A Skeptic Becomes A True Believer - Washington Post

Published: February 10, 2009

I was skeptical when my hospital embarked several years ago on an initiative to reduce the number of hospital-acquired infections in our intensive care unit.

These are infections that originate from the tubes and catheters inserted into the body -- for example, ventilator-associated pneumonia, related to a tube lodged in the windpipe to assist in breathing; urinary tract infection, related to a catheter inserted into the bladder to drain the urine; and bloodstream infection, related to a catheter threaded in the veins reaching the upper chamber of the heart. Read More

Once Detected, HIV Can Be Manageable - Washington Post

Published: December 09, 2008

Ten years ago, an intelligent, reserved software engineer -- a woman with the complexion of Halle Berry and the physique of a marathoner -- came to my infectious-disease clinic, accompanied by her fiance.

They'd been referred to me a few weeks after a rash and pneumonia prompted a clinic doctor to test the woman for HIV. The test came back positive. Her fiance, tested later, was HIV-negative. Read More

Patients Can Join the Fight Against Flu Without Firing a Shot - Washington Post

Published: November 25, 2008

Last month at a luncheon marking International Infection Prevention Week at the National Press Club, some speakers reminded me of a shameful and frightening statistic: Almost 60 percent of American health-care workers do not receive the flu vaccine.

Let me put that in context: Influenza, commonly called the flu, strikes 5 to 20 percent of Americans annually. In an average year, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized with flu complications; nearly 36,000 die, either from the flu itself or from complications such as pneumonia or a heart attack. Read More

Elective Surgery Is One Thing, Elective Politics Another - Washington Post

Why the Presidential Race Should Skirt The Doctor's Office
Published: October 28, 2008

A few weeks ago, as I was making rounds on the oncology floor, one of my patients asked, out of the blue, "Hey, Doc, who you gonna vote for?"

I would have expected this patient to have other questions on his mind. He's a 32-year-old writer whose leukemia had failed to remit after two rounds of chemotherapy. Now a third, more powerful regimen had dropped his white blood cell count to near zero, making him vulnerable to life-threatening infections. Read More

Equal Treatment for the Uninsured? Don't Count on It. - Washington Post

Lack of Compensation Can Tempt Doctors to Tailor Their Care to a Patient's Coverage
Published: October 14, 2008

When I walked into the hospital room of a 19-year-old woman, a foul smell all but overwhelmed me. I called a nurse to assist me and saw her, too, catch her breath.When we examined the young woman we found a chronic infection of her pelvis so painful that she resisted our slightest touch. Read More

Hospital Clash Puts Patients in the Middle

Published: September 16, 2008

From the patient's point of view, doctors and hospital officials can seem to be a monolithic medical power structure. But in fact, physicians and administrators often do not see eye to eye.Read More

Some numbers to count on - Times of India

Published: September 14, 2008

Often at a family gathering or a social event the conversation moves to the issue of “how to live longer?” And I respond in no uncertain terms. “The elixir of long life is pretty simple — exercise, eat well, avoid stress, stop smoking and take preventive medication.” Read More