Category Archives: Uncategorized

Why don’t we use immunosuppressants for artificial heart valves? Progressive heart valve failure leads to dreadful outcomes, including heart failure and death. Valve replacement surgery emerged in the 1950s and 1960s as a surgical remedy for calcified aortic stenosis and regurgitation. This began in 1952 when Charles Hufnagle was the first to implant a plasticContinue reading “Episode 78 – Valve Privilege”

Why is hyperthyroidism associated with atrial fibrillation? Many of us have evaluated for hyperthyroidism in patients with new-onset atrial fibrillation. The association between hyperthyroidism and sinus tachycardia may make sense, particularly given that other endocrine conditions associated with sympathetic surge (e.g., pheochromocytoma) show the same. However, the association with atrial fibrillation (AF) isn’t immediately apparent.Continue reading “Episode 77 – Irregularly Irregular”

How does the liver regenerate after resection or injury? The liver is a remarkable organ and a bit of an unsung hero in medicine. It’s a tremendously resilient organ that just trucks along and does its many, many jobs to keep us alive. One of the reasons it can maintain function is its ability toContinue reading “Episode 76 – Radical Regeneration”

Why does alcohol make you feel warm? Alcohol makes you feel warm. This effect is so common and historically reported that both German and Russian military leaders recommended the prophylactic administration of alcohol to soldiers during World War II. And during WWI there was a months-long back and forth in the pages of The British MedicalContinue reading “Episode 75 – Feeling the Burn”

Why are infants less likely to have Clostridium difficile infection? Adult clinicians are quite familiar with Clostridium (or Clostridioides) difficile infection (CDI). But this infection is remarkably rare in infants. The explanation is both fascinating and has important implications. Beginning at the beginning, Clostridium difficile was first isolated in 1935 by two microbiologists, Elizabeth O’Continue reading “Episode 74 – DIFFerent Babies”