paul evan bunce, md
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paulbuncemd.bsky.social
paul evan bunce, md
@paulbuncemd.bsky.social
internist, infectious diseases md, educator. he/him.
toronto
creator of firstcallid.ca and “the host response”
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-host-response-a-firstcallid-podcast/id1813669140
https://youtube.com/@firstcallid?si=vcip2EtZxD8tQUx9
this recent Viremic podcast on the management of pregnant people living with hiv was outstanding.

the discussion was full of important pearls and concepts, and was shared with such humanity and empathy.

credit to the show host and guest, dr. jean anderson.

#idksy
Case 14. “AIDS Is Not My Worst Problem”: Caring for Women with HIV
Podcast Episode · Viremic – Cases in HIV · 01/20/2026 · 39m
podcasts.apple.com
February 10, 2026 at 10:06 PM
i'll tell you a secret...

when i review cases remotely, i often look at the imaging before i go to the micro.

🤐
🎙️ The Host Response: Episode 021 - Why Reading the Radiology Report Isn’t Enough in ID

Many clinical decisions are based on imaging we never actually view.

In Infectious Diseases, looking at the images yourself changes how you think.

#idsky #meded
Episode 21 - Why Reading the Radiology Report Isn’t Enough in Infectious Diseases
Podcast Episode · The Host Response: A FirstcallID Podcast · 02/08/2026 · 6m
podcasts.apple.com
February 9, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Reposted by paul evan bunce, md
I highly recommend @patrickching.bsky.social latest commentary in @ashejournal.bsky.social describing:

-the history of contact precautions
-the need for balance ⚖️ between the benefits of gowns/gloves with their cost/environmental impact

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

#IDSky
The rise and fall of contact precautions: how does personal protective equipment fit into sustainable healthcare? | Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology | Cambridge Core
The rise and fall of contact precautions: how does personal protective equipment fit into sustainable healthcare? - Volume 5 Issue 1
www.cambridge.org
February 1, 2026 at 10:14 PM
hypothetical: drained MSSA limb pyomyositis, not bacteremic

cefazolin is the easy choice, but if cure above all else is the priority, would anyone use another agent or strategy?

#idsky
January 31, 2026 at 3:12 AM
check out our biggest bundle yet, same low price!

highlights include:
• sunnybrook hospital’s ASP website (excellent!)
• tstin3d (so helpful!)
• another “communicable” pearl - @cmicomms.bsky.social
• updated cUTI guidelines - adding clarity to the murkiness

plus, 2 non-id reads worth your time.
🎧 New: The Host Response – Bundles 3.0

Tools, trials, thoughts from the ID world, and things we just learned.

Feat. Dr. Brooke Fraser.

In this episode: Practical resources, updated cUTI guidelines, and a grab bag of ID-adjacent insights.

find more at: www.firstcallid.ca

#idsky #meded
Episode 20 - Bundles 3.0
Podcast Episode · The Host Response: A FirstcallID Podcast · 01/25/2026 · 28m
podcasts.apple.com
January 25, 2026 at 8:17 PM
from the "medical knowledge i first learned from 80's sitcoms" files:

my first knowledge of CPR was from "gimme a break", where ray parker jr (ghostbusters!) made a guest appearance.

(start at 3:00 for the CPR scene)

the fashion remains timeless...the CPR, much more outdated.
Gimme a Break! S4E06 Who Dunnit
YouTube video by Gimme a Break
www.youtube.com
January 25, 2026 at 6:11 PM
job posting - infectious diseases clinician teacher position at st. mike's hospital in toronto

top notch hospital, amazing ID colleagues, diverse patient population, world class city

share broadly and apply if interested. it's a great opportunity.

jobs.utoronto.ca/job/Toronto-...

#idsky #idjobs
Lecturer or Assistant / Associate / Full Professor - Academic Infectious Diseases Specialist
Lecturer or Assistant / Associate / Full Professor - Academic Infectious Diseases Specialist
jobs.utoronto.ca
January 18, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Reposted by paul evan bunce, md
ICYMI:

The latest episode of The Host Response.

