
The Clinical Problem Solvers
The Clinical Problem Solvers is a multi-modal venture that works to disseminate and democratize the stories and science of diagnostic reasoning
Twitter: @CPSolvers
Website: clinicalproblemsolving.com
Latest episodes

Mar 16, 2022 • 40min
Episode 228: Clinical unknown with Travis, Anand, and Simone
https://clinicalproblemsolving.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/clinical-unknown-3.17-RTP.mp3Travis and Simone present a clinical unknown to Anand.Schema:DyspneaSplenomegaly Download CPSolvers App herePatreon website

Mar 10, 2022 • 1h 14min
Episode 227: RLR with Dr. Croglio
https://clinicalproblemsolving.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/RLR-RTP.mp3Dr. Croglio presents a riveting diagnostic journey to RLR.For more RLR episodes and short teaching videos, support us on Patreon.

Mar 2, 2022 • 51min
Episode 226: RLR 81 – Confusion and tremor
https://clinicalproblemsolving.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/RLR-81_RTP.mp3RR discuss a fascinating cause of confusion and a tremorFor more RLR episodes, consider subscribing to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/cpsolvers

Feb 23, 2022 • 58min
Episode 225: The Consult Question #6 Featuring CardioNerds – Shortness of Breath
Dr. Anjali Vaidya, heart failure and transplant cardiologist, discusses the classification and workup for suspected pulmonary hypertension. A case of acute shortness of breath with pulmonary emboli is explored, including the diagnosis and management of pulmonary embolism. The podcast also covers patient populations at risk for developing pulmonary hypertension and the management options for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Feb 17, 2022 • 29min
Episode 224: Spaced Learning Series – Inflammation and Glomerulonephritis
https://clinicalproblemsolving.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/SLS-2.17.22-RTP.mp3In this episode, Anna & Smitha review the schemas of Inflammation and Glomerulonephritis as they work through a case presented by Emma.GlomerulonephritisInflammation – Overview Download CPSolvers App herePatreon website

