“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: General 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?
When would you use a sigmoidoscopy over a colonoscopy?
The advantage a sigmoidoscopy has over a colonoscopy is that the bowel does not need to be prepared. In other words, whereas a colonoscopy requires the patient to clean their colon with bowel prep, a sigmoidoscopy can be performed on an unprepped patient. Therefore, if an emergency or unstable patient requires direct visualization of the… Continue reading When would you use a sigmoidoscopy over a colonoscopy?
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.
My doctor found that I had a lot of bacteria growing in my urine but he said I didn’t need antibiotics because it’s not an infection. I don’t have any symptoms but I thought that bacteria in my urine means that I have a urinary tract infection. What does this mean for me?
Given that your age is greater than 65, two possibilities are likely: If the bacteria growing from your urine culture are multiple species, it is likely to be a contaminant and thus the test is voided and no antibiotics are prescribed. A new test would need to be ordered to confirm if you have any… Continue reading My doctor found that I had a lot of bacteria growing in my urine but he said I didn’t need antibiotics because it’s not an infection. I don’t have any symptoms but I thought that bacteria in my urine means that I have a urinary tract infection. What does this mean for me?