The downside of doing the right thing in ID, either by draining the abscess or hitting the bacteria where it hurts.

Also, a nod to those on call at night when the crash often occurs...it’s tough work, but it doesn’t go unnoticed.

#idsky
🎙️ The Host Response: Episode 19 - Shaking the Snow Globe: Why Patients Crash After Starting Antibiotics

You start the right antibiotic. Your patient gets worse.

Why it happens, when to expect it, and how not to panic-escalate at 2am.

🎧 firstcallid.ca | Apple | Spotify

#idsky #meded
Episode 19 - Shaking the Snow Globe: Why Patients Crash After Starting Antibiotics
Podcast Episode · The Host Response: A FirstcallID Podcast · 01/11/2026 · 5m
podcasts.apple.com
January 17, 2026 at 10:57 PM
i really enjoyed this episode.

even trying to stay current, i’d missed all of these papers (oops). i appreciated such a clear, useful review.

with episodes this consistently good, communicable has entered my regular podcast rotation.
🎙️ Just published Communicable E44: Top clinical microbiology papers in 2025

Hosted by Annie Joseph & Josh Nosanchuk w/ invited guests Robin Patel & Fidelma Fitzpatrick

Listen on #Communicable: https://share.transistor.fm/s/6e5c26ae

#IDSky #clinmicro
January 12, 2026 at 7:32 PM
i just saw that app's for the 2026 ID Digital Institute (IDDI) are open.

this is an excellent program covering a range of digital media skills.

as part of the 2025 cohort, i can’t recommend it enough for anyone interested in digital education.

febrilepodcast.com/iddigitalins...

#idsky
ID Digital Institute – febrile
febrilepodcast.com
January 11, 2026 at 6:55 PM
who’d have thought that killing bacteria or draining an abscess might briefly make a patient worse?

turns out, smashing pathogens into inflammatory confetti has consequences.

that transient crash doesn’t always mean failure.
sometimes it means success.

🎙️ The Host Response, Ep 019
🎙️ The Host Response: Episode 19 - Shaking the Snow Globe: Why Patients Crash After Starting Antibiotics

You start the right antibiotic. Your patient gets worse.

Why it happens, when to expect it, and how not to panic-escalate at 2am.

🎧 firstcallid.ca | Apple | Spotify

#idsky #meded
Episode 19 - Shaking the Snow Globe: Why Patients Crash After Starting Antibiotics
Podcast Episode · The Host Response: A FirstcallID Podcast · 01/11/2026 · 5m
podcasts.apple.com
January 11, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Reposted by paul evan bunce, md
Congratulations to the indefatigable microbiologist Dr. Allison McGeer on her appointment to the #OrderofCanada. From SARS to flu to COVID and antimicrobial resistance, she is advancing science through her research, and promoting scientific literacy with her media appearances.
January 1, 2026 at 9:00 PM
i’ve said it before, and i’ll say it again:

beware the afebrile patient with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

#idsky
January 1, 2026 at 8:16 PM
hello Trueperella bernardiae!

it was nice to meet you today as part of a polymicrobial necrotizing soft tissue infection. i don't think we've met before (or at least, been formally introduced).

here's a bio for others to check out (so they've at least heard your name if they meet you too).
December 29, 2025 at 12:03 AM
a holiday podcast release? of course.

think of it as a small tribute to all the health care workers holding down the fort this season.

distilling over a decade of practice into a few key pearls isn’t easy, but here are a few that truly shape how i practice and what keeps me going.
🎙️ Episode 18 of The Host Response is out.

What 10 years in ID taught me:
• Antibiotics can hurt people
• Not every note needs to be a masterpiece
• You need a work buddy
• Vancomycin remains…vancomycin

Reflections for new ID docs (and reminders for the rest of us)
🎧 Listen now.

#idsky #meded
Episode 18 - 3 Tips for New ID Doctors: Then and Now
Podcast Episode · The Host Response: A FirstcallID Podcast · 12/28/2025 · 5m
podcasts.apple.com
December 28, 2025 at 8:35 PM
ICYMI:

a positive spin on some of the less glamorous consultations in ID.

the latest episode of "the host response"

#idsky #meded #artofmedicine
New episode of The Host Response: 🎙️ Everyone's Favourite ID Consults

Not all of the best ID consults come with fireworks.

