Tom Robey, MD, PhD

Videos

Virus – Treatments and Prevention

“There’s a good reason Mom made you chicken soup when you were sick. It has fluids, electrolytes, a little bit of protein and enough nutrients to help you fight off your illness. You should feel...

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Virus – Overview

“The majority of infections that humans suffer are caused by viruses. Viruses can cause many different symptoms depending on the virus and the person infected. Some are recognizable. Influenza, coronavirus, measles, and many viruses you...

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UTI – Treatment and Symptoms

Bacterial growth in the bladder or kidneys causes urinary infections. The most common type of urinary infection is a bladder infection. Your discharge diagnosis may have been cystitis or urinary tract infection. Urinary tract infections...

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UTI – Sepsis and Causes

Infection can spread from the kidneys into the blood quickly. So the main concern when you go home is that the kidney infection could spread to the blood and cause sepsis. Be on the lookout...

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UTI – Overview

“Bacterial growth in the bladder or kidneys causes urinary infections. The most common type of urinary infection is a bladder infection. Your discharge diagnosis may have been cystitis or urinary tract infection. You may have...

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Pneumonia – Prevention

Pneumonia, influenza and COVID-19 are serious infections that kill hundreds of thousands of people each year. Vaccines can help reduce your chance of serious pneumonia, but are not 100% protective. Hand sanitizing and washing, cough...

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Pneumonia – Medication

Continue taking all of your previously prescribed medicines. In addition, your emergency department provider also prescribed one or two antibiotics. The type of antibiotic depends on your allergies, the common types of infectious agents in...

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Pneumonia – Discharge and Oxygen Level

For most people, the easiest way to decide that you’re okay to go home is if the oxygen saturation, usually measured on your finger, is above 90%, even when you walk. You should also have...

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Pneumonia – Cause

Most bacterial pneumonias are not very infectious. Meaning it’s unlikely that you could transmit the infection to your close contacts. Most pneumonias are bacterial, but enough are caused by viruses that your pneumonia may actually...

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Pneumonia – Antibiotic Medication Side Effects

All medication has side effects. The common issue with antibiotics is upset stomach, which can range from discomfort to diarrhea. This usually is related to the antibiotic killing both the bad bacteria causing your illness...

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Pneumonia – Transmission

Most bacterial pneumonias are not very infectious. Meaning it’s unlikely you could transmit the infection to your close contacts. Most pneumonias are bacterial, but enough are caused by viruses that your pneumonia may actually be...

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Influenza – Overview

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Influenza – Contagious

People with influenza are most contagious in the first three to four days after their illness begins. Some adults may be able to infect others beginning one day before symptoms. And then up to seven...

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Influenza – Antiviral Medicine

Oseltamivir, also known as Tamiflu, and other antiviral medications have been studied as medications that help reduce the length and intensity of influenza infection. Antiviral treatment works best when started within two days of becoming...

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Fever, Vomiting, and Diarrhea – Overview

It can sometimes be difficult to identify the precise cause of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. And in most cases, the symptoms resolve before the specific cause is known. Many different illnesses start out with the...

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Pneumonia – Readmission

In general, we are trying as much as possible to prevent the need to admit you to the hospital. You should call your primary care team as soon as you get home to set up...

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Pneumonia – Prevention

Pneumonia, influenza and COVID-19 are serious infections that kill hundreds of thousands of people every year. Vaccines can help reduce your chance of serious pneumonia, but are not 100% protective. Hand sanitizing and hand-washing, cough...

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Influenza – Testing

Most hospitals have a rapid test for influenza that needs a nasal pharyngeal swab. A sample is collected from the back of the nose using a quite long Q-tip and then is sent for a...

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Fever, Vomiting, and Diarrhea – Discharge

“If you have been discharged from the ER, you should be able to keep fluid down. Your doctor may have given you a nausea medicine to take several times a day to ensure you’re able...

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Emergency Room – Wound Closure

If the ER doctor recommended any wound closure techniques, you received glue, tape Steri-Strips, stitches or staples. Sometimes cuts are too old to be closed safely. So make sure you get to the emergency department...

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Emergency Room – Withdrawal Medicine

Your ER physician may have discharged you with nausea or anxiety medicines to treat the symptoms of withdrawal. Nausea medicine like ondansetron or metoclopramide are common, as are Clonidine and hydroxyzine. You may have been...

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Emergency Room – Super Glue

Sometimes if the cut is small or uncomplicated and not in an area that has stretching skin, a type of super glue can be used to bring the edges together. The glue is usually colored...

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Emergency Room – Stitches and Antibiotic Ointment

It’s a good idea to keep the stitches and staples covered with an antibiotic ointment. This keeps the wound moist and reduces infection. The cut could be left open to the air if it is...

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Covid 19 – Overview and Emergency Room

COVID-19 is a disease caused by a specific strain of coronavirus. Coronaviruses are one of the causes of the common cold, and most humans have been infected with coronavirus sometime in their life. This particular...

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Emergency Room – Diagnose Heart Health

Only so much can be done in the ER to diagnose heart health. Cardiologists have an array of tests designed to see the potential of having a diseased heart. They may have you run on...

