Author: Keziah Babu
Emergency Medicine: Rotation Reflection
My second rotation was Emergency Medicine in New York Presbyterian Queens, located in Flushing, NY. The ER saw a combination of mainly Asian, Hispanic, and Black patients with complaints that ranged from falls to stroke like symptoms and chest pain, to status epilepticus and cardiac arrest. I found that the Emergency Department was a great place to learn to interview patients, broaden my differential, and learn how all aspects of the healthcare team come together to treat patients in emergency situations. I would often head over to the trauma room when a code was called to learn about the high …
Emergency Medicine Typhon Summary
Emergency Medicine: Site Visit Summary
One of the patients that I had presented for this rotation was a patient suffering from Myxedema Coma. This is a rare but fatal condition that could easily be missed if the provider is not diligent enough in assessing the patient’s symptoms and lab results. This patient was previously diagnosed with Hypothyroidism which should already alert us to broadening our differential to thyroid-related disorders. She comes in lethargic and disoriented, with a blood pressure of 192/78 and bradycardic with a HR of 40 bpm. Bloodwork was drawn for labs and the patient was treated immediately. When presenting the case, my …
Journal Article and Summary
Myxedema coma is a rare yet fatal thyroid disorder that can cause acute encephalopathy in older adults. However, because the differential for AMS is so extensive (especially amongst older adults) it is highly suggested that thyroid function tests be performed, even if the patient is not diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Aging can play a role in fluctuating hormone levels (i.e. TSH, T3 and T4). This article explores how medications such as amiodarone can lead to myxedema coma in older adults. CASE STUDY: 71 year old gentleman with PMH of stage 5 CKD, a. fib ( on amiodarone 200 mg), T2DM, and …
Emergency Medicine HPIs
Rotation 2: Family Medicine
Family Medicine: Rotation Reflection
My first rotation was Family Medicine in South Shore Family Medical, located in Far Rockaway. This was an underserved area with a population consisting mostly of Black and Hispanic patients. Most patients were not properly educated on their health status and did not have much of an understanding in regards to the diseases they had. Therefore, a great deal of patient education was required. Some pros about this rotation was that I felt this was a great rotation to start off with. It wasn’t so fast paced that I became overwhelmed, but rather, I felt I had a steady introduction …
Family Medicine: Site Visit Summary
For one of my site visits, one of the patients I presented was a 56 year old woman complaining of dizziness and vomiting for the past day.She reported an episode of vomiting the prior morning. Later that night she experienced dizziness and felt that the room was spinning. The dizziness continued into this morning and has since improved. She denies hearing loss, tinnitus, ear pain, fever, chills, night sweats, or any other complaints. One of the first things that came up in our minds on our differential was vertigo, and it came down to trying to distinguish if the cause …
Journal Article and Summary
Rotation #1: Journal Article Summary Title: “Memory Loss in Alzheimer’s Disease” by Holgan Jahn, MD Alzheimer’s is one of the most common causes of dementia and is often on top of a provider’s differential when a patient comes in complaining of memory loss. This article focuses on the relation between memory loss and Alzheimer’s and how this disease affects short term memory, long term memory, and how other outside factors affect the severity of this disease. Earlier onset of dementia can become evident in patients as early as in their forties; genetics plays a strong role in such …
