Dr. Amy Balducci Shepherd M.D.

Atrial fibrillation (also called AFib) is a heart arrhythmia infection. It causes sporadic electrical signals within the atria, affecting heart rate. This is referred to as rapid ventricular rate (RVR). Atrial fibrillation derives from unusual electrical impulses within the heart.Factors to consider...

Valley fever, or coccidioidomycosis, is a fungal infection that usually presents itself in the form of a lung disease. This condition is also known by the name desert fever, desert rheumatism, and San Joaquin Valley fever. This condition is very mild, in most cases, and requires no special...

People with Crohn’s and colitis understand the pain of being stuck in public with no restrooms available. The need to visit the restroom can be great, but nothing is publicly available, and upon asking an employee: “Sorry, there are no public restrooms in this building.”Perhaps because of...

Caused by bacteria and viruses, meningitis is an inflammation (swelling) of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord known as the meninges. The inflammation is usually caused by an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It can develop as a result of injury,...

Clinical intuition is difficult to describe. Personally, it is the art of integrating nonverbal information that a patient presents in order to reach a diagnosis, reducing the need for diagnostic testing. This is especially important in children who often react differently to procedures, tests and...

The severity of meningitis varies from one person to another. In common cases, medications can help solve the problem and the person may recover within 1 to 3 weeks. But in cases where there is a risk of the infection spreading to the meninges, hospitalization and other confirmation tests might be...