Ranitidine-Induced Hepatitis in a Young Man with Myalgia and Insomnia: Narratives in Conversational Learning Experience

Introduction

With the advent of new technologies, the education has undergone tremendous change in general, higher and professional education in particular. This is the era of science and technology and information is just a click away. Since the inception, the Internet revolutionized the fields it touched and medicine has not been an exception. It is used as a medium to share knowledge and information worldwide. Currently we can see the usage of technology from the diagnostics to the digitization of patients’ records in electronic health record (EHR) systems which facilitate easy access from remote areas as well as providing flexibility in updating them. Increase in internet penetration and technological advancement have equipped medical students and professionals both to share, access and apply the knowledge across the globe (Srivastava KT et al., 2014).

The present paper attempts to highlight the cross-learning experience between the medical professionals, students and caregivers in an asynchronous, online platform based on real life clinical encounters with patients with complex clinical problems.

The case that is presented here is an interesting case of drug-induced hepatitis, where the patient himself is technology savvy; he discontinued the medicine when he had a doubt about its side effects. He looked for the information about the drug online and voluntarily went to a hospital for further work up and investigations to confirm the diagnosis and find a way to treat his predicament. The necessary tests were done and it was indeed established that he was suffering from drug-induced hepatitis.

The section below follows the online discussion that took place on a secret Facebook group called “Tabula Rasa”. Tabula rasa, a Latin phrase, means blank slate. It underlines the notion of a student’s mind which is open for new knowledge and learning (Biswas et al., 2011).