It was a typical Thursday, my OPD day. After completing rounds, I settled into the clinic, surrounded by my medical residents. The waiting hall buzzed with life, crowded with patients, many standing near the door, each waiting their turn. Mornings like these felt routine, but they never lacked purpose. Our hospital, a beacon of hope …
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Medical Errors
Medical Errors
Four hundred thousand patients in the hospitals in the United States die every year because of medical errorsโfrom mistakes that could have been prevented. The BMJ article, published three days ago, says that โif the medical error was a disease, it would rank as the third leading cause of death in the US.โ Preventable medical …
Tweedledum and Tweedledee
She lay on the hospital bed, grateful to the doctors for successfully fixing her broken bone. Just wheeled from the operating room to the ward, she looked forward to going home the next day. Her post-op orders were simple: nil by mouth for two hours and two liters of intravenous fluids. The surgeon also instructed …
On Missing Malaria
Parsimonious. My teachers taught me this principle at the bedside during my residency. A single diagnosis should explain all symptoms and signs whenever possible. That was in 1980. Physicians relied on their brains and stethoscopes. They took detailed histories, examined patients thoroughly, ordered few tests, discussed differentials, and took pride in getting the diagnosis right. …