Some are quieter, complex, and deeply meaningful.

From recurrent UTIs to follow-ups after treatment, these moments truly matter.

#IDky #MedEd #InternalMedicine
Episode 17 - Everyone's Favourite ID Consults
Podcast Episode · The Host Response: A FirstcallID Podcast · 12/14/2025 · 8m
podcasts.apple.com
December 21, 2025 at 4:02 PM
an underappreciated ID skill: finding something useful to add on every consult, even when the value isn’t obvious.

a few examples can be found in this episode of the host response.

#idsky
New episode of The Host Response: 🎙️ Everyone's Favourite ID Consults

Not all of the best ID consults come with fireworks.

Some are quieter, complex, and deeply meaningful.

From recurrent UTIs to follow-ups after treatment, these moments truly matter.

#IDky #MedEd #InternalMedicine
Episode 17 - Everyone's Favourite ID Consults
Podcast Episode · The Host Response: A FirstcallID Podcast · 12/14/2025 · 8m
podcasts.apple.com
December 14, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Reposted by paul evan bunce, md
📖 Further reading 
Original Article by N. Daneman et al.: Antibiotic Treatment for 7 versus 14 Days in Patients with Bloodstream Infections nej.md/3Z5bTJD
December 13, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Reposted by paul evan bunce, md
Chagas disease: who is at risk?

CMAJ Volume 197, Issue 42, features new articles on chagas disease; surgical versus percutaneous revascularization, and more.
➡️ www.cmaj.ca/content/197/42
December 11, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Reposted by paul evan bunce, md
No new material from FirstCallID today.

Think of it as “CONSOLIDATION WEEK.” 📚

Catch up, rewatch, pretend you were here from the start (all acceptable choices).

🌐 firstcallid.ca

🎥 www.youtube.com/@FirstcallID

🎧 podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

#idsky #meded #imresidents #internalmedicine
FirstCallID – ID Teaching Videos & Podcast for Trainees
Case-based ID teaching videos and a short-format podcast for trainees. Created by Dr. Paul Bunce to support real-world clinical thinking.
firstcallid.ca
December 7, 2025 at 12:34 PM
just released - "Canadian guideline on HIV pre- and postexposure prophylaxis: 2025 update"

practical, patient-centred, evidence-based.

@cmaj.ca

#idsky
Canadian guideline on HIV pre- and postexposure prophylaxis: 2025 update
Background: New HIV infections occur annually in Canada, highlighting the need for pre- and postexposure prophylaxis (PrEP and PEP). Through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Pan-Canad...
www.cmaj.ca
December 1, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Reposted by paul evan bunce, md
A group of ID clinical researchers passionate about clinical research and evidence appraisal has just launched the CLARITY initiative (clarityinitiative.org), which aims to improve the generation and interpretation of evidence in ID and Microbiology.
Clarity Initiative
Clinical Literature Appraisal and Research education in InfecTious diseases
clarityinitiative.org
November 30, 2025 at 11:40 PM
now with 50% less paul bunce - the host response "bundle" is back with co-host brooke fraser.

#medpodcasts #infectiousdiseases
🎙️ The Host Response — Episode 16: The Bundle 2.0

Dr. Brooke Fraser returns for a review of what’s been catching our ID brains lately: teaching tools, papers that may shift practice, ideas from outside medicine, and pearls that show up in work.

For those in ID (or ID-adjacent) enjoy!

#idsky #meded
Episode 16 - The Bundle 2.0
Podcast Episode · The Host Response: A FirstcallID Podcast · 11/30/2025 · 21m
podcasts.apple.com
November 30, 2025 at 11:17 PM
on this (american) thanksgiving, i’m especially thankful for trainees and attendings who genuinely enjoy teaching about hyponatremia.

you are all angels. 😇
November 27, 2025 at 11:04 PM