Infectiously SMART

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#7 Decoding Cultures: When to Trust, When to Question

2025-04-0709:34

Blood, urine, sputum, wounds... cultures are everywhere—but do you know what they really mean?In this episode, we break down:✅ When to order cultures (and when not to)✅ How to tell a contaminant from a true infection✅ How to interpret Gram stains like a boss✅ What to do with Candida in blood and urineNot everything that grows needs treating.And not all negative cultures mean you're in the clear.

#6 When Fever Isn't Infection: Navigating the Non-Infectious Mimics

2025-03-2907:55

You started vanco + pip-tazo… but days later, no source, no cultures, and still febrile.🤔 Was it even an infection?This episode dives into the non-infectious causes of fever that mimic infection:🎭 Malignancy🧠 Autoimmune disease💊 Drug feverWhen antibiotics aren’t the answer, clinical reasoning is.Based on Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine.

#5 TB in the Atypical Host – When the Classic Signs Don’t Show Up

2025-03-2605:53

We’re diving into the sneaky, atypical side of tuberculosis—thekind that hides in the elderly, in HIV-positive patients, and even behind a “normal” chest X-ray.🎧 What you’ll learn:✅ How TB presents without textbook symptoms✅ TB in the elderly, the immunocompromised, and beyond✅ High-yield board pearls & real-world insights✅ When to suspect it—and when to treat empiricallyThis one’s a must-listen for ID fellows, med students, residents, and anyone working in a high TB-burden setting.

#4 The Great Gram-Negative Debate – Which Drug, When?

2025-03-2505:24

You’ve got a Klebsiella bacteremia. It’s sensitive to everything. Now what?In this episode of Infectiously Smart, we’re settling the score on:✅ Ceftriaxone vs. Cefepime vs. Pip-Tazo vs. Meropenem✅ When to de-escalate✅ What Harrison’s & the boards actually want you to know🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple podcasts!🎙 Hosted by Dr. Jean Linsao, your friendly neighborhood ID specialist.

#3 Antibiotic Dilemmas – When to De-escalate & When to Double Down

2025-03-2306:33

📌 Why This? Many clinicians struggle with antimicrobial stewardship and when to step down therapy.💊 In this episode, we’ll cover:✅ When to STOP broad-spectrum antibiotics (when NOT to!)✅ How long should you treat? 5, 7, or 14 days?✅ A real-life case of de-escalation🚨 You started piperacillin-tazobactam for pneumonia, but now cultures show Klebsiella pneumoniae. Do you step down to ceftriaxone or keep the broad coverage?

#2 Fever Without a Cause? Mastering the FUO Workup!

2025-03-2208:58

Fever of Unknown Origin –When to Panic & When to Hold BackWhy This? FUO is one of the trickiest diagnoses in medicine.Key Takeaways:✅ Stepwise approach to FUO – What to test and when✅ Common causes of FUO (TB, endocarditis, occult abscess)✅ When to start empirical antibiotics vs. wait it out A patient has fever for 3 weeks, cultures are negative, and the labs don’t help. What now?💡 Question for you: What’s the strangest FUO case you’ve encountered? Drop it in the comments! 👇

#1 Sepsis Decoded: Recognizing the Signs, Saving Lives🩸🚨

2025-03-1908:08

Sepsis. The one word that makes every clinician pause. But how well do you really understand it? 🤔In this first episode of infectiouslySMART, we’re diving deepinto:✅ Key clinical signs you must recognize early✅ Step-by-step approach to sepsis management✅ What the boards—and your patients—need you to know💬 Tag a friend who needs this before exams! 🩸🔥

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