Dr. Candido Otero, M.D.

They can take up to two weeks. Depending on the pathologic finding and if there is some additional cell staining for final diagnosis. Most of the time the specimen is received and after preparing the tissue overnight the next day that tissue is stained to see the cells, then the pathologist looks in the microscope to determine if the cells are benign or malignant and if there are additional staining necessary for the diagnosis. Thank you.

Not necessarily, before making a medicolegal determination as to the case and the manner of the individual death. The law is different for every single state. However, when the cause of death is suspicious, unusual, or unnatural way and autopsy is required by the coroner. Thank you.

A baby needs blood transfusion for different reasons. For example, trauma, surgery, or diseases that causes a low red blood cells count. There has been bleeding before delivery. In addition, the baby maybe has an infection. Let’s say your baby has low platelet count and is bleeding they have to give blood to the baby. Thank you.

Coffee, tea, soda, and foods can also place strain on your kidneys. Caffeine is a stimulant that causes increased blood flow, blood pressure, and stress on the kidney. Everything in excess could be detrimental. Thank you.

Normal or moderate drinking should not cause kidney pain, however binge drinking, and frequent drinking may cause kidney problems. The sign of kidney damage is but not limited to fatigue, leg swelling, loss of appetite, kidney pain (usually in the back). The pain can be felt as sudden, sharp, stabbing, or dull. Thank you.

Elevated enzymes might be discovered on routine blood testing. Meaning the ALT, AST, ALP, and GGT are elevated. Evaluation of abnormal liver enzymes levels in a otherwise healthy patient can pose a challenge to even an experience clinician. A comprehensive investigation combining thorough history-taking and physical examination, along with diagnostic tests, liver biopsy and imaging. Most of the time a liver biopsy would give you a more reliable diagnosis. Specially when the pathologist will be examining the tissue (liver)biopsy. Sometimes it is very puzzling because the elevation of these enzymes is transitory. Patterns reflecting predominantly hepatocellular injury is elevation of ALT/AST +/- elevation of bilirubin. Patients reflecting cholestasis presents with elevation of ALP =/- elevation of ALP. For mixed disease presentation is elevation of ALT/AST and ALP. Now, ALT = alanine aminotransferase, AST = Aspartate aminotransferase, ALP = Alkaline Phosphatase. I believe that a liver biopsy would be paramount on this conundrum. Thank you.

Kidney damage in COVID-19 patients is common and can range from mild proteinuria (protein in urine), hematuria (blood in urine), and acute kidney injury requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT). RRT include intermittent hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, continuous hemofiltration, and hemodialysis. Thank you.

The lack of blood clots on head CT was because what you had was probably a transient ischemic attack (TIA) So, the blood clot passed in the brain and didn’t got stock forming a hemorrhagic lesion in the brain. The autoimmune gastritis deserves additional investigation. Your MPV of 11.4 appear to be within the normal limits (8.0 to 12). The fatigue is due to your anemia. The normal hemoglobin levels in female is from 12 to 16 g/dL. The complete blood count (CBC) is the most common test used to confirm anemia. It is part of the routine tests done. The complete CBC test the hemoglobin and hematocrit. The hemoglobin is the iron-rich protein part in the red blood cell that carries the oxygen. The hematocrit is a measure how much space the red blood cells take up in your blood. Low level of hemoglobin or hematocrit signify anemia. Blood transfusion is given if your hemoglobin is less than 8 g/d (grams per deciliter). Blood transfusion is given for anemia, major surgical operation, accident resulting in significant loss, cancer patients, severe burns, patient with hereditary disorders such as hemophilia, and others. Thank you.

It is very common. Each year 300,000 people, including more than 76,000 children, have their appendix removed. Thank you.

Autopsy usually takes two to four hours to perform. Preliminary results are withing 24 to 36 hrs., but the full results may take up to six weeks. Thank you.

Patients with B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas (NHL), (diffuse Large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) Follicular Lymphoma (FL), Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL), and Multiple Myeloma (MM), can benefit by taking CAR T. With one or more treatment. Blood transfusion if your hemoglobin level is very low. Iron supplements, erythropoietin (EPO) if your anemia is a side effect. Thank you.

