This week, the Curious Clinicians explore the mechanism behind-- and against-- a common prescribing cascade: Why does gabapentin cause edema? Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel here, and read the show notes here! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours).

Before our 100th episode, we are rebooting some favorite early episodes! In episode 24, we asked the question: Why is fever beneficial? Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel here, and read the show notes here! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours).

Before our 100th episode, we are rebooting some favorite early episodes! In episode 25, we asked the question: Why can furosemide improve pulmonary edema from heart failure almost immediately? Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel here, and read the show notes here! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours).

Dr. Mike Todorovic, medical educator and science communicator extraordinaire, joins The Curious Clinicians to discuss the Na+/K+ ATPase pump ("the most important enzyme in the human body") and his approach to digital medical education. Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel here, and read the show notes here! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Dr. Matt & Dr. Mike's podcast: https://drmattdrmike.com.au/dr-matt-mikes-medical-podcast/ Dr. Matt & Dr. Mike's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DrMattDrMike/featured

This week, the Curious Clinicians return to the topic of episode 72, "Bringing up Beethoven" with a surprising news update and new perspectives on a 200 year old tale! Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel here, and read the show notes here! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours).

This week, the Curious Clinicians give a 'hot take' on a common symptoms: why do hot flashes occur? Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel here, and read the show notes here! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours).

Producer Giancarlo Buonomo joins the Curious Clinicians this week to answer a morning report musing: why do we use IV PPIs to treat upper GI bleeding? Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel here, and read the show notes here! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. Medical student Giancarlo Buonomo is our producer. 

Instead of "Why do we...?" this week the Curious Clinicians answer a "Why don't we?" question: why don't we use steroids in acute pancreatitis? Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel here, and read the show notes here! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. Medical student Giancarlo Buonomo is our producer. 

The Curious Clinicians answer a fascinating historical perspective: what was the role of antibiotics in ancient society? Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel here, and read the show notes here! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. Medical student Giancarlo Buonomo is our producer. 

The Curious Clinicians answer a sweet question about a new medication: Why do SGLT2 inhibitors cause erythrocytosis? Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel here, and read the show notes here! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. Medical student Giancarlo Buonomo is our producer. 

The Curious Clinicians answer a gigantic oncologic and evolutionary question: Why don't elephants get (as much) cancer? Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel here, and read the show notes here! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. Medical student Giancarlo Buonomo is our producer. 

Hold your breath for this one! The Curious Clinicians answer a puzzling pulmonary physiology question: Why can systemic pulmonary vasodilators worsen hypoxemia in COPD-associated pulmonary hypertension? Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel here, and read the show notes here! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. Medical student Giancarlo Buonomo is our producer. 

The Curious Clinicians answer an early curiosity question: Why do my fingers wrinkle when I take a bath? Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel here, and read the show notes here! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. Medical student Giancarlo Buonomo is our producer. 

In this episode from our archives, originally posted on September 16, 2020, The Curious Clinicians examined why the savory flavor umami is SO DELICIOUS. Dig in! Show notes: https://curiousclinicians.com/2020/09/16/episode-9-why-is-umami-so-delicious/ CME: https://vcu.cloud-cme.com/course/search?p=4000&curriculum=Curious%20Clinicians Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly      

The Curious Clinicians are on tap to ask, why does chronic alcohol use cause macrocytosis? Read the show notes here.  Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. Medical student Giancarlo Buonomo is our producer. 

Welcome to NephMadness 2024! In collaboration with Things We Do For No Reason (TWDFNR), we are excited to promote the start of this amazing medical education opportunity. Inspired by the "March Madness" college basketball tournament, NephMadness is a "a free online, CME-granting, evidenced-based, noncommercial learning initiative that leverages the tools of social media to teach about the latest and greatest breakthroughs in the field of nephrology!". Fill out your bracket today! Dr. Jeff Kott, NephMadness Executive Committee member, Critical Care Medicine Fellow At Stony Brook Medicine on Long Island, NY and former nephrology fellow at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, joins Avi, Hannah, and Tony to discuss two hot button TWDFNR topics in nephrology: Whether we should use phosphate binders in acute kidney injury If the urine anion gap in non-gap metabolic acidosis is helpful or not Read the show notes here. Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. 