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Emergency Room – COPD Trigger

Sometimes pollen, mold or environmental causes trigger COPD, just like they might in asthma. This could include pets, humidity, air pollution, and weather changes. Many more times, the flare is related to smoking. Your health...

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Emergency Room – COPD Antibiotics

Some patients with COPD benefit from antibiotics, even if a pneumonia is not present. The most common antibiotic for this purpose is azithromycin. You may also have a pneumonia or another infection. In this case,...

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Emergency Room – Chest Pain

The ER isn’t equipped to definitively determine every cause of chest pain, though your doctor may have suggested a few possible causes of your pain. The main job of the ER doctor is to make...

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Emergency Room – Cat Gut Suture

Cat gut is the name for a type of biological suture that comes from processed collagen. The collagen most often comes from the tendons or intestines of cows, but has been sterilized and chemically processed...

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Emergency Room – Asthma Attack

If this isn’t your first asthma attack, you probably know your triggers. Sometimes, pollen, mold or environmental causes can trigger asthma. This can include pets, humidity, air pollution, and weather changes. If you smoke, you...

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Emergency Room – Aspirin

81 milligrams of aspirin does a lot of good for heart attack and stroke reduction. A few medical conditions will require further discussion with your doctors before you start aspirin. If you take any other...

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Emergency Room – Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous and similar groups like Narcotics Anonymous have helped millions of people stay sober from drugs and alcohol for more than 80 years. It is a 12 step program that relies on group therapy...

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Emergency Room – Alcohol and Drug Use

If your visit to the emergency room was related to alcohol or drug use, there’s a good chance that you have a problem that needs attention. Hopefully you feel a little better after your visit....

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Emergency Room – Addiction

We know that addiction and other mental health problems occur at the same time. It makes it harder to overcome your challenges, but it’s not impossible. Your counselor, therapist and prescriber will want to work...

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DVT – Symptoms and Testing

DVTs often cause pain in the arm or leg with the blood clot. DVTs are most common in the leg, but we can also get them in the arms. They cause redness, swelling and pain,...

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DVT – Medications and Recovery

After a DVT diagnosis, you should start taking the prescribed medications immediately. Be sure to make an appointment with your primary care team. If you’re taking warfarin, you may also need to start going to...

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DVT – Emergency Room

The primary symptoms of DVT are redness, swelling and pain. DVTs most often form in the legs. If a DVT occurs in the arms or legs, that extremity often becomes red, warm, swollen, and painful....

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DVT – Complications

The two main complications from DVT are pulmonary embolism and long-term damage to the veins with the blood clot. Pulmonary embolism occurs when a clot from the leg or the arm breaks off and gets...

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DVT – Causes and Risks

There are several factors that contribute to blood clot formation. Many times we can’t know for sure which caused the blood clot in a particular patient. Inherited genetic differences in blood chemistry can lead to...

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DVT – Blood Clots

Blood clots can cause problems in several parts of the body. There are three types of blood clots. Deep vein thromboses, called DVTs, pulmonary embolisms, PEs, and arterial clots. Usually when referring to a blood...

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Emergency Room – Skin Glue and Steri-strips

Skin glue helps pull together small, clean cuts where the skin isn’t stretched too much, most often on the face, and sometimes on the arms or trunk. Steri-Strips are reinforced tape that can provide slightly...

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Emergency Room – Return to ER

The main reason to return to the emergency department include an infection, or if the cut pulls apart. It’s normal to have a little bit of blood colored leakage for the first day or so....

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Emergency Room – Rehab Treatment Center

Most treatment centers prefer patients to self-refer. When a physician or nurse calls to make you an appointment, you’re less likely to complete treatment than if you actually arrange it yourself. The same goes for...

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Emergency Room – Heart Attack

Just because today’s test results do not indicate a heart attack, that does not mean you are guaranteed to never have one at some time in the future. Perhaps even in the near future. Sometimes...

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DVT – Overview

DVT stands for deep vein thrombosis, and refers to a blood clot that forms in certain types of blood vessels. When you have the diagnosis of a blood clot, it’s because cells and molecules in...

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Emergency Room – Fever in Children

“There are many reasons for a fever to be high enough in children to go to the ER. Typical childhood diseases, such as chicken pox, roseola, and other viruses that lead to infection can all...

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Emergency Room – Addiction and Mental Health

We know that addiction and other mental health problems occur at the same time. It makes it harder to overcome your challenges, but it’s not impossible. Your counselor, therapist and prescriber will want to work...

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Emergency Room – Vomiting and Belly Pain in Children

“It can sometimes be difficult to identify the cause of vomiting in belly pain in your child. Many different illnesses start with abdominal pain and vomiting for the first 12 to 24 hours. Sometimes, additional...

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Emergency Room – Vomiting and Belly Pain Discharge

“Once you have been discharged from the emergency room, the most important task is to encourage your child to keep fluids down. It may take some time for your child to return to eating and...

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Emergency Room – Tests

The number and type of tests done in the ER depends on your age, your symptoms and other health problems. It’s not uncommon to have an EKG and urine screen to check for signs of...