‘It Was David Versus Goliath’: What We Heard This Week

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“It was David versus Goliath … and you know something, we ripped them to shreds.” — Daniel McGee, MD, of Eugene Emergency Physicians in Oregon, a plaintiff in a lawsuit to block an employer from replacing the local medical team with an out-of-state corporation.

“His legal problems don’t change the data in that study.” — Paul Offit, MD, of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, discussing Poul Thorsen, MD, PhD, a Danish researcher who co-authored key research demonstrating no links between childhood vaccines and autism, who was arraigned on federal wire fraud and money laundering charges after his extradition from Germany,

“The most important outcomes weren’t numerical.” — Carri Ekberg, MS, RN, of Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City, on a structured showering protocol that improved the quality of life for hemodialysis patients without compromising safety.

“Ivermectin might not have a lot of side effects that can hurt patients, but the real source of harm can come when a patient foregoes proven, potentially effective therapy.” — Michelle Rockwell, PhD, of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke, regarding research into a spike in unproven cancer treatment prescriptions following an endorsement by actor Mel Gibson.

“I think it’s almost impossible in this situation to say that somebody is at zero risk.” — James Lawler, MD, MPH, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), on the complexities of monitoring passengers exposed to hantavirus during the cruise ship outbreak.

“If I was exposed to this and I had the option to stay in a quarantine unit proximate to [high-quality] care, I would definitely take that.” — Michael Wadman, MD, of UNMC’s quarantine unit, explaining why a specialized quarantine facility is the safest place to ride out a 42-day hantavirus observation period.

“This is exceedingly rare, but if it’s recognized, it can be reversible.” — Jasmine Francis, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, on two cases of a rare vision-altering condition in patients taking the GLP-1 agent dulaglutide (Trulicity).

“It’s not just a journal club or grand rounds. It’s more a happy hour.” — Will Flanary, MD, better known as Dr. Glaucomflecken, on the launch of his new social media community designed to foster connection among physicians.

“It is often overlooked or mistaken for Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.” — Michael Okun, MD, of the University of Florida Fixel Institute in Gainesville, discussing undiagnosed or misdiagnosed cases of dementia with Lewy bodies.

“[Pregnant physicians] push themselves harder than they should.” — Erika Rangel, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, discussing a study showing that formal support packages reduced burnout for pregnant trainees.