Due to the unreliability of the previous server, I recently ported the entire On The Wards blog to another host with reportedly greater functionality and stability. In the process, I had forgotten to transfer some plugins. This had the unintentional effect of redirecting traffic to ad-laden sites when anyone would access the blog.

I am very sorry to anybody who had to experience these errors. We should now be back to normal business as usual.

For the techno-geeks out there, the reason for my delay in detecting the error was the local lag in DNS propagation when transferring nameservers.

The “Memorable Tweets” series is a monthly compilation of notable past tweets from the microblog version of On The Wards. The entries may provide some — albeit small — insight into my world as a clinical physician and scientist.

The comments are invariably true and may reflect real-life experiences. I have nevertheless made every effort to protect patient privacy. Most tweets are sufficiently obfuscated to avoid identification of any particular patient. If you feel a comment resembles your case, it is highly likely a mere coincidence. But if you’re a patient who is absolutely convinced that I was talking about you, and would prefer that I not, then contact me and we can discuss this.

• The new UCLA medical center by I.M. Pei is gorgeous! I hear the marble is imported. Of course, this all happened before the recession.
  5:03 PM Feb 1st from web

• There are very sick people in the hospital right now: 3 codes and 4 intubations in 3 hours.
  5:28 PM Feb 2nd from web

• I have encountered 4 cases of FUO (fever of unknown origin) in the past 2 weeks. The Infectious Diseases service is perplexed as well.
  7:23 PM Feb 4th from web

• Your team can sometimes make or break your experience.
  5:04 AM Feb 8th from TwitterMail

• … but in the patient’s best interest, we have to learn to get along with the team.
  5:05 AM Feb 8th from TwitterMail

• I appreciate the hard work of those in the Kitchen services, but my first experience with hospital food (for patients) was not too pleasant.
  12:06 PM Feb 16th from web

• Spent half a day tracking down relatives for a comatose patient. I even had to request police assistance.
  7:52 AM Feb 22nd from web

• Hospital near 100% capacity. Patients via EMS now being diverted elsewhere.
  9:38 PM Feb 22nd from TwitterMail

• It’s not a good sign when the family plans the funeral while the patient is still alive … intubated/sedated, yes, but not terminal.
  8:31 AM Feb 24th from web

• It’s not a good sign when the code team rushes by me, while I’m waiting for the elevator … and I reach ground floor before they do.
  8:32 AM Feb 24th from web

• Did you know that the rate of chest compressions in CPR = beats in “Staying Alive” or “Another One Bites The Dust”?
  8:45 AM Feb 25th from web

• I wouldn’t sing the second song though during CPR … at least not aloud.
  8:46 AM Feb 25th from web

• Obesity hypoventilation syndrome seems to be a common trend lately. Had another tubed/trached patient too large to fit in the CT scanner.
  12:34 PM Feb 26th from web

• @Juan_Negro That’s right … we’ve got the McDonald’s generation to treat.
  1:21 PM Feb 26th from web in reply to jonathandblack

The “Memorable Tweets” series will include a monthly compilation of notable past tweets from the microblog version of On The Wards. Since this is the first post of the series, we will go back to January 2009, when I made my first foray into the world of microblogging.

• I purposely left my laptop at home during a business trip 2 days ago (i.e., no Internet access). I will bring it for my trip today.
  7:29 AM Jan 29th from web

• I need to find a way to repay this growing sleep debt.
  12:48 PM Jan 28th from web

• Sometimes a simple “cold” virus can wreak havoc in an immunocompromised patient.
  9:08 AM Jan 28th from web

• Critical care medicine is fascinating, while physically, emotionally, and intellectually demanding. That has been my night in the ICU.
  3:53 AM Jan 25th from web

• This week has been unusually active. In the past 4 days, I responded to 3 codes [blue] (2 as a passer-by) in the clinic and hospital.
  5:43 PM Jan 24th from web

• Primum non nocere: I cancelled a paracentesis today. Although the procedure would have helped the pt, the risks far outweighed the benefits.
  11:25 AM Jan 22nd from web

• It hurts when a patient dies. One of mine, with whom I have grown fond, passed away yesterday. I pronounced another one today.
  6:12 PM Jan 19th from web

• Welcome to the microblog version of the blog. http://www.onthewards.com
  4:43 PM Jan 18th from web

If you are a regular subscriber of the On The Wards feed, please update your RSS feed to the following: new feed. There has been a slight modification to the link. I apologize in advance for any inconvenience this change may cause. Thank you for understanding.

Last week, I revealed my intention to test-drive Twitter, an online micro-blogging service where posts are limited to 140 characters. It was developed in 2006, but experienced explosive growth around 2007 and beyond. Despite my knowledge of this tool, I had been reluctant to join the micro-blogging bandwagon. I did not immediately grasp the fascination or the benefits of using Twitter. After months of neglecting On The Wards due to competing professional and personal responsibilities, I decided to rethink a strategy to salvage my online presence.

I finally decided to try Twitter, and have so far found it to be an excellent medium for continued blogging sans the enormous time investment. I can now share notes on some interesting articles I read, while providing a glimpse of my work in medicine (of course, speaking in generalities to avoid compromising patient privacy and confidentiality). Interestingly, using Twitter has also boosted my desire to continue the traditional blogging here. I believe both mediums will complement each other well.

Without further ado, I present the On The Wards Twitter micro-blog: http://twitter.com/onthewards.