Jonathan and Chris speak to Dr. Matthew Cameron, a local anesthesiologist who does a lot more than local anesthesias! They discuss the ins and outs of putting people to sleep; how safe epidurals really are; and whether or not you need to worry about waking up paralyzed in the middle of an operation (spoiler alert: no). Also, Jonathan is told about “blood patches” for the first time and can’t believe this is a real thing.

* Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl.

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What does the body of evidence say on lupus, the autoimmune disease that famously imitates so many other illnesses? Plus: a new study shows that Tylenol in pregnancy is not associated with neurodevelopmental problems, and Chris revisits the topic of red meat following a listener’s question.

A Block: Lupus

(0:57) How common lupus is; what may be causing it; what lupus looks like; how complicated its diagnosis is; what treatment options exist

B Block: Tylenol in Pregnancy

(34:27) Is Tylenol use in pregnancy really responsible for autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability? A new study says no.

C Block: Red Meat

(50:13) Are the harms of eating red meat regularly nowhere near as bad as we were told?

* Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl

* Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova

To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.

To make a one-time donation to our show, you can now use PayPal! https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE

Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called “Digressions”! Check it out!

References:

Lupus epidemiology:

1) https://www.lupuscanada.org/living-with-lupus/what-is-lupus/

2) https://doi.org/10.1177/096120339500400303

3) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41584-021-00668-1

Causes of lupus:

4) DOI: 10.1002/art.22510

5) DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-142-12_part_1-200506210-00004

6) https://doi.org/10.1097/bor.0b013e32833c6297

7) https://doi.org/10.1016/0190-9622(90)70020-i

8) https://doi.org/10.1136/ard.2007.084582

9) DOI: 10.1177/0961203306069346

What lupus looks like in a patient:

10) https://dermnetnz.org/topics/cutaneous-lupus-erythematosus

11) https://dermnetnz.org/topics/discoid-lupus-erythematosus

12) doi: 10.2147/CCID.S269288

13) https://dermnetnz.org/topics/raynaud-phenomenon

14) DOI: 10.1097/01.md.0000091181.93122.55

15) DOI: 10.1002/art.39070

How to manage lupus:

16) DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2015-207726

17) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12784392/

18) DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2014.12.025

19) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autrev.2017.02.005

20) DOI: 10.1191/096120398678919778

21) https://doi.org/10.1136/ard.2008.101766

22) DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa035471

23) https://doi.org/10.1191/0961203305lu2039oa

24) DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD010668.pub2

25) DOI: 10.1002/art.27233

26) DOI: 10.1002/art.34359

27) DOI: 10.1136/lupus-2018-000284

28) DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1912196

29) https://ash.confex.com/ash/2023/webprogram/Paper180547.html

30) https://doi.org/10.1016/C2009-0-02062-5

31) Study on Tylenol in pregnancy: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2024.3172

It’s the case of the woman who was too tired to “par-tay!” What is afflicting her? It’s something that we don’t about enough. Plus: what is happening with avian flu and should you keep using Q-tips in your ears to remove earwax?

A Block: The Case of the Woman Who Was Too Tired to Party

(0:58) A woman falls asleep at work and has a constant headache. It also took her much longer than four years to complete her undergrad. What could be causing this?

B Block: Avian Flu

(25:36) An update on the avian flu situation

C Block: Earwax

(36:03) What should you do about your earwax? Use it as lip balm? Actually….

* Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl

* Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova

To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.

To make a one-time donation to our show, you can now use PayPal! https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE

Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called “Digressions”! Check it out!

References:

1) Inspection Canada webpages on avian flu: https://inspection.canada.ca/animal-health/terrestrial-animals/diseases/reportable/avian-influenza/facts-about-avian-influenza/eng/1356193731667/1356193918453 & https://inspection.canada.ca/animal-health/terrestrial-animals/diseases/reportable/avian-influenza/latest-bird-flu-situation/hpai-in-livestock/eng/1711895796746/1711895797730

2) Nature News Explainer on avian flu: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01036-1

3) WHO surveillance page on avian flu: https://www.who.int/westernpacific/wpro-emergencies/surveillance/avian-influenza

4) Case report on the man who caught H5N1: https://www.cdc.gov/ncird/whats-new/human-infection-H5N1-bird-flu.html