Medical Japanese !!

The education department and Mari O'uchi have started a program of Japanese language education for visitors. The goal is to give visiting students and guest faculty
basic instruction in Japanese conversation and medical terms. This will facilitate their experiences in the hospital and help with their interaction with hospital staff, residents and patients. Thanks to Mari Shigetomi, Jessica Colin-Durand (McGill University), and Hiroshi Nishino for their efforts to get the program going. This is a "first of its kind" program and will help visitors to feel welcome.

DG

Multiple Myeloma Case

The patient in our last blog was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. When considering the diagnosis remember the CRAB mneumonic.

Great recent review available online :

Sirohi B, Powles R, Lancet, Vol 363, March 13, 2004 (www.thelancet.com) (available online with Kameda password).

73 yo -elevated calcium and back pain

73 YO male presents with back pain and hypercalcemia. Vital signs normal ... Calcium elevated.

Diagnosis?

(see next post)

DG

Travel Medicine Guidelines

Clinical Infectious diseases has just published the long awaited Guidelines for practice of Travel Medicine. This is a wonderful resource for physicians helping patients (or themselves) prepare for international travel. Best of all ... it's free in pdf format.

The Practice of Travel Medicine: Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. David R. Hill et al. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2006;43:1499-1539.

Rabies Case near Kyoto

A patient returning from the Philippines presented with a flu like illness and demonstrated strange behavior. This behavior included aversion to water and light breezes. He was diagnosed as Japan's first Rabies case in 37 years by a graduate of Kameda's Infectious Diseases fellowship program.

Japan has been rabies free but is surrounded by countries with rabies. In addition, there are many vectors available in Japan including the raccoon. Very few countries are rabies free. These include Taiwan, Japan, UK, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, and Iceland. For ideas on prevention and recognition, click here.

Clinical Skills Resources Online

Clinical skills development requires continuous attention to self directed learning. Self directed learning is important in Japan where the infrastructure for teaching clinical skills is limited (but improving rapidly). Two great online resources are available:

http://medicine.ucsd.edu/clinicalmed/introduction.htm

http://www.meddean.luc.edu/lumen/medcurr.htm

Poking around on these sites will reward students with visuals, techniques and attitudes for self-directed development of their clinical skills.