“Walking pneumonia” often refers to a respiratory infection with the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae. It commonly affects school aged children and is spread by respiratory droplets. This is considered an atypical pneumonia as the patient usually experiences mild symptoms such as a low grade fever, cough, and runny nose which can last from days to weeks.… Continue reading What is walking pneumonia, what causes it? How do you treat it?
Category: Emergency Medicine
When would a person need dialysis?
Dialysis is a treatment in which toxic metabolites, ions, and excess water are removed from the blood. There are two types of dialysis: Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis. Hemodialysis works by circulating blood outside the body through a filter. Peritoneal Dialysis, on the other hand, takes place inside the body and uses the membrane in your… Continue reading When would a person need dialysis?
I was opening my shed in my backyard and a bunch of bats few out. I didn’t get bit but should I go to the hospital to get checked out for rabies or should I wait and see if I start feeling sick?
Yes, you should go to the hospital immediately for rabies prophylaxis. Bats are known carriers of rabies and they don’t have to bite to transmit rabies. Studies have shown that bats can transmit the rabies virus to humans through aerosolized particles of saliva and feces. Rabies is almost universally deadly once symptoms start but rabies… Continue reading I was opening my shed in my backyard and a bunch of bats few out. I didn’t get bit but should I go to the hospital to get checked out for rabies or should I wait and see if I start feeling sick?
I swallowed a fishbone during dinner. It hurts a little and I still feel it in the back of my throat. Will it come out on its own or should I go to the doctor?
You should go to your doctor or the local emergency room immediately because there is a real risk of tissue injury, perforation, or infection. The rule of thumb is that if you swallowed a sharp object (fishbone, pin, toothpick, needle, etc.) or feel symptoms such as the sensation of a foreign object, pain and difficulty… Continue reading I swallowed a fishbone during dinner. It hurts a little and I still feel it in the back of my throat. Will it come out on its own or should I go to the doctor?
Can I get rabies from a rat bite?
There has never been a documented case of rabies transmission through rat bite. In fact, rabies is transmitted through saliva and rats have “dry bite” because their incisors are outside of their oral cavity. Therefore, rats are rarely infected with the rabies virus and the CDC does not recommend rabies prophylaxis for rat bites.