Feb 14, 2022 • 50min
Episode 223: Anti-Racism in Medicine Series – Episode 14 – Race, Place, and Health: Clinician and Community Perspectives
https://clinicalproblemsolving.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ARM-EP14_RTP.mp3CPSolvers: Anti-Racism in Medicine SeriesEpisode 14: Race, Place, and Health: Clinician and Community PerspectivesShow Notes by Alec CalacFebruary 15th, 2022Summary: This episode highlights how racism manifests in the built environment, and how community and individual-level efforts can mitigate these inequities. This discussion is the second of three planned conversations around the connections between race, place, and health. Our latest episode welcomes first-time guests Dr. Eugenia South, a physician-scientist and Vice Chair for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, and Noelle Warford, Executive Director of the grassroots organization Urban Tree Connection. Hosted by team members Naomi Fields and LaShyra Nolen,our guests present their community-based work in Pennsylvania and lay bare the connections between race, place, and health.Episode Learning Objectives:After listening to this episode, learners will be able to…Understand the historical and present-day role of land dispossession and property rights in determining health along lines of race and place.Learn how advancing individual agency and distributive justice can empower community organizers and initiatives.Understand the factors that promote and inhibit long-term resiliency and sustainability of place-based initiatives.Learn how we can reimagine health by decolonizing wealth and philanthropy in modern society. CreditsWritten and produced by: Naomi F. Fields, LaShyra Nolen, Rohan Khazanchi, MPH, Michelle Ogunwole, MD, Alec Calac, Victor Lopez Carmen, MPH, Utibe R. Essien, MD, MPH, Jennifer Tsai MD, MEd, Sudarshan Krishnamurthy, Chioma Onuoha, Dereck Paul, MD, MS, Ayana Watkins, Jazzmin WilliamsHosts: Naomi F. Fields, LaShyra NolenInfographic: Creative Edge DesignAudio edits: David HuShow notes: Alec CalacGuests: Dr. Eugenia South, MD, MSPH, and Noelle Warford, MSW Time Stamps00:00 Introduction05:40 Built environments and structural racism11:18 Agricultural perspective, land rights, and settler colonialism15:00 Responsible community engagement and catalyzing individual agency21:58 Engaging communities outside of the ivory tower27:00 Scaling up interventions to the community level32:29 Intervention sustainability37:18 Decolonizing philanthropy and place-based investments42:40 Navigating trade-offs and mitigating ethical tensions49:20 Key takeaways Episode Takeaways1. Your “why” has to be clear before you engage in community-based work.Ms. Warford reminds us that we need strong, sound ideological positions and guiding principles before engaging with the communities around us. She asks to think about what we are doing today to make it easier for people to live in the future. Our ancestors considered our present to be impossible, so how can we use our ideas and experiences to effect positive change in our communities? These movements require action, not passivity.2. Take time to learn from your patients. Be curious.Clinicians are incredibly privileged individuals. Dr. South reminds us that it is our great honor to talk to people in an exam room. Our patients are not just a list of problems. They are individuals who interact with environments that affect their health. She encourages us to see beyond these problems, and ask patients about their lives, challenges, and successes. Everything is important. Unfortunately, medical practice does not always allow us to slow down and take this time to listen. But, finding ways to do so can prove illuminating as well as rewarding. PearlsBuilt Environment, Physical Health, and Mental HealthDr. South detailed that there are clear physical health benefits associated with place-based interventions, but unfortunately many lots and buildings sit vacant and destitute across the US. There’s also more. When interviewing community members in Philadelphia, she shared that longstanding disinvestments in their communities made them feel “unimportant” and “neglected” by society, which had effects on their mental health.The 2021 Build Back Better Act recognized the impact that the built environment has on health, calling for environmental improvements such as planting trees.Ms. Warford is the Executive Director of Urban Tree Connection, a grassroots organization in West Philadelphia that uses land-based strategies and urban agriculture as tools for fostering community leadership and power. She presented a powerful argument that connected settler colonialism, Indigenous genocide, and chattel slavery with modern-day property rights and tax codes. By preventing Black and Brown people from developing relationships with the land and using it as a way of forming social connection, as well as communal sustenance, structural racism manifests along lines of race and place. Lash echoed this and also reaffirmed points made by Dr. South that the built environment changes how individuals see themselves, limiting their ability to push back on the status quo. Individual Agency and Redistribution of ResourcesMs. Warford centered the conversation and reminded the audience that it is not just healthcare systems that are being pushed to the brink. Non-profit organizations are experiencing the same organizational stress. Working with Dr. South and others, Urban Tree Connection is helping community members realize their inherent agency and leadership capacity.In the process of redesigning the Memorial Garden in West Philadelphia, Ms. Warford and Dr. South foregrounded the reality that spaces have to be rooted in people’s experiences. There is often a sentiment that “If you build it, they will come”; however, one should not make assumptions about what community members want. It is important to get their perspectives and figure out what the “little things” are. The vision for any community-informed project has to meet community members where they are. What are their priorities? What are their needs?Continuing this conversation, Dr. South shared that “solutions have to be solutions, not fantasies.” Approaching community problems with an academic approach will not necessarily have community interests in mind (or prioritize them). By moving