Archive - Origin Stories

DVT Prophylaxis in Hospitalized Medical Patients - Questioning the Evidence

Early in my training I was taught that DVT prophylaxis was a crucial "bottom of the list" item. In the ensuing years, has my diligent adherence to this…

10 hrs ago •

April 2024

Calcium versus Sodium Chloride

Although calcium has become the key drug used to "stabilize the cardiac membrane" in hyperkalemia, turns out another drug may be just as good.

Apr 16, 2024 •

β-blockers in heart failure. From No! to Maybe? to Yes!

For decades, the use of β-blockers in heart failure was contraindicated. Then, Finn Waagstein made a bold move, successfully treating a single patient…

Apr 12, 2024 •

February 2024

[Behavioral] Alert!

Sometimes practice changes permanently based on single studies of few participants. The use of behavioral alerts provides an example.

Feb 9, 2024 •

Bacillis...Clostridium...Clostridioides

Nearly 100 years ago, a new bacteria was named for its fastidious nature. Although the genus has undergone iterative modification, the species remains a…

Feb 6, 2024 •

January 2024

The Guinea Pig Test

Although the origin of "human guinea pig" isn't clear, the long use of the guinea pig test as a diagnostic tool in suspected tuberculosis remains a…

Jan 26, 2024 •

December 2023

How "≥250 PMNs = SBP" came to be

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is an example of how a number defines a condition.

Dec 5, 2023 •

November 2023

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