HeyJaredThe Host Response: A FirstcallID Podcast
The Host Response is a clinically focused, practical podcast exploring Infectious Diseases and critical topics in medical practice.
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 6
- Latest publication
- Sep 20, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 12, 2026
Latest episodes
Episode 37 - Confessions of a Swabber (opens the original)
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Are superficial wound swabs really useless? In this episode of The Host Response , Dr. Paul Bunce challenges the conventional wisdom around superficial wound cultures and explains when a swab from purulent drainage might actually provide a useful clinical clue. The key is knowing when to ignore the junk that grows, and when a culture might help guide therapy in a patient who isn't improving.
Episode 36 - Beyond STI Testing: Why the Sexual History Matters in Infectious Diseases (opens the original)
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A sexual history is about much more than deciding which STI tests to order. In this episode of The Host Response , Dr. Paul Bunce explores why taking a thoughtful, nonjudgmental sexual history remains an important part of infectious diseases care. Beyond guiding testing, these conversations can uncover opportunities for prevention and open the door to discussions about relationships, consent, substance use, stigma, and personal safety. The goal isn't to catalogue someone's private life. It's to
Episode 35 - The Clinical Window of Opportunity (opens the original)
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Sometimes the hardest part of medicine isn’t knowing what to do, it’s recognizing when you need to do it now. In this episode, Paul Bunce explores the clinical “window of opportunity”: that period when the diagnosis is still uncertain, but the opportunity to make a meaningful difference is beginning to close. Small delays in investigations, procedures, consultations, or treatment can accumulate, particularly in patients who are deteriorating. When does waiting for more information become more da
Episode 34 - Not It: When Every Consultant Agrees It’s Not Their Disease (opens the original)
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What happens when a patient is clearly sick, but every specialist says, “It's not my disease”? In this episode of The Host Response, Dr. Paul Bunce explores diagnostic uncertainty, specialist “not me” opinions, and the danger of becoming too certain when a patient doesn’t fit a familiar pattern. How do we distinguish “unlikely” from “impossible”? How do we communicate uncertainty to patients hearing conflicting opinions? And when should we keep looking after our specialty has supposedly been rul
Episode 33 - Fever Is Not the Disease: An ID Physician's Perspective (opens the original)
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What is fever, exactly? In this episode of The Host Response , Dr. Paul Bunce explores one of the most common (and often misunderstood) clinical findings in medicine. What distinguishes fever from hyperthermia? Is "feeling feverish" the same as having a fever? Why do fevers come and go? And why is fever best understood as a host response rather than a diagnosis? Through practical clinical examples, this episode examines how Infectious Diseases physicians interpret fever, why context matters more
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