The Curious Clinicians examine why the genetic mutations leading to hereditary hemochromatosis might have offered an evolutionarily advantage to our Neolithic ancestors. The answer relates to an old breakfast stalwart- cereal and milk! Read the show notes here. Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.  This episode is sponsored by Audible! New members can try Audible free for 30 days using our own Curious Clinicians podcast code - visit Audible.com/TCCPOD or text TCCPOD to 500-500. 

On this episode from our archive, originally posted on March 15, 2022, The Curious Clinicians examine why cirrhosis predisposes to SBP, and why bacterial translocation across the bowel wall into ascites doesn’t actually occur! Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of nodderly.com. This episode is sponsored by Audible! New members can try Audible free for 30 days using our own Curious Clinicians podcast code - visit Audible.com/TCCPOD or text TCCPOD to 500-500. 

The Curious Clinicians investigate the history and mechanisms of how thalidomide caused embryopathy in the late 1950s and early 1960s in over 10,000 babies across the world. Read the show notes here.  Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. Medical student Giancarlo Buonomo is our producer.  This episode is sponsored by Audible! New members can try Audible free for 30 days using our own Curious Clinicians podcast code - visit Audible.com/TCCPOD or text TCCPOD to 500-500. 

On this episode from our archive, originally posted on February 16, 2022, The Curious Clinicians investigate why antiphospholipid antibodies can be falsely positive during acute illness or thrombosis. Read the show notes here.  Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. This episode is sponsored by Audible! New members can try Audible free for 30 days using our own Curious Clinicians podcast code - visit Audible.com/TCCPOD or text TCCPOD to 500-500. 

In this episode, we investigate the reasons why we don't (and don't need to) transfuse to normal hemoglobin levels. Read the show notes on our website here. And subscribe to our new Substack! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. Our producer is medical student Giancarlo Buonomo.

The Curious Clinicians are currently on a holiday break, but we'll be back with new content in 2024! In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this episode from our archive, originally posted December 10, 2022. We told the story of a tiny carbohydrate called alpha-gal, delving into unsettling meat allergies after tick bites, ancient viruses, allergic reactions to an anti-cancer antibody, and xenotransplantation. Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

In this episode, we examine how sickle cell trait protects against malaria, in multiple ways. Read the show notes on our website here. And subscribe to our new Substack! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. Our producer is medical student Giancarlo Buonomo.

Today we reach back into The Curious Clinicians archives, just in time for Thanksgiving. In this episode, originally posted in November 2021, Hannah, Avi, and Tony examine whether tryptophan from turkey actually causes the infamous Thanksgiving food coma. The answer might surprise you... Check out the episode's show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of nodderly.com.

In this episode, we explore why ACE inhibitors treat scleroderma renal crisis so effectively (and why bilateral nephrectomy used to be the treatment of choice…). Read the show notes on our website here. And subscribe to our new Substack! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. We’d like to welcome the newest member of our team, Giancarlo Buonomo, a medical student who is joining on as a producer!  

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians ask why a ketogenic diet can help control seizures in refractory epilepsy? Read the show notes on our website here. And subscribe to our new Substack! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

For this episode, The Curious Clinicians ask why patients with bioprosthetic heart valves don't require immunosuppression? Read the show notes on our website here. And subscribe to our new Substack! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

On this episode, The Curious Clinicians learn about why hyperthyroidism is associated with atrial fibrillation. Read the show notes on our website here. And subscribe to our new Substack! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

On this episode, The Curious Clinicians explore the liver's incredible ability to regenerate after injury or resection.   Read the show notes on our website here. And subscribe to our new Substack! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. This episode was sponsored by Brooklinen! Use promo code "CURIOUS" for $20 off your first order + free shipping.

