Episode Details

Episode 26: Eye Know

The sun rises over the San Joaquin Valley California. Today is September 4, 2020.

It should be not surprise to us that evidence shows the use of marijuana during pregnancy affects the development of the nervous system of the fetus. More than 500,000 live births were analyzed retrospectively from the Canadian birth registry and it showed incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was higher in children born from mothers who used marijuana during pregnancy compared with non-exposed children (4 versus 2.4 diagnoses per 1000 person-years). Incidence of intellectual disability and learning disorders was also higher in marijuana-exposed children. So, remember to counsel your pregnant patients to avoid marijuana[1].

Do you think that patients with obesity have a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal pain? You think? And what’s a common prescription for chronic pain? Yes, you guessed it, it’s opioids. So, you think obesity and opioids are linked? Articles published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM) [2] and Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA)[3] showed a clear link between obesity and opioid use. Patients who are overweight have 24% incidence of long term opioid use, while the incidence in patients with severe obesity was 158%. Again, incidence is 24% in overweight vs 158% in severe obesity. That’s crazy, the most common chronic pain associated with obesity and opioid use was back pain and joint pain. Now you know it, two of the most popular epidemics, obesity and opioids, go hand in hand.    

This is Rio Bravo qWeek, your weekly dose of knowledge brought to you by the Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program, from Bakersfield, California. Sponsored by Clinica Sierra Vista, Providing compassionate and affordable care since 1971.

“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue
that counts.” –Winston S. Churchill

Success is such a complex term! Success for you may be different than success for me. Success is not final, just as failure is not fatal. Our life has ups and downs and that’s what makes it interesting. 

I’d like to thank all our listeners for their support in our mission to educate, and sometimes to entertain you. It has not been easy to produce this podcast. Thanks to all the brave residents who have overcome their fears to record in front of a microphone. This week we have reached some milestones. We had our download number 1,000, and today the last resident of the 2019-2020 group is participating in the main part of the podcast. I was planning to end this season, but I’m happy to inform that some people offered to record more, so we may have an additional episode, before closing this season. I’m planning to change our format after hearing some suggestions from our residents.

I’m pleased to present to you Dr Garmendia today. He is here to share some of his wisdom with us. Dr Garmendia, we are closing this season of the podcast with you. So you are the cherry on the cake, no pressure. So, let’s relax and have fun.

Question number 1: Who are you? 

My name is Fermin Garmendia, I am a third-year resident of the Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program. I was born and raised in Cuba where I went to medical school. I came to the US in 2010 and, after several years and some sacrifice, my dream came true. For me, being a family medicine doctor is a privilege. It is diverse and challenging. I have some hobbies, I like watch movies, eat in a good restaurant, passing time with friends but what I enjoys the most it is travel by car, so far yet a short family, my wife, our dog and me. We like to explore and be in several places and California is the opportunity, it is beautiful. I still have a big list of places to visit. 

Question number 2: What d