we are left having difficult conversations in acute settings trying to gain an understanding of people’s wishes. THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE!
Let’s Get Down and Dirty: Addressing End of Life
Bowel prep or Foul prep? Troubleshooting bowel preparation at home
You finally heard the dreaded words from your primary care doctor, “you need a colonoscopy!” You’ve heard horror stories from your friends as they went one by one for a colonoscopy. “I pooped my brains out!” one said. “I couldn’t stop vomiting because of the horrible tasting prep,” another said. The fasting, the drinking of... Continue Reading →
Fifty Shades of Red: Calling a GI Consult for Rectal Bleeding
When calling Gastroenterology (GI) for a consult for bleeding, there are many descriptors you should provide to help determine the location of a bleed and the urgency in which a bleed needs management. The first and most important descriptor is color. Describing the color of the stool accurately, helps the GI team to determine the... Continue Reading →
A patient’s guide to the FODMAP diet.
As with many things I write about as a Gastroenterology fellow, my topics come from my friends and family. Recently, at my parent’s dinner party, the topic of the FODMAP diet was thrown around. Many of my mother’s friends were curious about this “diet.” I would like to start out by saying calling the FODMAP... Continue Reading →
The Butt Stops Here: the story of tobacco and adenomatous polyps
The past two months have been an exciting time for me as I embark on my fellowship experience. I started out on my endoscopy month scoping routine outpatient cases. During this time, I noticed a trend. Patients that smoked had more polyps in their colon. This isn’t a new concept. In fact, there is strong... Continue Reading →
The hard truth about constipation
Hi everyone! Today’s post is about acute constipation and what you can do at home! This might be an awkward and embarrassing topic, but your bowel health is very important. You are not alone! Anyone who hasn’t done the deed in a couple days feels the pain, literally. The definition of acute constipation is a... Continue Reading →
Let’s get personal: Digital rectal exams
Residents, let’s get serious for a minute. How often are you performing digital rectal exams (DRE) for patients that have an indication? An informal poll of the audience revealed that even some gastroenterologists, let alone medical residents, were skipping the rectal exam despite having patients with lower gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. I know that during a... Continue Reading →
Pro-Probiotics?
Let’s talk about a really hot topic in gastroenterology: Probiotics. I get more questions about this topic than a lot of others, and it is challenging because the published evidence provides differing opinions. How do I feel about them? Personally, I’m, well...pro...probiotics. Get it? Anyway, let’s start with the most basic question: what are probiotics?... Continue Reading →
Steps to Holding a Successful Family Meeting
I’ve come a long way when it comes to family meetings. I remember how nervous I was walking into my very first family meeting where two members broke out into a physical fight over their differing views regarding palliative extubation. It took me many trials and tribulations to establish a structure for my meetings. Through... Continue Reading →