This week, The Curious Clinicians are bringing back an episode from the archive that was originally posted in December, 2021. Tony joined Dr. Adam Rodman as a guest on the Bedside Rounds podcast. We were thrilled to share that episode here.  How can we medically tell whether or not someone is alive or dead? The answer is more complicated than you’d think. This episode was a live podcast Adam and Tony gave at the Massachusetts Chapter of the American College of Physicians annual meeting on October 16, 2021. They track the evolution and controversies of the death exam, from a trans-Atlantic scandal surrounding a possible vivisection, a 19th century “X-prize” to determine a technology that could diagnose death, the important distinction between “permanent” and irreversible, and the mysterious Lazarus phenomenon. Link to episode page: http://bedside-rounds.org/episode-65-the-last-breath/

On this episode, The Curious Clinicians investigate why alcohol both causes a burning sensation when you first swallow it (hint: the mechanism has something to do with chili peppers) and why you get a general sense of total body warmth within the next few minutes.  Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. This episode was sponsored by Brooklinen! Use promo code "CURIOUS" for $20 off your first order + free shipping.

On this episode, The Curious Clinicians examine an intriguing question - why are babies protected from infection and colitis by C. Diff? We'll touch on factors relating to immunology, microbiology and human development. Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

On this episode, The Curious Clinicians are joined by Dr Christopher Worsham, co-author of a fascinating and insightful new book, Random Acts of Medicine, which explores the use of natural experiments to better understand healthcare and is now out in hardcover! Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

This week, we reach back into the archive for an episode from 2021 (the first in a two-part series related to the eyes) where Tony, Hannah, and Avi explored why Wilson disease can present with Kayser-Fleischer corneal rings.  Remember to pick up CME/MOC credit just for listening to the episode!  Check out the show notes for this episode and read Avi's tweetorial on this topic.  Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com

On this episode, The Curious Clinicians dive into musical history, examining what might have caused German composer Ludwig van Beethoven's infamous deafness. Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians learn about why pneumonia takes weeks to resolve on chest x-ray, whereas symptoms generally resolve much sooner. Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

This episode originally aired April, 2021, where The Curious Clinicians examined why some patients feel short of breath specifically when bending over, aka "bendopnea".  You can read the show notes for this episode on our website.  Don't forget to pick up CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health. Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians examine why upper gastrointestinal bleeding raises BUN. The answer involves experiments where participants were asked to drink blood (!) and the 700 sextillion (7 x 1023) amino acids that comprise the hemoglobin content in a liter of blood.  Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. This episode was sponsored by Green Chef!

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians tackle why alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency can cause chronic liver disease.  Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp! You can give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CLINICIANS.

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians investigate whether atrial fibrillation should be considered a risk factor for PE.  Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. This episode was sponsored by Green Chef!

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians investigate the mysterious blood brain barrier, and how dexamethasone has a seemingly miraculous ability to treat cerebral edema caused by brain tumors.  Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp! You can give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CLINICIANS.

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians investigate why tricuspid valve endocarditis is more common in persons who inject IV drugs. Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians take things to heart and unpack both why rheumatic heart disease so often involves heart valves, and why the mitral valve is by far the most commonly affected. Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp! You can give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CLINICIANS.

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians investigate why meperidine treats rigors.  Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp! You can give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CLINICIANS.

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians examine why weight training increases muscle size.  Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. This episode was sponsored by Green Chef!

The Curious Clinicians took a quick holiday break and will be back with new episodes next week! This episode, originally posted May, 2022, explores why obstructive sleep apnea can cause nocturia. Check out the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of nodderly.com.

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians examine why patients with liver injury or dysfunction have conjugated hyperbilirubinemia. Why is this particular function (conjugation) seemingly spared in liver disease? "Hop" in for the ride! Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians tell the alpha-gal story, delving into the unsettling meat allergies after tick bites, ancient viruses, allergic reactions to an anti-cancer antibody, and xenotransplantation. Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

In this reboot of episode 38, just in time for Thanksgiving, The Curious Clinicians examine whether tryptophan from turkey actually causes the infamous Thanksgiving food coma. The answer might surprise you! Check out the episode's show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of nodderly.com.

