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Articles written by Debra Johnston Md


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  • Prairie Doc Perspective Week of November 17th, 2024

    Debra Johnston MD|Nov 21, 2024

    Lately my teenager has been fascinated by medical dramas. Although my "doctor self" is usually rolling my eyes throughout the program, it's often a good conversation starter. One recent show featured a pregnant woman who experienced one medical crisis after another. Her kidneys, liver, and lungs failed in succession as the team raced to identify the underlying obstetrical problem and find a treatment. At the climax of the episode, her heart stopped. Of course, being television, the correct...

  • Prairie Doc Perspective Week of April 14, 2024

    Debra Johnston MD|Apr 18, 2024

    It’s human nature to tell stories about the past, and doctors aren’t immune to that impulse. The second year medical students rotating through my clinic have me reflecting on my own years as a fledgling physician, and the changes I’ve seen in my decades of practice. I remember one late evening spent in the PICU watching over a toddler who had meningitis. At one point I turned and bumped into a bedrail, which came crashing down. Both my preceptor and I jumped, and I probably even shrieked. The child, however, didn’t even blink. That’s when we k...

  • Prairie Doc Perspective Week of February 11, 2024

    Debra Johnston MD|Feb 15, 2024

    I confess that occasionally even doctors get squeamish. Or perhaps more honestly, this doctor does. My personal list has gotten pretty short, but one of the things that still makes me squirm is something I nevertheless frequently recommend to my patients. So what is this mysterious and rather ominous medical recommendation? Nasal saline irrigation. The practice of rinsing the nose out with liquid probably originated centuries ago in India, and it remains part of spiritual ritual as well as traditional medicine around the world. However, it...