Sunday House Call, #725, February 9, 2020: Masking Reality

Topics today include:

Tens of thousands of people in China reported to have been infected by the virus. Surgical face masks fly off the shelves leading to shortage. The influenza virus has infected 19 million people in the US alone with over 10,000 deaths and 180,000 hospitalizations and masks sit on the shelves. This is an excellent illustration of how we erroneously perceive risk.

An American living in China reflects on how easy it is for xenophobia to rear its head when faced with a “crisis”.

Your calls about:

• Bladder catheterization in a man with recurrent effects from an enlarged prostate. What happens to the bladder in these situations that warrants a catheter?
• Is there a place for brochial thermoplasty to manage asthma? What are the indications for its use?
• What is the difference in symptoms between a vaginal yeast infection and urinary tract infection?
• Management of gallstones and indications for surgery.