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians explore why heart failure with preserved ejection fraction leads to sodium retention. Check out Tony's companion tweetorial here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

In this reboot of episode 30, The Curious Clinicians investigate why some people absolutely love cilantro while others taste soap if they try to eat it. Enjoy! Check out the show notes on our website. Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health! Sound editing by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.

Why can heparin cause hyperkalemia? On this episode of The Curious Clinicians, they explore that question and many more fun facts about this age old anticoagulant. Check out the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

Is oral furosemide absorption affected by “gut edema” in acute heart failure? In this episode, The Curious Clinicians break down the evidence around this age-old medical teaching pearl. Check out the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

On this episode, The Curious Clinicians explore why and how tumors in bones cause pain, with surprising results.  Check out the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

On this episode, The Curious Clinicians examine why elevated triglycerides in the blood can cause pancreatitis.  Check out the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

On this episode, The Curious Clinicians investigate why rhabdomyolysis very commonly causes acute kidney injury, while hemolysis does not.  Check out the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

The Curious Clinicians outline a new theory about what, if any, genetic syndrome Abraham Lincoln may have had. Check out the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

The Curious Clinicians look into why pulmonary emboli cause hypoxemia. The answer may surprise you… Check out the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

The Curious Clinicians learn about why Wenckebach heart block has such a unique morphology. They also explore how Karel Frederik Wenckebach first identified the rhythm in a patient, years before the atrioventricular node was even discovered. Check out the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

The Curious Clinicians unpack why potassium is often repleted to levels >4 mEq/L. Check out the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

The Curious Clinicians post our 50th episode this week! We cover why cefepime (and other beta-lactam antibiotics) can cause neurotoxicity.  Thank you for joining us on this medical curiosity journey and thank you to the team that has helped take the podcast to the next level, including audio editor extraordinaire Clair Morgan from Nodderly and the VCU Health Continuing Education team! Check out the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

On this episode, The Curious Clinicians explore why obstructive sleep apnea can cause nocturia. Check out the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of nodderly.com.

On this episode, The Curious Clinicians investigate exactly why we can often diagnose respiratory infections with urinary antigen tests…  Check out the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (1.00 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (1.00 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of nodderly.com.

The Curious Clinicians will give you something to cry about this week… specifically why onions make you tear up when cut. Check out the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (1.00 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (1.00 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of nodderly.com.

As we approach our 50th episode, The Curious Clinicians reboot episode 24, asking why fever can actually be beneficial during infection? Get ready to go back hundreds of millions of years to answer this question. Read the show notes here. Claim CME credits here. Audio edited by Clair Morgan of nodderly.com. We also have a special ad spot for season 3 of the Pushkin Industries podcast Against the Rules, hosted by best-selling author Michael Lewis. Check out the show here!

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians tell the unbelievable tale of Dr. Scott Smith, an anesthesiologist who in 1946 purposefully paralyzed himself.  Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (1.00 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (1.00 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of nodderly.com.

The Curious Clinicians examine why cirrhosis predisposes to SBP, and why bacterial translocation across the bowel wall into ascites doesn’t actually occur! Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (1.00 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (1.00 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of nodderly.com.

The Curious Clinicians examine why propofol can cause propofol-related infusion syndrome (PRIS). Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (1.00 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (1.00 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

In their latest episode, The Curious Clinicians investigate why antiphospholipid antibodies can be falsely positive during acute illness or thrombosis. Read the show notes here.  Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (1.00 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (1.00 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. 

On this episode, The Curious Clinicians are joined by their first guest host, dermatologist extraordinaire Dr. Steven Chen! They inspect together why certain rashes have an acral distribution. Check out the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (1.00 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (1.00 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. 

