The left shift is a commonly (mis)used piece of medical terminology. Neutrophilia it is not. A quaint sign of a serious illness, it most definitely is.
Category Archives: Tidbits
The eMR Alert That Cried Wolf
eMR alerts are notoriously annoying, and surprisingly ineffective. It turns out that interrupting clinicians constantly during tasks might have the unintended consequence of causing, not preventing errors. Not that an average clinician bothers to read any of these alerts at all…
Alternative Medicine – Antimicrobials Edition (Part 1)
In this article, we’re talking alternative uses for antimicrobials that don’t rely on their bug killing activity. Some leverage unwanted side effects, some leverage unintentional discoveries and all are quite amusing.
Putting a Stop Date on the Tazocin
Recent guidelines suggest that both low- and high-risk patients can safely stop antibiotics when afebrile, clinically well and have completed an adequate treatment course, irrespective of neutrophil count in febrile neutropenia. This marks a departure from the usual practice of awaiting marrow recovery.
2025 M&M Year in Review
As 2025 concludes, we take a quick look back through our blog’s first year: the hits, the misses and what we have in store for 2026.
Furosemide: Flushing out the Misconceptions
Is it furosemide or frusemide? More importantly, what are its caveats and quirks? The evidence based is shockingly sparse for this ubiquitous medication…
Confessions of a “Penicillin Allergic” Patient
Penicillin allergies are exceptionally common – and exceptionally untrue. The oft quoted 10% cross-reactivity between penicillins and cefazolin is a relic of Penicillium past.
Learning Statistics – Against All Odds… or is it Risk?
Odds ratios and relative risk differ in their derivation and applicability, depending on study types. Hazard ratios are a different world of pain, and a time-dependent measure of rate. Even amongst published literature, these are incorrectly used interchangeably.
Sepsis: A Spoonful of Fluid Helps the Lactate Go Down
There are many more reasons than just hypoperfusion and anaerobic metabolism to explain the lactatemia in sepsis. It follows that there are many more considerations other than buckets of fluid when looking to lower the lactate.
The Fast and the Furious: Intravenous Fluid Shift
When administering urgent fluids, prioritize accessible options over central lines. Use larger and shorter cannulas for better flow rates, considering factors like the catheter’s gauge, length, and viscosity of the fluid. While central lines provide reliable access, they often hinder flow compared to suitable cannulas.