1) How long might he have to live? Days, weeks, months? Sir, no one can tell you how long you have to live. A better question is what do /you want to do to continue this life experience? You see Sir, we are energy because wwe are created from an Atom, and the definition of energy is neither created nor destroy, just transformed. Now, what is the definition of matter? It is neither created nor destroy, just transformed. Having said that, time is whatever you want to do, and a concept which is linear here down on earth. We don’t die, our energy continues. We just must live the present, enjoy the things you do at every moment because we change from energy to matter for experiences here on earth and go back to universe as energy with those experiences. This is very deep and maybe philosophical, but a reality. We are part of the universe and are intrinsically entangled with it. See your present and enjoy. As a physician, I would never tell anybody you have such and such time to live because energy just it is transformed. The analogy is the water; water is gas, liquid, and ice. If you live a block of ice outside the freezer, it will turn to liquid, and gas.
2) What happens to the body with such low platelets? When the body have low platelets, the bleeding time, to form a clot becomes longer and you can bleed longer causing anemia. Mostly, Iron deficiency anemia. In addition, it can cause excessive bruising, bleeding from the gums, or nose, fatigue, and difficult breathing.

3.) What are things I need to be on the lookout for? Fatigue, easy bruising, abnormal bleeding from nose, gums, purplish red rash on the skin, especially if you fall or hit any area hard, and bleeding excessively after a cut.
4) Will there comes a point where even with transfusions he will have fewer and fewer platelets? The short answer is no. Now, multiple transfusions, can have complications such as febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reaction (PTNHTR), allergic and anaphylaxis, purpura, and transfusion associated circulatory overload.
Any procedure is done in a hospital setting which you are going to be in good hands. Hope I help you and answered all the questions you asked. Remember, life is an experience, and we have to be thankful, happy and enjoying any minute of it. Thank you.

The AB negative blood is the rarest of the eight blood types. The blood types and commonness are as follow: O+ 35%; O- 13%; A+ 30%; A- 8%; B+ 8%; B- 2%; AB+ 2%; AB- 1%. People with AB blood are Universal recipients because they have no antibodies to A, B or Rh in their blood. Thank you.

Children with leukemia may get more viral or bacterial infections than other kids. This is because their white blood cells can’t fight infection efficiently. The get anemia that needs to be monitored because the red blood cells become low in number. The leukemia and or lymphoma may be at risk for then to present with fatigue, growth delay, thyroid dysfunction, hearing loss and development of secondary cancer. Children with leukemia have up to 90% survival rate with many going on to live a happy and productive live. Most kids are cured of the disease. The most fatal type of leukemia is Acute Myeloid Leukemia. The five-year survival rate is 29.5%. Leukemia is a cancer that usually affects the white blood cells. Thank you.

The white stuff is the scab that turns white. This is a normal process of healing after tonsillectomy. It is not a sign of infection. It usually lasts approximately 10 to 15 days after the procedure. Thank you.

Yes, diarrhea is one of the gastrointestinal syndromes, affecting approximately 11.5 % of patients. Thank you.

Yes, they get anemia that needs to be monitored because the red blood cells become low in number. The leukemia and or lymphoma may be at risk for then to present with fatigue, growth delay, thyroid dysfunction, hearing loss and development of secondary cancer. Thank you.

High dose of aspirin causes injury in the liver with an increase in aminotransferase elevation and jaundice. There is a study by Dr. Wajahat Mehal that suggest that aspirin may help to prevent and treat liver damage from non-infectious. Acetaminophens can be used instead of aspirin for patients with liver damage. However, both medications in high doses can cause liver damage. Thank you.

Few studies have reported the association of SARS-CoV-2 infection with testicular discomfort and pain. Histological studies have detected orchitis (inflammation of the testis), which could be due to vasculitis (inflammation of vessels) found in patient who died due to multi-organ failure associated with Covid-19. Thank you.

Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy is common in male after 50 years-of-age. Practice “double voiding” which is urinating as much as possible, then relaxing, resting for few moments, and then starting again until you feel empty. Try to relax before voiding. Try sitting on the toilet instead of standing. Take time to urinate. Think in other things, it could help. See the Urologist check surgical options. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is a procedure that is commonly done by the urologist. There are other procedure for BPH. Talk to them. Thank you.