This week The Curious Clinicians discuss antibiotics and soap - why don’t we use daptomycin to treat pneumonia? Check out the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (1.00 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (1.00 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of nodderly.com.

The Curious Clinicians examine why we use a bacterial vaccine (BCG, an attenuated form of mycobacterium bovis) to treat an unrelated malignancy (bladder cancer). Check out the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (1.00 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (1.00 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.  

Tony joined Dr. Adam Rodman as a guest on the Bedside Rounds podcast. We are thrilled to share that episode here.  How can we medically tell whether or not someone is alive or dead? The answer is more complicated than you’d think. This episode was a live podcast Adam and Tony gave at the Massachusetts Chapter of the American College of Physicians annual meeting on October 16, 2021. They track the evolution and controversies of the death exam, from a trans-Atlantic scandal surrounding a possible vivisection, a 19th century “X-prize” to determine a technology that could diagnose death, the important distinction between “permanent” and irreversible, and the mysterious Lazarus phenomenon. Link to episode page: http://bedside-rounds.org/episode-65-the-last-breath/

The Curious Clinicians examine why the nervous system is cross-wired, with each side of the brain controlling the opposite side of the body. Does that crossing serve a purpose? Check out the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (1.00 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (1.00 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians examine whether tryptophan from turkey actually causes the infamous Thanksgiving food coma. Check out the episode's show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (1.00 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (1.00 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of nodderly.com.

On this episode of the podcast, The Curious Clinicians examine why drinking alcohol can lead to significant polyuria, what some refer to as "breaking the seal". Check out the episode's show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (1.00 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (1.00 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of nodderly.com. 

The Curious Clinicians explore why chronic laxative use can cause melanosis coli. Check out the episode's show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (1.00 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (1.00 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of nodderly.com  

This week, The Curious Clinicians investigate the curious laterality of catamenial pneumothoraces. Why do they almost always arise on the right side of the chest? Check out the episode's show notes here. Don't forget to claim your CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health! Audio editing by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. 

The Curious Clinicians head all the way back to June, 2020 and reboot episode 3, exploring why trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole can cause an isolated rise in creatinine.  Check out the show notes here.  Claim your CE/MOC credits here. 

The Curious Clinicians examine why advanced systolic heart failure can induce the Cheyne-Stokes respiratory pattern. Check out the episode's show notes here. Don't forget to claim your CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health! Audio editing by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. 

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians examine why the drug Carbidopa-Levodopa has the brand name Sinemet. They also discuss the origin stories of the names of several other commonly prescribed medications. Check out the episode's show notes here. Audio edited by Clair Morgan of nodderly.com *CME/MOC credits are not available for this episode.  

On this episode the Curious Clinicians investigate why corticosteroids often cause blood eosinophil counts to drop so quickly and dramatically.  Check out the show notes on our website.  Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health! Sound editing by Nodderly. 

The Curious Clinicians, led by Tony, investigate why nephrotic syndrome causes edema. Check out the show notes on our website. Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health! Sound editing by Nodderly.  

In this episode The Curious Clinicians investigate why some people absolutely love cilantro while others taste soap if they try to eat it. Check out the show notes on our website. Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health! Sound editing by Nodderly.

In this episode The Curious Clinicians investigate why too much oxygen (aka hyperoxia) can be harmful. Check out the show notes on our website. Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health! Sound editing by Nodderly.

For the final episode in our Intern Questions series, The Curious Clinicians examine why urinary tract infections cause burning with urination. Check out the show notes on our website. Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health! Sound editing by Nodderly. 

This week The Curious Clinicians examine why albuterol (and other beta agonists) can cause lactic acidosis. Check out the show notes on our website. Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCUHealth! Sound editing by Nodderly. 

Tony, Hannah and Avi are back at it with another cardiology-nephrology episode, this time examining why calcium “stabilizes” the cardiac membrane in hyperkalemia. For that matter, what does it even mean to stabilize a membrane? Check out the show notes on our website. Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health! Sound editing by Nodderly.

