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I am residency trained in Emergency Medicine, and completed that program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 1999. I received my board certification in Emergency Medicine from the American Board of Emergency Medicine in 2001. I was in clinical practice until 2008, and currently am Chief Medical Officer of Medpix LLC, a company devoted to digital medical image analysis and remote transmission. I still live in Jackson, MS. One of my four children followed a pathway in healthcare, receiving her MPH and currently working as a health policy analyst in Jackson. For those of you who know me, the other three children have scattered across the world, giving my husband and I the opportunity to travel a good bit. My current hobby is computer programming, beginner, working with Python. I go to Grand Rounds frequently in Emergency Medicine, as well as resident lectures, and they are more fun the second time around. I think it's because I get more sleep in general.
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Emergency Medicine
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
67 Answers
6 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
You could be pregnan: It is not unusual to have light menstrual bleeding in the first month of pregnancy.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old male asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
An oral antibiotic.: Since acne is caused by bacteria, topical and oral antibiotics can be used to treat it. Sometimes oral antibiotics like tetracycline and Doxycycline a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
See your doc.: Sounds like a sexually transmitted disease. Must be examined, with samples of any discharge to be analyzed and cultured so you can be properly treated... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Rectal temp: Your temperature reading sounds inaccurate. If you use a good thermometer and take a rectal temperature, and if it is still low, go to the er immediat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Yes: Go to the er and get tested. There are a lot of other things it could be (gout, sprain, infection), but you certainly need to rule out anything life t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Mittleschmerz: Sometimes people experience ovarian pain mid cycle as egg is released. Depends upon point of cycle during which pain occurs. You an have pain at time ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Vesicles?: Little pimples, painful with pus, possibly herpes. Get it checked anyway, there are a variety of different causes of genital lesions, some which, if u... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Possibly.: Take a pregnancy test. It is not unusual for pregnant women to have a light bleeding during early pregnancy.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Yes.: If a bacteria is the cause of a kidney abcess and cannot be treated adequately by antibiotics, then surgical debridement will be necessary.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
It could be.: However, headaches can be harbingers of more serious conditions, such as hypertension, intracranial bleeding, tumors, etc, if they are new onset and r... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Most definitely.: I hope your doctor told you how serious this is, and how important early treatment be instituted.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
No.: Bacterial vaginosis is caused by an imbalance of the good and bad bacteria in the vagina. Something as upset the balance. You can get bacterial vagino... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Try changing soap: Or deodorant. Wash with mild soap and water, dry thoroughly. Avoid clothing that binds. If you see pus or have pain, consider infection and see your d... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Is it serious?: As an emergency physician, we take complaints of abdominal pain seriously. Are you pregnant?I severe pain to doctor. However, you sound as though you ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
See your doctor.: There are multiple causes of abdominal pain, and there is no way to answer your question without a complete examination and more detailed history. Is ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 50-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Ten to fourteen days: The usual course of treatment is ten to fourteen days for a wound infection, and you should expect to see improvement within 3 days. If you continue t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Comfort: A fever is the body's response to infection and is perfectly normal. You may be more comfortable if you take an anti-pyretic (tylenol), especially if ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Multiple potential: Causes of infertility can be due to either the male or female partner - you need to see a specialist with your partner and systematically rule out pot... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old male asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Sleep hygiene: You describe your thoughts as racing - is this only at night? Are you under stress or is this your norm? Start by changing your habits- no tv in the b... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Bariatric surgery: At your weight, it is admirable that you were able to lose 105 lbs. To lose weight, you have to expend more calories than you take in. With such a la... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
No short answer.: If you scars are indeed acne, you should let the scabs heal and see a dermatologist for treatment. The swelling will subside naturally, but sometimes ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old male asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Musculoskeletal: Because the pain was aggravated by movement, it is likely to be musculoskeletal, and since it disappeared after 10-15 minutes, i wouldn't worry about ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old male asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Gallbladder or liver: If your stools are indeed yellow, possible causes are gallbladder disease. Fatty yellow stools are a characteristic of a parasitic infection which is ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Yes: In moderation - don't bathe in it. Anything you apply topically can penetrate your skin and may be active systemically. Steroids are a good example of... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Yes: Any discharge should be seen and examined by a professional health care provider. Microscopic examination of the discharge is done, and cultures are g... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
