Author: Gina Curro
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The Wiser One
Not all wounds are loud. Some arrive in well-articulated contempt. A female physician I had just worked with told my supervising doctor: I have no interest in interfacing with your nurse practitioner. If I wanted the opinion of a nurse practitioner, I would’ve gone to NP school instead of medical school. Um… ouch. That landed.…
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IDAC Spring 2025 Symposium: Things I Took Home (Besides the CME)
I had the opportunity to join the Infectious Disease Association of California’s (IDAC) Spring 2025 Symposium this weekend. There was something both humbling and energizing about sitting in a room full of infectious disease experts, where the baseline knowledge was sky-high and my imposter syndrome was practically airborne. Rather than asking them to turn on…
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When More Isn’t Better: The Eagle Effect and Why We Sometimes Add Clinda
In infectious disease, there are a few things more satisfying than picking the perfect drug – one that targets the bug, spares the flora, and makes the pharmacist nod in approval. But every now and then, we throw the textbook at an infection… and it doesn’t budge. The Eagle Effect, Explained The Eagle effect is…
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Quiz: Antimicrobial Resistance Mechanisms
Think you’ve got resistance figured out? Let’s test that. 10 questions, one theme: antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. Try not to overthink it – but also, maybe do. Again, this is a soft launch and not all of the features have been fine-tuned. The answers are directly under each question, so try not to cheat. The universe…
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The Art of Owning Your Practice
Reflections from an Infectious Disease Nurse Practitioner If asked to take a pen and draw a flower, what would that flower look like?One might sketch a rose, another a tulip, and someone else — a classic circle with five petals. No two would be the same, even if given the same set of instructions. The…
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The Constipated Colonizer
Back pain, lactobacillus, and a few “wait, what?” moments An 87-year-old patient presented with acute back pain, without neurologic deficits or history of trauma. MRI showed T2 Hyperintensity at L2-L3, concerning for possible discitis/osteomyelitis. We paused antibiotics and obtained both blood cultures and a lumbar spine biopsy. To our surprise, both grew Lactobacillus. A probiotic.…
Outbreak, Inward 