In this episode The Curious Clinicians investigate why furosemide can improve dyspnea in acute heart failure almost immediately, long before any diuresis occurs.  Check out the show notes on our website. Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health! Sound editing by Nodderly. 

On this episode Tony explores the benefits of fevers, including why even trees and bees mount fevers in response to infection.  Check out the show notes on our website. Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health!

This episode is another installment in our Intern Question series, where Hannah examines why some patients feel short of breath specifically when bending over aka "bendopnea".  You can read the show notes for this episode on our wbesite.  Don't forget to pick up CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health!

The Curious Clinicians explore a theory about the prevalence of CFTR gene mutations and why cystic fibrosis carriers may have a selective advantage. You can read the show notes for this episode on our website. Check out Avi's tweetorial on this topic as well. Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health!

Hannah, Avi and Tony examine why we feel cold while febrile (shouldn't we feel hot?) and can develop shaking chills/rigors. The answer has implications for why rigors may be a more timely predictor of active bacteremia than fevers.  You can read the show notes for this episode on our website.  Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health!

Avi, Hannah, and Tony investigate why myocardial infarctions lead to ST elevations (and/or ST depressions) on EKG. The answers they found are mind-bending.  You can read the show notes for this episode on our website. Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health! 

This episode is another installment in our "Questions from Intern Year" series. Hannah explores whether disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) can itself be a source of shock. You can read the show notes for this episode on our website. Don't forget to pick up your CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health! 

In this episode of The Curious Clinicians, Tony, Hannah and Avi learn about the mechanisms of thirst, why drinking liquids immediately quenches thirst, and why patients with primary polydipsia drink excessively.  Remember to get your CME/MOC credit for listening to the episode. Check out the show notes for the episode at our website as well as Tony's original tweetorial.  You can support the podcast and pick up sweet swag from our online store!

This is the second episode in a two-part series called "The Eyes Have It", where The Curious Clinicians explore questions related to the eye. In this episode Hannah, Avi, and Tony learn about why bilirubin deposits in the eye, as well as why the term "scleral icterus" is anatomically incorrect.  Remember to pick CME/MOC credit just for listening to the episode!  Check out the show notes for this episode. You can support the podcast and pick up sweet swag from our online store!

This is the first episode of a two-part series called "The Eyes Have It", where The Curious Clinicians explore questions related to the eye. In this episode Tony, Hannah, and Avi explore why Wilson disease can present with Kayser-Fleischer corneal rings.  Remember to pick up CME/MOC credit just for listening to the episode!  Check out the show notes for this episode and read Avi's tweetorial on this topic.  You can support the podcast and pick up sweet swag from our online store!

Tony appeared as a guest on the Bedside Rounds podcast with Adam Rodman. Tony and Adam delve into race, racism, and the social determinants of health through three historic plagues in the United States — yellow fever in New Orleans, poliomyelitis, and the early days of HIV/AIDS — and explore what lessons we can learn for the current COVID-19 pandemic. This episode was recorded live at the annual meeting of the Massachusetts American College of Physicians. Check out the original Bedside Rounds post. Read Tony's tweetorial on Original Antigenic Sin as exemplified by dengue.   

Learn about why cryptococcal meningitis can cause such severe elevations in intracranial pressure, while often causing only minimal inflammation.  Don't forget, you can get CE/MOC credit just for listening! Check out the show notes for this episode and read Avi's tweetorial on this topic. You can support the podcast and pick up some sweet swag from our online store.

This is the next installment of our series on questions from intern year, with a question that came up on rounds. Hannah examines theories as to why septic pulmonary emboli often present in the periphery and bases of the lungs, while "bland" pulmonary do not.  Don't forget to pick up your CE/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health! You can read the show notes for this episode and subscribe to our mailing list on our website. Support the podcast and pick up some sweet swag from our online store.