outside of this academic mindset, organizers and facilitators can work to effect meaningful, long-lasting change in the community. SustainabilityDr. South has studied a variety of place-based interventions including vacant lot greening, abandoned house remediation, tree planting, and structural repairs to homes. She was recently awarded a $10 million grant from the National Institutes of Health that will allow her and her team to conduct a randomized-controlled trial that combines many interventions instead of just one. A serious concern that she and many others have is the sustainability of interventions after grant funding ends. Funding structures, especially from government agencies, are not exactly permissive of this.To promote sustainability, Dr. South and Ms. Warford encouraged the audience to confront the ethical tension between place-based interventions and long-term sustainability after funding streams dry up. It is important to educate and engage key stakeholders such as policymakers who can work to address these limitations.Ms. Warford shared that funding priorities are not necessarily community priorities. In limited funding environments, non-profit organizations often apply for any and all available funding streams, which may gradually shift the organization’s priorities, a phenomenon often referred to as mission creep. Decolonizing Wealth and PhilanthropyOur panelists detailed how much wealth is generated from the labor of Black and Brown people. Unfortunately, it is difficult for that wealth to be reinvested in those very same communities. Ms. Warford encouraged our listeners to think about how we can decolonize wealth and philanthropy, noting that place-based investments have to be gradual and intentional. She shared that funding entities must recognize the labor of community members and provide funds for their work. “People power” is a resource that must be cultivated, respected, and valued. Recognizing Your RoleNaomi recapped much of the discussion and shared that it was clear that “there is no quick fix.” Much of the work involves education, finances, time, and people power. Dr. South shared that there are many ways to be a part of dismantling structural racism. Some people are more front-facing, while others work behind-the-scenes. All perspectives and skillsets are welcome in this process. Ms. Warford shared that it will take time to navigate away from capitalist structures and extractive economies. It is important to celebrate the small wins and strive for the greater vision. LaShyra shared some personal reflections to this effect. The goal for this work will always be liberation and agency. When you’re just trying to make it every day, you don’t always have the privilege to do anything else. ReferencesUrban Health Lab. Urban Health Lab. Accessed January 3, 2022. https://www.urbanhealthlab.orgUrban Tree Connection. Accessed January 3, 2022. http://www.urbantreeconnection.org/index.phpMeet the Board: Noelle Warford. NESAWG. Published August 19, 2020. Accessed January 3, 2022. https://nesawg.org/news/meet-board-noelle-warfordNoelle Warford, Everyday Genius. Da Vinci Art Alliance. Accessed January 3, 2022. https://davinciartalliance.org/everyday-genius-blog/noelle-warfordEugenia C. South, MD, MSPH. Opinion | If Black lives really matter, we must invest in Black neighborhoods. Washington Post. Accessed January 3, 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/03/16/black-neighborhoods-parks-safety/De Maio F, Rothstein R, Khazanchi R, Tsai J, Krishnamurthy S, Ogunwole M, Fields NF, Nolen L, Onuoha C, Watkins A, Williams J, Paul D, Essien UR. “Episode 200: Antiracism in Medicine Series – Episode 11 – Racism, Redlining, and the Path Towards Reconciliation.” The Clinical Problem Solvers Podcast. Published October 11, 2021. Accessed January 3, 2022. https://clinicalproblemsolving.com/2021/10/11/episode-200-antiracism-in-medicine-series-episode-11-racism-redlining-and-the-path-towards-reconciliation/Eugenia C. South, MD, MSPH. Opinion | To Combat Gun Violence, Clean Up the Neighborhood – The New York Times. Accessed January 3, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/08/opinion/gun-violence-biden-philadelphia.html“A Randomized Controlled Trial of Concentrated Investment in Black Neighborhoods to Address Structural Racism as a Fundamental Cause of Poor Health.” National Institutes of Health RePORTER. Accessed January 2, 2022. https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10413510#description“Penn Researchers to Study the Impact of Environmental and Economic Interventions on Reducing Health Disparities in Black Philadelphia Neighborhoods with Nearly $10M Grant.” Penn Medicine. Accessed January 2, 2022. https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-releases/2021/october/penn-researchers-to-study-the-impact-of-environmental-and-economic-interventions“How a scientist in Philadelphia is addressing health inequity.” Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien. Published December 17, 2021. Accessed January 2, 2022. https://www.matteroffact.tv/how-a-scientist-in-philadelphia-is-addressing-health-inequity/Urban Tree Connection 2021 Annual Report. Accessed January 2, 2022. http://www.urbantreeconnection.org/admin/resources/2021-utc-annual-reportcompressed.pdfGardner JR. “A Willfully Misunderstood Earmark Can Help Reduce Climate-Change Heat Deaths.” The New Yorker. Published November 29, 2021. Accessed February 8, 2022. https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/more-tree-canopy-can-stop-climate-change-from-killing-vulnerable-americans H.R.5376 – 117th Congress (2021-2022): Build Back Better Act. (2021, November 19). https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5376/textVolunteerHub. “Nonprofit Mission Creep: What is It? How to Prevent It.” Accessed February 8, 2022. https://www.volunteerhub.com/blog/what-is-mission-creep/ Disclosures The hosts and guests report no relevant financial disclosures.CitationSouth E, Warford N, Fields NF, Nolen L, Calac A, Lopez-Carmen V, Tsai J, Krishnamurthy S, Ogunwole M, Onuoha C, Watkins A, Williams J, Paul D, Essien UR, Khazanchi R. “Episode 14: Race, Place, and Health: Clinician and Community Perspectives.” The Clinical Problem Solvers Podcast. https://clinicalproblemsolving.com/episodes. February 15, 2022. Show Transcript

