Case presentation—done

FINALLY. I'm done with my case presentation. The Training Committee requires that each trainee present at least one case for an audit. I was never picked to present a medical audit, so I was given an option to present an interesting case of my own choosing in exchange. Originally slated in May this year, it has been bumped off from the Department's calendar many times already. I didn't mind that I had to go back to the hospital on the second day of my mandatory two-week vacation leave. I just wanted to get it over with.

I presented a case of a 45-year old female who came to the hospital for abdominal pain. She presented as a diabetic emergency (diabetic ketoacidosis)—but such emergencies never happen without a precipitating cause. In developing countries, the cause is almost always infectious. We later found out that it was emphysematous pyelonephritis, an infection of the kidney that almost exclusively affects diabetics.



Sapped of any creative juices, I entitled my presentation "The Air Underneath"—which, I said in my opening statement, sounded like a terrible song from the eighties, but which alluded to the fact that what pushed us to send the patient for surgery was the pathognomonic finding of gas around the left kidney.

Dr. Cecilia Jimeno of Endocrinology and one of our most loved lecturers in med school (we still remember her high-yield lectures on inhaled corticosteroids) agreed to be my moderator. How she was able to limit the discussion, and make sense of the comments and questions during the one-hour presentation was amazing. I've learned many things from her.


Doctors Dofitas, myself, Jimeno, Anastacio, and Jun Jorge (Department Chair)

I thank Dr. Anthony Dofitas of Surgery and Dr. Anastacio of Urology for being in my case presentation. Many thanks, too, to the Fellows, who have contributed to the care of our patient. Dr. Jay Magbojos, the resident-in-charge at the Medical ICU, was instrumental in my preparations for this case.

Praise be to God for the sustenance and guidance He has given me on my first year of residency. To Him be all the glory.

Needless to say, I'm officially done with First Year.

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Next week, it's Racquel Bruno's turn. You'll rock it, Rac!