Dr. Mary Deffner Patterson M.D.

What is suramin?Suramin is a drug that was developed about 100 years ago to treat parasite-borne illnesses such as African sleeping sickness and river blindness. The drug has been around since then, and is actually relatively cheap to manufacture and distribute. A single one-month dose to treat one...

Pneumonia is a lung infection that may cause cough, fever, and problems in breathing. Pneumonia is the infection of your lung tissue. It is usually not a serious infection, but in some patients, such as those with a weakened immune system, it could be a fatal infection. For most people, pneumonia...

What Is a Tonsillectomy?The tonsils are a very important part of your body. They are located in two glands at the back of your throat. In your younger years, they help produce antibodies that help you fight infections that attack your body. Sometimes, however, the tonsils themselves can get...

Clinical intuition is difficult to describe. Personally, it is the art of integrating nonverbal information that a patient presents in order to reach a diagnosis, reducing the need for diagnostic testing. This is especially important in children who often react differently to procedures, tests and...

Caused by bacteria and viruses, meningitis is an inflammation (swelling) of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord known as the meninges. The inflammation is usually caused by an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It can develop as a result of injury,...

The severity of meningitis varies from one person to another. In common cases, medications can help solve the problem and the person may recover within 1 to 3 weeks. But in cases where there is a risk of the infection spreading to the meninges, hospitalization and other confirmation tests might be...