The Curious Clinicians plug-in to learn about why uremia interferes with platelet function and increases bleeding propensity.  Don't forget, you can get CE/MOC credit just for listening! Check out the show notes for this episode here. And you can also read Tony's tweetorial on this topic here.

The Curious Clinicians are back at it, exploring why magnesium so effectively treats the arrythmia torsades de pointes. Hint: it's the same mechanism as magnesium's effects on bronchospasm in severe asthma and seizures in eclampsia! As always, you can get CE/MOC credits just for listening! To learn more, check out the show notes for this episode on our website. You can also read Avi's original tweetorial on torsades and magnesium here. 

This is the first in a series where Hannah explores clinical questions that have arisen during her intern year. In this episode, The Curious Clinicians learn why acetaminophen toxicity can lead to an anion gap metabolic acidosis.  Don't forget, you can obtain CE/MOC credits just for listening! To learn more, check out the show notes for this episode on our website.

Avi, Tony, and Hannah are back at it, investigating why metronidazole treats both bacterial and parasitic infections, why it's only effective against anaerobic organisms, and how this relates to the supposed disulfiram-like reaction.  The episode opens with an important message from Dr. Mark Shapiro (host of the Explore The Space podcast) about VoteHealth 2020. Here are some links for obtaining CE/MOC credits just for listening to this episode and to read the show notes on our website. You can also check out Avi's original tweetorial on metronidazole and all of The Curious Clinician Podcast's other episodes.

Hannah, Tony, and Avi dig into the origins and mechanism of that most wondrous of flavors: umami.  Show notes: https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=722 CE/MOC: https://vcu.cloud-cme.com/course/search?p=4000&curriculum=Curious%20Clinicians

The Curious Clinicians examine why coronary ischemia can present with dyspnea. Show notes: https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=888 CE/MOC: https://vcu.cloud-cme.com/course/search?p=4000&curriculum=Curious%20Clinicians  

The Curious Clinicians dive into the history and physiologic effects of IV fluids and why saline is definitely not "normal". Show notes: https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=824 CE/MOC: https://vcu.cloud-cme.com/course/search?p=4000&curriculum=Curious%20Clinicians

Avi, Hannah, and Tony investigate why the antibiotic azithromycin has anti-inflammatory properties.  Show notes: https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=741 CE/MOC: https://ce.vcuhealth.org/CuriousClinicians

Tony, Avi, and Hannah examine the mechanisms of contraction alkalosis as a result of diuretic use, as well as the roles of chloride and a protein that none of them had previously heard of: pendrin. Show notes: http://curiousclinicians.com/?p=788 CE/MOC: https://ce.vcuhealth.org/CuriousClinicians

Hannah, Tony, and Avi dive into the health and art of Vincent Van Gogh. Was he treated with digitalis? Was he "dig toxic" and did this influence his color palette?  Show notes: https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=311 CE/MOC: https://vcu.cloud-cme.com/default.aspx?p=4000&curriculum=Curious%20Clinicians  

On this episode of the The Curious Clinicians, Tony, Avi, and Hannah explore why trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole can cause an isolated rise in creatinine.  Show notes: http://curiousclinicians.com/?p=561 CE/MOC: https://ce.vcuhealth.org/CuriousClinicians

Hannah, Avi, and Tony break down why cancer leads to a hypercoagulable state, recalling the story of Armand Trousseau and exploring the roles of tissue factor and evading the immune system.  Show notes: https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=304 CE/MOC: https://vcu.cloud-cme.com/default.aspx?P=0&EID=18166

Do you miss digging into the “why” behind what we do every day in medicine? Join Hannah, Tony, and Avi in The Curious Clinicians podcast as they delve into "why", starting with episode 1: Why does fingernail clubbing happen in so many different diseases? Show notes: https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=481 CE/MOC: https://ce.vcuhealth.org/CuriousClinicians  

In this preview of The Curious Clinicians, we provide an introduction to the podcast and a sneak peak at Episode 1! The full episode will be released June 3rd.