Primary Care Today

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Dr. Brian McDonough welcomes Dr. Charles Pollack, Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director of the Jefferson Institute of Emerging Health Professions at Thomas Jefferson University School of Medicine. Dr. Pollack's team recently formed the Center for Medical Cannabis Education & Research, tasked with providing expert-developed, unbiased information to clinicians and patients about the medical uses of marijuana and cannabinoid-focused therapies. The two discuss current clinical recommendations for cannabis based on the available research, and where the benefits and risks collide amidst mass public interest.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Egg freezing, also known as oocyte cryopreservation, has gained rapid popularity as patient populations have broadened. Once intended almost exclusively for cancer patients undergoing aggressive chemotherapy treatments, more and more healthy women are choosing this resource to expand their reproductive options later in life. Dr. Lisa Ashe, internist and medical director for Be Well Medical Group in Alexandria, VA, speaks with Dr. Brian McDonough about her personal experience with egg freezing from three simultaneous vantage points: physician, patient, and minister.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP In the aftermath of mass violence, from September 11th to the Paris attack to the Orlando shooting, fear and confusion often dominate the public consciousness. Unfortunately, most clinicians are not trained in tactical medicine to respond in times of crisis such as these. But a small subset of survuval medicine experts are working to change this pattern. Dr. Brian McDonough speaks with Dr. Joseph Alton, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American College of OB/GYN, and author of The Survival Medicine Handbook: A Guide for When Help is Not on the Way. The two discuss key survival and disaster response considerations for clinicians caught in violently dangerous situations.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Over one million amputees suffer from phantom limb pain, a debilitating condition made all the more complex to treat due to the root question "How do I treat pain arising from a limb that no longer exists?" But new understandings of the pathophysiology behind this disease have led to more meaningful interventions, enabling better counseling strategies for primary care physicians. Dr. Brian McDonough speaks with Dr. J. David Prologo, Assistant Professor of Radiology at Emory Healthcare and Director of Interventional Radiology Services at Emory Johns Creek Hospital. Dr. Prologo has helped pioneer research ushering in new treatment methods, such as cryoablation, for the treatment of phantom limb pain in amputees.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Guest: Charles N. Walker, MD Dr. Charles Walker, Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Department of Urology at Yale University School of Medicine, shares clinical insights about penile prostheses, such as inflatable versus malleable devices, used as surgical gold standards to treat erectile dysfunction.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Dr. Michael Stierstorfer, Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and founder of East Penn Dermatology, has led efforts to teach clinicians about Type IV allergies as potential causes for common gastrointestinal diseases such as IBS, coining the term "allergic contact enteritis." He joins Dr. Brian McDonough to discuss intersections between dermatology and gastroenterology in the study of hypersensitivity reactions.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP For most people, the home is a refuge and an oasis, a place to feel safe. But few ever wonder whether their homes and the everyday household items they use to clean and maintain them could be detrimental to their health. Joining Dr. Brian McDonough to discuss the unsettling health risks behind common household items, and what consumers should keep an eye on, is Andre LaCroix, Vice President of Easy Breathe, Inc.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Each year more than 70 million post-surgical patients are prescribed opioids. Research shows 1 in 15 will go on to use the medications long term, potentially putting them at risk for addiction and overdose. Host Dr. Brian McDonough sits down with Dr. Susan Downey, a board-certified plastic surgeon, to talk about opioid abuse and what alternative prescription options are available instead of narcotics.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Joe Klest, Chicago attorney and author of The Whole Truth. Mr. Klest has represented victims in over 500 sexual abuse cases. He and Dr. McDonough discuss clinical recognition methods and action plans for child abuse, legal contexts for reporting, and the need for increased awareness by clinicians in primary care settings.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Dr. Brian McDonough welcomes Denise Daniels, Peabody Award-wining broadcast journalist, author, and child development expert who specializes in the social and emotional development of children. Ms. Daniels talks about the challenges in helping children cope with the consistent exposure to tragic news around the world stemming from terrorism, wars, and natural disasters.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Guest: Andrea Shin, MD Dr. Brian McDonough welcomes Dr. Andrea Shin, practicing gastroenterologist and Assistant Research Professor of Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine. They discuss the unique physical, emotional, and social challenges faced by people dealing with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). They also focus on the three types of IBS (constipation, diarrhea, and constipation/diarrhea), and how to best manage each condition.