Leslie Kernisan, M.D.

Caring.com senior medical editor

About

Leslie Kernisan is a senior medical editor at Caring.com and a practicing geriatrician at the Over 60 Health Center in Berkeley. She is also a clinical instructor in the University of California, San Francisco, Division of Geriatrics. She trained in internal medicine and geriatrics at UCSF and is a graduate of Princeton University and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She's also a member of the American Geriatrics Society.

Kernisan has a master's in public health from U.C. Berkeley and has completed postgraduate work in epidemiology, biostatistics, and healthcare quality improvement. Her research on a popular quality of care measure was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2009. She is now working on using the Internet to educate and support caregivers of elders.

Kernisan can be reached at drkernisan@caring.com.

Links

Recently Published on Caring.com

  1. Monday April 30, 2012

    1. Treatment of Melanoma Skin Cancer

      Article - Melanoma is the least common but most dangerous type of skin cancer. Learn what contributes to staging melanoma and determining the best treatment.

  2. Sunday April 29, 2012

    1. FAQ: What Kind of Follow-up Should I Have After Treatment for Skin Cancer?

      Answer - If you've been treated for skin cancer, you should have regular follow-up visits with your doctor to make sure that the cancer hasn't started to grow again at the same site. This follow-up, known as "surveillance," is especially important if the original tumor was a melanoma, which can be particularly dangerous if it recurs...

    2. FAQ: How Is Skin Cancer Staged?

      Answer - Most skin cancers that require staging are melanomas. Although melanoma is the least common type of skin cancer, it's by far the most likely type to spread, and it's the cause of most skin cancer deaths.

    3. Should I Be Screened for Skin Cancer?

      Answer - The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force doesn't currently recommend screening the general public for skin cancer. However, many experts recommend regular screening for skin cancer for those at "high risk," which usually includes the following people:

    4. Skin Cancer: What to Know About the Three Main Types

      Article - Skin cancer -- common in the U.S. -- comes in three main forms. Learn the three types of skin cancer and the risks associated with each.

    5. Treatment Options for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer

      Article - Most skin cancers are not melanoma. Learn what the common nonmelanoma skin cancers are and the pros and cons of different ways to treat them.

    6. Actinic Keratosis: 5 Things to Know About This Common Precancerous Skin Abnormality

      Article - Actinic keratosis is a common skin condition that can occasionally turn into skin cancer. Know what actinic keratosis looks like and how to treat it.

  3. Friday April 27, 2012

    1. 6 Signs You Should See a Doctor About Possible Skin Cancer

      Article - Wondering whether a suspicious spot on your skin is a sign of cancer? Here, the most common signs that a mole or spot is a marker of skin cancer.

    2. 4 Steps to a Skin Cancer Diagnosis

      Article - Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., affecting one in five Americans. Learn how a diagnosis of skin cancer is usually carried out.

  4. Wednesday March 28, 2012

    1. FAQ: Can Atrial Fibrillation (A-Fib) Be Treated With a Pacemaker?

      Answer - Yes, atrial fibrillation is sometimes treated with a pacemaker.

    2. FAQ: What Is Ablation?

      Answer - In cardiology, catheter ablation is a procedure used to treat certain kinds of arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms). To perform an ablation, physicians thread a special catheter through the blood vessels and into the heart. Doctors then use this catheter to apply radio-frequency energy to certain parts of the heart...

    3. FAQ: What Are the Signs of Major Bleeding Due to Blood Thinners?

      Answer - The signs of possible major bleeding due to a blood thinner such as warfarin, dabigatran, or rivaroxaban (brand names Coumadin, Pradaxa, and Xarelto) include these:

    4. FAQ: Should I Switch From Coumadin to Pradaxa?

      Answer - It depends. If you've been having difficulty managing your Coumadin (generic name warfarin) dosing, or if you and your doctor have been having trouble keeping your so-called INR (international normalized ratio, which is the blood test reading usually used to monitor and adjust Coumadin dosing) in the...

  5. Friday March 23, 2012

    1. Atrial Fibrillation (A-fib) and Anticoagulants: 4 Ways to Reduce Your Chance of Bleeding

      Article - Anticoagulants, or blood thinners, by definition raise the risk of serious bleeding. How to reduce bleeding risk while on anticoagulants.

  6. Thursday March 22, 2012

    1. Warfarin: 7 Ways to Keep Blood Levels in a Safe Range

      Article - Warfarin (Coumadin) is a common blood thinner that's hard to manage. Learn safe warfarin strategies and avoid complications from drug interactions.

    2. Atrial Fibrillation (A-fib) and Blood Thinners

      Article - Choosing the best blood thinner is an important step to take with your doctor. Here, common anticoagulants and what to know about them.

    3. 5 Signs Someone With Atrial Fibrillation (A-Fib) Should See a Doctor

      Article - Atrial fibrillation, or A-fib, is a common heart condition that requires monitoring. Know when A-fib symptoms mean you should contact a doctor.

    4. Atrial Fibrillation (A-fib): 5 Related Medical Problems

      Article - Atrial fibrillation, or A-fib, is a common heart arrhythmia. Learn the 5 medical problems that often contribute to A-fib, and how to test for them. 1 Comment

    5. Spotting Atrial Fibrillation (A-fib): Symptoms to Watch for and What to Do

      Article - Atrial fibrillation affects millions of Americans, but many don't know they have it. Here, symptoms of A-fib to watch for and how to respond to them.

  7. Monday February 27, 2012

    1. Atrial Fibrillation (A-fib): Rhythm Control or Rate Control?

      Article - A key decision in managing atrial fibrillation, also called A-fib, is whether to use rhythm control or rate control. Learn what each means, and the pros and cons.

  8. Wednesday February 08, 2012

    1. FAQ: How Is Atrial Fibrillation (A-Fib) Classified or Staged?

      Answer - Experts now classify atrial fibrillation, also called A-fib, into the following types:

    2. FAQ: What's Atrial Flutter, and How Is It Different From Atrial Fibrillation (A-Fib)?

      Answer - Atrial flutter is an arrhythmia in which the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) beat very quickly but regularly. This tends to cause a racing heartbeat, with symptoms like those of atrial fibrillation. The most common symptoms are shortness of breath, palpitations, and dizziness...

    3. FAQ: Can Atrial Fibrillation Be Treated With a Pacemaker?

      Answer - Yes, atrial fibrillation is sometimes treated with a pacemaker.

    4. FAQ: Is Atrial Fibrillation (A-Fib) Dangerous?

      Answer - Atrial fibrillation, also called A-fib, can cause potentially life-threatening health problems, including stroke and heart failure.

    5. FAQ: Can Atrial Fibrillation (A-Fib) Be Cured?

      Answer - In some cases it's possible to cure atrial fibrillation (also called A-fib) -- meaning that the heart's rhythm permanently stays out of atrial fibrillation -- by means of either radio-frequency ablation or heart surgery. This is usually only considered after the use of medications to manage A-fib has been unsuccessful...