I'm Dr. Joshua Schwimmer, a nephrologist in New York City. • Kidney Notes was the first active nephrology blog, and The National Library of Medicine still uses Kidney Notes as an example of how to formally cite blogs in the medical literature. • Professionally, you can find me at Kidney.nyc. • Kidney Notes is for educational purposes only, not medical advice. Consult qualified health care professionals. See disclaimer.

Saturday, April 9, 2005

In Praise of Lost, the TV Show

*Warning: Minor Spoilers Ahead*



Lost is the best show on television. Besides the usual reasons like great acting, beautiful locations, and inventive scripts, here's one more: it treats complex medical issues well. This is a small sample:
  • The opening sequence of triage after an apocalyptic plane crash
  • The story of Locke, the disabled -- and reabled -- hunter
  • The heroin-addicted ex-rock star
  • The father & son surgeon team, alcoholism, and malpractice
  • Deception and living related kidney transplantation
  • Pregnancy and the single mom
  • Aggressive interventions and medical futility