The Nocturnists
Season
9
Episode
4
|
May 7, 2026
Rounds at The Zoo with Chris Carroll, MD
Pediatric intensivist Dr. Chris Carroll tells the story of an unexpected consult: a young gorilla named Kevin, critically ill with Shigella sepsis during an outbreak at the Jacksonville Zoo. What begins as a strange crossover between human and veterinary medicine becomes something deeper as Chris works alongside veterinarians trying to save Kevin’s life. In the process, he is struck not only by the similarities between caring for sick children and sick animals, but by the reverence and tenderness the veterinary team brings to their work. We talk about pediatric ICU medicine, the human-animal boundary, grief across species, and what doctors might learn from veterinarians about compassion.
0:00/1:34
The Nocturnists
Season
9
Episode
4
|
5/7/26
Rounds at The Zoo with Chris Carroll, MD
Pediatric intensivist Dr. Chris Carroll tells the story of an unexpected consult: a young gorilla named Kevin, critically ill with Shigella sepsis during an outbreak at the Jacksonville Zoo. What begins as a strange crossover between human and veterinary medicine becomes something deeper as Chris works alongside veterinarians trying to save Kevin’s life. In the process, he is struck not only by the similarities between caring for sick children and sick animals, but by the reverence and tenderness the veterinary team brings to their work. We talk about pediatric ICU medicine, the human-animal boundary, grief across species, and what doctors might learn from veterinarians about compassion.
0:00/1:34
About Our Guest
Dr. Chris Carroll is a physician, educator, and clinical investigator with more than two decades of experience advancing the care of critically ill children. He has published more than 300 academic abstracts, papers and book chapters and has served on international consensus panels that established clinical guidelines for pediatric sepsis, pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome, and pediatric asthma. Dr. Carroll has held numerous leadership roles in organized medicine, most recently as Deputy Editor for Multimedia for the journal CHEST and College Regent-at-Large for the American College of Chest Physicians. He lives in Jacksonville, FL with his wife, Kate, and whichever pets his adult children have not yet claimed as their own.
About The Show
The Nocturnists is an award-winning medical storytelling podcast, hosted by physician Emily Silverman. We feature personal stories from frontline clinicians, conversations with healthcare-related authors, and art-makers. Our mission is to humanize healthcare and foster joy, wonder, and curiosity among clinicians and patients alike.
resources
Credits
About Our Guest
Dr. Chris Carroll is a physician, educator, and clinical investigator with more than two decades of experience advancing the care of critically ill children. He has published more than 300 academic abstracts, papers and book chapters and has served on international consensus panels that established clinical guidelines for pediatric sepsis, pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome, and pediatric asthma. Dr. Carroll has held numerous leadership roles in organized medicine, most recently as Deputy Editor for Multimedia for the journal CHEST and College Regent-at-Large for the American College of Chest Physicians. He lives in Jacksonville, FL with his wife, Kate, and whichever pets his adult children have not yet claimed as their own.
About The Show
The Nocturnists is an award-winning medical storytelling podcast, hosted by physician Emily Silverman. We feature personal stories from frontline clinicians, conversations with healthcare-related authors, and art-makers. Our mission is to humanize healthcare and foster joy, wonder, and curiosity among clinicians and patients alike.
resources
Credits
Transcript
Note: The Nocturnists is an audio-first experience with emotion and sound design that can be difficult to fully capture in text. Transcripts are provided to support accessibility and reference, but may contain minor inaccuracies. If quoting in print, please consult the audio when possible.
Transcript coming soon!
Transcript
Note: The Nocturnists is an audio-first experience with emotion and sound design that can be difficult to fully capture in text. Transcripts are provided to support accessibility and reference, but may contain minor inaccuracies. If quoting in print, please consult the audio when possible.
Transcript coming soon!
0:00/1:34
Humanizing healthcare through storytelling.
podcast
Humanizing healthcare through storytelling.
podcast