The doctrine of "Reasonable Doctor" in medical negligence: Need to be more reasonable.

The model of a 'reasonable doctor' has been quite successfully used to deliver justice in disputes involving medical negligence. However, many a times a doctor is held guilty of negligence when viewed through the narrow lens of an ideal 'reasonable doctor' and without looking into the circumstances under which he was working which could have actually led to the alleged act of negligence. This short write-up highlights the importance of applying this doctrine more reasonably in the best interest of all stake holders and the drawbacks of the doctrine of 'reasonable doctor' in adjudicating medical negligence cases with few international case laws.

To Side the Patients or their Family Members: A Doctor's Eternal Dilemma.

The family members of the patient play a significant role in the medical management. However, physician's primary responsibility is towards his patient and not to heed to the requests of the family members. All the medical professionals should be well equipped to face multiple dilemmas in their carrier.

Can a health care worker have sex in the time of COVID-19?

Covid-19 is not transmitted by sex but close proximity during the act could aide in spread of the disease. Health care workers by virtue of the nature of their work have higher chances of exposure to the virus and them indulging in sex needs risk reduction strategies.

Snake Tooth in the Finger!

How to cite this article: Naik BS. Snake tooth in the finger! Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine, January 2019;23(1): 58.

"Dry bite" in venomous snakes: A review.

It is quite interesting that when a venomous snake bites a person and the victim does not suffer from any signs or symptoms of envenomation. A good percentage of venomous snake bites in humans do occur without venom injection. This phenomenon is termed as "Dry" bite in clinical medicine. Though this was not very uncommon in toxicological practice but, our awareness of this problem has increased. In this article an effort has been made to provide an insight into the incidence, pathophysiology and patho-mechanics of this unique medical enigma.

Drug-induced taste disorders.

Taste and smell are critical components to a person's overall sense of well-being and quality of life. Taste related problems can cause pain and discomfort and can hinder the maintenance of a satisfying and nutritious diet. Loss of taste interferes with pleasure derived from food and food-related activities. Many drugs can affect this special sense and contribute significantly to the morbidity of the associated illness. This article gives a brief account of this problem and emphasizes the need for more awareness of the clinicians about this problem.

A rare case of brucine poisoning complicated by rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure.

Brucine is the predominant alkaloid present in the bark of the tree Strychnos nux vomica and is a weaker alkaloid when compared to strychnine. However, its toxicological property is akin to strychnine. We report a rare case of brucine poisoning complicated by acute renal failure and rhabdomyolysis. A 24-year-old male presented with a history of consumption of a decoction made from the bark of the Strychnos nux vomica tree. Soon after, he developed widespread muscle spasms and convulsions, which were promptly treated. On the fifth day of admission, he developed features of rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure. Investigations revealed elevated creatine phosphokinase levels and elevated blood urea and serum creatinine. The patient was managed with hemodialysis and recovered gradually. There are many reports of strychnine poisoning producing rhabdomyolysis and renal failure. In this case report, attention is drawn to the fact that brucine, although a weaker alkaloid, can also produce life threatening complications like rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure.