Dr. Carl W. Norden, 82, expert on bone and joint infections
His mantra was simple: "Listen to the patient," he told physicians and fledgling practitioners. "The patient will tell you what is wrong."
Carl W. Norden, 82, of Philadelphia, a world-renowned expert on bone and joint infections who literally wrote the book on that subject, died of cancer Saturday, Aug. 26, at his home.
During a three-decade career, Dr. Norden's specialized in internal medicine and infectious diseases.
In 1968, he joined the faculty at Rochester University and in 1971 became chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Montefiore Hospital at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
In 1994, he became head of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Cooper Hospital in Camden, N.J., and a professor in the department of medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, part of Rutgers University. He retired from practice in 2000.
Dr. Norden was known for conducting pioneering studies in osteomyelitis, an infection of the bone which most often appears in the legs and arms of children, but typically in the spinal vertebrae of adults, said a 2015 online post by the Mayo Clinic.
His 1994 textbook Infections in Bones and Joints, written with William J. Gillespie and Sydney Nade, was the first compendium on all aspects of bone and joint infections, and continues to be the go-to reference for physicians.
"Doctors Norden, Gillespie, and Nade have written what may be the definitive treatise on bone and joint infections," the New England Journal of Medicine wrote in March 1995.
"I enjoyed reading this book. Because it was written by only three authors, it has an even style without the repetitions that characterize medical textbooks with large numbers of authors," wrote journal reviewer Dr. Gerald Medoff, of the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo.
Dr. Norden graduated with honor from Columbia College in 1956 and from Harvard Medical School in 1960. He served residencies at Case Western Reserve University and Hospitals in Cleveland, as well as at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
He worked for the U.S. Public Health Service and as a researcher with the Centers for Disease Control from 1962 to 1964.
A productive researcher and writer, he authored or co-authored 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals. Because of his reputation, he was tapped to serve on committees of various professional organizations across the country.
His family said in addition to being a skilled clinician, Dr. Norden had a caring and careful bedside manner. He spent countless hours mentoring upcoming medical students, hospital physicians, and fellows in internal medicine and infectious diseases.
After retiring, he continued to teach medical students at Drexel University and infectious disease fellows at Temple University, emphasizing the critical need for empathy and compassion along with clinical excellence, his family said.
His mantra was simple: "Listen to the patient," he told physicians and fledgling practitioners, his wife said. "The patient will tell you what is wrong."
He recently published his reflections on empathy in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Dr. Norden also served as a consultant to Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. When he became ill with cancer, one of the drugs he was given in the hospital was a compound he had helped to develop, his wife said.
Dr. Norden and his wife lived in Wynnewood for many years before moving to Center City in 2008.
Blessed with a beautiful baritone voice, he performed in Gilbert and Sullivan productions with the Savoy Company of Philadelphia and sang with the New Horizons Senior Glee Club based in Narberth.
He loved the symphony, ballet, and theater. He and his wife enjoyed travel. Their destinations included the Galapagos Islands, New Zealand, and Santa Barbara, Calif.
As Dr. Norden grew older, he grew more flexible, rather than less, his wife said. At one point, he tried acupuncture. He loved spending time with family, reading books, and was addicted to desserts, especially those made with chocolate.
Besides his wife, he is survived by sons Daniel and Samuel Norden; stepchildren Steve, Pam and Emily Galpern; and seven grandchildren.
Services were Monday, Aug. 28.
Memorial donations may be made to the Sydney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson University Hospitals to further the work of oncology researcher W. Kevin Kelly. The address is Jefferson Office of Institutional Advancement, 125 S. 9th St., Suite 600, Philadelphia, Pa. 19107, or via https://w3.jefferson.edu/giving.cfm.