.com/?p=788 CE/MOC: https://ce.vcuhealth.org/ CuriousClinicians

Hannah, Tony, and Avi dive into the health and art of Vincent Van Gogh. Was he treated with digitalis? Was he "dig toxic" and did this influence his color palette?  Show notes: https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=311 CE/MOC: https://vcu.cloud-cme.com/default.aspx?p=4000&curriculum=Curious%20Clinicians  

On this episode of the The Curious Clinicians, Tony, Avi, and Hannah explore why trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole can cause an isolated rise in creatinine.  Show notes: http://curiousclinicians.com/? p=561 CE/MOC: https://ce.vcuhealth.org/Curio usClinicians