Feb 9, 2022 • 26min
Episode 222: RLR – The Phone Call
https://clinicalproblemsolving.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/RLR-73_RTP.mp3RR discuss an important patient phone callFor more RLR episodes, consider subscribing to Patreon: The Clinical Problem Solvers is creating podcasts, videos, schemas, illness scripts and more | Patreon

Feb 2, 2022 • 26min
Episode 221: Schema – Fever in a Returning Traveler
The hosts discuss a schema case on fever in a returning traveler, including the approach to diagnosing and investigating possible causes of altered mental status and jaundice. They also delve into analyzing a blood smear for malaria and diagnosing and treating severe malaria infection.

Jan 26, 2022 • 1h 1min
Episode 220: Neurology VMR – Drowsiness
https://clinicalproblemsolving.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/RTP-Neuro-VMR-1.27.22-1.mp3We continue our campaign to #EndNeurophobia, with the help of Dr. Aaron Berkowitz. This time, Maria presents a case of increased drowsiness to Dr. Mathieu Brunet and Dr. Mattia Rosso. Neurology DDx SchemaMaria Jimena AlemanMaria Jimena Aleman María Jimena Alemán was born and raised in Guatemala where she currently works in community and rural health care. After suffering from long standing neurophobia, she has embraced her love for neurology and will pursue a career in this field. She looks forward to dedicating her life to breaking barriers for Latin women in medical fields and improving medical care in her country. Maria is one of the creators of a medical education podcast in Spanish called Intratecal. Her life probably has a soundtrack of a mix between Shakira and Ella Fitzgerald. Outside of medicine she enjoys modern art, 21st century literature, and having hour long conversations over a nice hot cup of coffee or tequila.Mathieu BrunetMathieu Brunet is an emergency physician and trauma team leader at the Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur-de-Montréal and an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Université de Montréal in Canada. After his emergency medicine training, he completed a Fellowship in Resuscitation & Reanimation at Queen’s University in Canada and a Master of Traumatology with the University of Newcastle in Australia. Mathieu has been a regular listener of the podcast and the daily Virtual Morning Reports. He finds The Clinical Problem Solvers to be an invaluable resource to progress and maintain motivation on the lifelong journey toward clinical reasoning expertise.Mattia Rosso Mattia Rosso is a neurology resident at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston. He is interested in movement disorders, behavioral neurology, and autoimmune neurology. He is also passionate about the intersection between the humanities and medicine, with a focus on the fields of medical history and bioethics. Outside work, he enjoys photography, cinema, and discovering new music. Since starting residency, Clinical Problem Solvers have been an irreplaceable source of learning and inspiration. Download CPSolvers App herePatreon website

Jan 20, 2022 • 30min
Episode 219: Clinical Unknown with Dr. Tapper, Dr. Mundell, & Travis
https://clinicalproblemsolving.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Clinical-Unknown-1.20-RTP.mp3In this episode, Dr. Elliot Tapper discusses a clinical unknown case presented by Dr. Jennifer MundellJennifer Mundell Jennifer Mundell, MD FACP is the associate program director for Ascension St Vincent Internal Medicine Residency Program. She graduated from University of Louisville School of Medicine and completed IM residency at Ascension St. Vincent in 2016. The residents best know her for building differentials, baking cakes, and owning more cars than garage spaces. During her free time, she enjoys writing up interesting cases with residents, taking her family to a beach, and planning next year’s Halloween decorations. Elliot TapperElliot Tapper, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Michigan in 2016. His clinical activity and research efforts focus on the outcomes of patients with cirrhosis, particularly those with hepatic encephalopathy. He did his residency and was resident, chief resident, and a fellow in gastroenterology and transplant hepatology, at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center where he served as Director of Quality Improvement for the Liver Center. He is very active on twitter and tweets at @ebtapperDownload CPSolvers App herePatreon website