Miscellaneous
I had such a fun time chatting on the phone with Dan about medicine. Total recorded time was 2 hours that I had to edit down to this current episode. His story from childhood to how he became one of the administrators for a surgical group in one of the biggest hospital systems in California is enriching. He is a true inspiration. Thanks Dan! Physician Assistant Stats:* Physician Assistants practice medicine on teams with physicians and other healthcare workers. They examine, diagnose, and treat patients autonomously and as part of a team in all various specialties of medicine. 2017 Median Pay: $104,860 per year ($50.41 per hour) Educational Degree: Masters Degree Number of US jobs in 2016:106,200 10 Year Job Outlook: 37% growth, much faster then avg. *Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Physician Assistants, (visited August 5, 2018). Terms Covered in Episode Navy A School Corpsman - Enlisted medical specialist Lipoma - Overgrowth of adipose tissue (fat) creating a benign tumor often located between skin and muscle layer. Eugene Stead Jr. MD CT Surgery - Cardiothoracic surgery deals with issues of the thorax, generally the heart and lungs. Trauma Surgery - Surgical field dealing with acute traumatic injuries such as falls, motor vehicle crashes, gunshots, blunt and penetrating injuries, etc. ICU (Intensive Care Unit, Critical Care Unit, or Intensive Therapy/Treatment Unit) - Part of the hospital with the sickest patients requiring the most intervention from both staff and equipment. May consist of intubated, sedated, and ventilated patients. Call - To be available on your “off time” for phone calls, patient visits, surgeries, emergencies, etc that varies by job. Open Surgery - Traditional way of surgery going through the layers of the body to operate. Endoscopic Surgery - Surgery utilizing cameras, smaller openings and temporary ports in the body to pass through instruments in a tight space allowing for less pain and quicker recovery. Vein Harvest - Generally endoscopic removal of a vein to replace a coronary artery (cardiac bypass) Bypass - Surgical procedure to restore blood flow to the heart after an obstruction occurs. Cardiac Graft BP (Blood Pressure) - Force of blood against the arterial walls. Recovery - Phase after surgery when anesthesia is wearing off and patient is being monitored before being sent home with family or admitted to the hospital. Punch Biopsy - Small round biopsy (cut) taken to identify the cause of abnormal tissue. Hernia - Bulging of an organ (intestines) through an abnormal opening. ENT Surgery - Ear, Nose, and Throat. Various procedures involving the head. MBA - Masters of Business UCSF Neuroscience Medicare - Government provided healthcare insurance to those over 65, young people with disabilities, and people with end stage renal disease. 401k - Retirement plan. Western Governors University Bedside Manner - approach or attitude towards a patient. Neurosurgery - Surgery dealing with the Nervous System (brain and spine). Trauma LVL 1 Center - Hospital able to provide total care for every aspect of injury. Large facility with all types of staff including Residents. Cerebral Stenosis - When artery inside the brain that becomes blocked by plaque or disease. TPA (Tissue Plasminogen Activator) - Protein involved in the breakdown of blood clots. Aneurysm - Ballooned and weaker area of an artery. CVA (Cerebral Vascular Assault) - Stroke. Damage to the brain from a loss of blood flow. Ischemic CVA - loss of blood flow from a blockage. Hemorrhagic CVA - loss of blood flow from a blockage a ruptured aneurysm. Elective Surgery - Nonemergent scheduled surgery Discectomy - Surgical removal of whole or part of a intervertebral disc. Fusions - Surgery to join two or more vertebrae together. Done for fractures, deformities, instabilities, slipped vertebrae, or herniated disk. ACDF (Anterior Cervical Discectomy & Fusion) - Discectomy of the cervical spine (neck) with fusion to decompress the spinal cord and nerve roots of the cervical spine. Neuroaxis (Neuraxis) - Central Nervous System Tumor - Abnormal growth of cells Resection - to surgically remove Spine Stabilization - Surgery to stabilize the spine with more flexible materials then traditional fusion. Angio - technique used to visualize inside blood vessels. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image) - Medical Imaging using magnets to see deep layers of the body. Space Occupying Lesion - abnormal mass in the brain usually due to cancer, but may be abscess (infection) or hematoma (blood). Glioblastoma - Rare very aggressive and fatal cancer of the brain or spine. Code Yellow - Phrase used over PA system of hospital when Trauma Patient is coming to the ER. To alert the hospital to assemble the Trauma Team and support staff to receive the patient. Hypotensive - lower then normal blood pressure. Chest Tube - tube placed in the chest cavity to evacuate blood, pus, or air. Central Line - Larger then an traditional IV placed into a main vein of the body. Thoracotomy - Opening into the chest wall. Finochietto (Rib Spreader) - Used to get a better window/view into the chest cavity the pushes the ribs aside. Pericardial massage - Manually pumping the heart with a hand in the chest cavity. Each and every episode of Maybe Medical is for educational purposes only, not to be taken as medical advice. The opinions of those involved are of their own and not representative of their employer.