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Cryotherapy, the science of freezong for medical purposes, uses extreme cold temperatures to cool down the body and has both current and emerging medical applications ranging from brain resuscitation in emergency settings to inflammation reduction in medical spas. Host Dr. Brian McDonough sits down with science and health journalist Renee Ebersole to talk about the rise of cryotherapy, the mechanisms governing its medical utilities, and the benefits vs risks of its applications in various health settings today.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Dr. Brian McDonough speaks with Dr. Philip E. Empey, PharmD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy and Therapeutics at the University of Pittsburg School of Pharmacy. Their discussion centers on advancements in genetic testing to detect variances in response to anticoagulation therapies for patients undergoing vascular procedures such as stent placements.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP According to a recent study, the percentage of elderly people in American nursing homes who are moderately to severely overweight has climbed to 25%, a dramatic increase from 14% back in 2000. How does this alarming trend affect both health outcomes and care delivery in caregiving settings? Joining Dr. Brian McDonough to discuss this underrecognized issue of obesity in senior populations is Dr. Caroline Cederquist, bariatrics expert and founder of Cederquist Medical Wellness Center in Naples FL. Dr. Cederquist is also co-founder of bistroMD, a company premised on delivering physician-designed gourmet meals to patients for purposes of weight loss and health maintenance.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP The Baby Boomer generation is fast-approaching a critical period in health care decision-making, the choices of which may dictate continued health or rapid decline. What are the care priorities that clinicians should keep in mind with this special population? Joining Dr. Brian McDonough is Marcia Feldt, author of The Oys & Joys, a novel that crystalizes many of the challenges facing Baby Boomers through the eyes of four women. Ms. Feldt describes the personal journeys of her characters, drawn from several years of advocacy for patients in this generation, and she shares tips that clinicians can consider to help these patients address priority health needs.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Guidelines in testing intervals and recommended methods for cervical cancer screening have been changing rapidly. What's the bottom line on helping primary care clinicians best protect their patients from this disease development? Joining Dr. Brian McDonough on the floors of Omnia Education's Women's Health Annual Visit in New York to discuss updated strategies drive down cervical cancer risk is Dr. Edward Mayeaux, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Dr. Brian McDonough welcomes John Roman, CEO of Defend Your Head, a sports safety company based in Chester County, PA. Mr. Roman is a former offensive lineman in the NFL with the New York Jets (1976-1983) before launching a 30-year successful career on Wall Street. He joins Primary Care Today to discuss technological advances in helmet design and construction for football players of all ages. His company has recently developed ProTech, a football helmet product using a soft outer-shell technology designed to improve energy and force dissipation and reduction.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Kidney stones are on the rise, particularly among adolescents, females, and African-Americans in the U.S. This marks a striking change from the historic pattern in which middle-aged white men were at highest risk for the painful condition. While the overall increase in kidney stones in children and adolescents has been known, a recent study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology provided greater clarity on the specific groups of patients at greatest risk by analyzing age, race and sex characteristics among children and adults in South Carolina over a 16-year period, from 1997 to 2012. Lead author Dr. Gregory Tasian, Assistant Professor of Urology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and an attending pediatric urologist at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, joins Dr. Brian McDonough to discuss this startling trend, the factors that may be driving it, and appropriate preventive and treatment strategies for k

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Sedentary behaviors are rapidly on the rise as technological advances streamline public capabilities to work and conduct regular tasks at the click of a button. Yet while some health impacts of increased sedentary lifestyles are now generally understood and accepted, the question of whether sporadic or even regular exercise habits can compensate for sedentary time is not well known. But an advancing arm of research is addressing this knowledge gap, and the initial findings are startling. Joining Primary Care Today to share new insights is Dr. Wendy King, Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburg Graduate School of Public Health. Dr. King and colleagues authored a report published in Preventive Medicine focusing on sedentary behaviors and how they affect health outcomes in the presence and absence of exercise.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Respiratory complications of GERD are surprisingly common, particularly in patients experiencing silent, asymptomatic reflux for long periods of time. Yet the frequently subclinical nature of this disease progression is especially difficult to detect. How can clinicians better identify this rising issue, and are current treatment paradigms in primary care enough? Joining Dr. Brian McDonough is Dr. Jamie Koufman, Professor of Otolaryngology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Director of the Voice Institute of New York. Dr. Koufman discusses the top considerations for helping prevent and treat reflux disease to help curb respiratory and other complications.