The Host Response: A FirstcallID Podcast

In this installment, co-host Brooke Fraser returns as we discuss educational resources that have shaped our learning, including This Podcast Will Kill You, Febrile's infographic library, and a particularly memorable recent episode of Breakpoints.From the literature, we review a multi-centre study examining ophthalmologic screening in candidemia and discuss the recent randomized trial of vancomycin tapering to prevent recurrent C. difficile infection.Beyond the medical literature, Brooke reflects on The Elusive Body and the challenge of diagnostic uncertainty, while Paul revisits We Are All Perfectly Fine, a thoughtful exploration of medicine, identity, and resilience.And in our "safe space" segment, we discuss cognitive bias in fever of unknown origin, the unexpected role of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole as a cause of drug fever, and the surprisingly unremarkable origin of the "G" in penicillin G.As always, a mix of infectious diseases, medical education, clinical reasoning, and the occasional detour into the things that make us better clinicians. Resources mentioned:This Podcast Will Kill YouFebrile infographic library Breakpoints podcast (June 5, 2026 episode on Streptococcuspyogenes)OFID: Ophthalmologic Evaluation and Clinical Outcome inCandidemiaJAMA Network Open: Initial Vancomycin Taper for Preventionof Recurrent CDI"The Paradox of Modern Medicine" We Are All Perfectly Fine – by Dr. Jillian HortonEnjoying The Host Response? Subscribe, share the show with acolleague or trainee, and visit FirstCallID.ca for additional infectious diseases teaching resources.

When a patient develops an infection without an obvious source, someone will eventually suggest a familiar explanation: translocation.In this episode of The Host Response, we explore the biology behind bacterial translocation, why the concept is often invoked in Infectious Diseases, and how a plausible mechanism can sometimes become a substitute for finding the real source.Using cases of E. coli bacteremia, abscesses, and other "mystery" infections, we examine the cognitive appeal of translocation, the risks of premature diagnostic closure, and why uncertainty is often more productive than a convenient explanation.Key themes:Bacterial translocation and gut permeabilityUnexplained gram-negative bacteremiaDiagnostic reasoning and cognitive biasSource identification in Infectious DiseasesAvoiding premature closureSometimes the most important question isn't "Could this be translocation?"...it's "What else haven't we found yet?"

Discharge from hospital is often treated as a conclusion, but in practice, it frequently marks the start of a less clearly defined phase of care.In this episode of The Host Response, we explore the concept of “holding the bag” in infectious diseases and internal medicine: what happens when responsibility for follow-up is not clearly assigned after discharge.We discuss common real-world scenarios from consult and inpatient practice, including management of resolving infections requiring ongoing antibiotics, intra-abdominal abscesses with drains still in place, pending biopsy or microbiology results, repeat imaging requests, and medications started in hospital without a clear stop date (including anticoagulation, glucocorticoids, and antimicrobial courses).When ownership of these elements is ambiguous, follow-up work often shifts to outpatient consultants, primary care physicians, or patients themselves, regardless of who made the original plan.This episode focuses on practical challenges in transitions of care: discharge documentation, assignment of responsibility for results and procedures, and how unclear follow-up plans contribute to fragmentation in clinical care.A discussion relevant to Infectious Diseases, hospital medicine, and anyone involved in post-discharge follow-up or consult-based care.

In this fourth instalment of Bundles, Dr. Paul Bunce is joined again by Dr. Brooke Fraser to cover a mix of Infectious Diseases insights, useful resources, and ideas from beyond medicine that shape how we think and practice.In this episode:🧠 Teaching toolsThe Gorgas Course - Case of the Week - A practical, case-based tropical medicine resource from the Gorgas CourseA visual, diagnostic reasoning approach with IDImages.org📚 From the literatureUpdated 2026 Surviving Sepsis Guidelines and the case for prolonged beta-lactam infusionA recent JAMA Network Open study applying the AMBITION trial strategy for cryptococcal meningitis in a US setting🌍 Beyond the PubMeds99% Invisible: “Towers of Silence” - ecology, culture, and unintended consequencesThe Death of Expertise, by Tom Nichols - why mistrust of experts is rising, and where that argument falls short🛟 Safe spaceBrooke’s segment challenges the idea of ‘infection seasons’, highlighting that ticks are active whenever temperatures are above ~4°C, and that Legionella doesn’t reliably follow the calendar we think it does.Severe Pseudomonas aeruginosa sepsis with necrotizing enterocolitis (historically termed “Shanghai fever”). What it is, who gets it, and why it matters.You can find more episodes and teaching resources at www.FirstCallID.ca If you found this episode useful, consider sharing it with a colleague or trainee, and subscribing on your preferred platform.