See your doctor: The treatment options for occluded vertebral arteries are not as well defined as those for carotid artery stenosis. That said, there is a possibility ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Retained tampon??: Sometimes women forget to remove a tampon (it happens surprisingly frequently) and this can cause a brown discharge. Check that out or go for an exam ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Spontaneous abortion: Otherwise known as miscarriage, if you did not have a normal period as expected within fourteen days of ovulation, it is likely you were pregnant and ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Yes: Is always advisable to have a physician inspect any lesion that is unusual, to decide if a culture or biopsy of the lesion is necessary.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 53-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Complete examination: You should undergo a thorough examination, as your age and sex, coupled with your symptoms, might point to a serious condition. Under no circumstance ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Pain, dark stools: Pain in the area below the notch where the ribs end is often associated with gastric ulcers. This pain can be referred to the shoulder. If the ulcer i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Dietary changes: Certain foods cause bad odors when passing gas. Eating a diet heavy in red meat is one example. Try cutting out one food at a time from your normal di... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 53-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Get a chest X-ray: If it is not related to musculoskeletal pain, which the lack of reproducibility with movement suggests, i would be worried about a process in the lung... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Processed food - meh: Doubtful if fresh cut. Processed food is all about additives and salt. Both potatoes and sweets have nutrients. Balanced diet is key. Don't make a hab... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Spots or pimples?: Not clear, but if you picked at a pimple, put some triple antibiotic ointment on it if red and angry. Otherwise, just let the hopefully superficial sc... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Depends on size: You should have this monitored regularly and at a certain point your doctor will recommend surgery, if aneurysm continues to grow. Take his advice. I... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old male asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Bland: The "brat" diet - advance cautiously from clears to bananas, rice, applesauce and toast.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Ovulatory cycle.: Your ovulatory cycle may be prolonged due to the release of hormones particular to your estrogen/progesterone feedback loop. 28 days is the median len... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old male asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Rest the foot. : It sounds as though you are not allowing the foot to heal completely - it is probably still inflamed (not infected necessarily if it doesn't hurt, hav... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Personality disorder: I think you may be referring to a personality disorder, which is a psychological term for maladaptive ways to deal with insecurities and fears, etc., ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Get an exam.: 6 days is significant, and you should get checked out to see what is going on. Have you had an ultrasound to ensure your pregnancy is intrauterine? In... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Inflammation: Nephritis refers to inflammation of the kidney, and can be acute or chronic. It has a variety of causes. Nephrosis is a degenerative disease, usually ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Both: Release of histamine a causes hives in response to either contact or ingested substance.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Fat around the belly: Is not caused by fibroids, if you are referring to "pinching an inch" or a roll of flesh hanging over your waistline. However, large fibroids in a thi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 25-year-old male asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Tylenol, (acetaminophen)fluid,salt: Tylenol (acetaminophen) is safe in pregnancy. You didn't mention where she is in pregnancy. Low blood pressure is more prevalent during the first trim... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Infection or stone: See your doc. Infection likely if fever, stones are excruciatingly painful.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Micro infection, dry: Sometimes dryness causes cracking at corners of mouth, and they become infected with fungal organisms. An anti fungal, topical, can often clear this u... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
In a week.: Or you might go to the er and get a quantitative beta hcg, which might indicate a low level of the hormone present during pregnancy, possibly indicati... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 26-year-old female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
See your doctor.: Your headache could be caused by sinus pain, vascular (migraine) pain, or a serious condition of the nerve called temporal arteritis, which could affe... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Karen Shackelfordanswered
Emergency Medicine 28 years experience
Prenatal care?: You should have an obstetrician and be receiving regular prenatal examinations. If you are doing this, then you should call your obstetrician and aler... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
2
Recommendations
210
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Shackelford is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Shackelford is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
This made me feel good. Thanks! Noticed yellow-tinted bruise around my left wrist, which is painful when pressed upon. But don't recall hitting anything! Two weeks ago had bloodwork.
HealthTap member
I have savere cramps on my left every month and ive been to the er and they gave me pills please help me i have no insurance pleaasehelpme:(
HealthTap member
Thank you your answer is the best I have received I have also been carrying out RICE when not up and about. guess ill be taking it easy.
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
University of Mississippi School of Medicine, MS
Graduated 1995MD
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