October, 2024

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The Role Of Postop CT Scan In Penetrating Trauma

The Trauma Pro

CT scans are commonly used to aid the workup of patients with blunt trauma. They are occasionally useful in penetrating trauma, specifically when penetration into a body cavity is uncertain, and the patient has no hard signs that would send him or her immediately to the operating room. Is there any role for CT in operative penetrating trauma, after the patient has already been to the OR?

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ECG Blog #451 — Premature Closure.

Ken Grauer, MD

I was sent the ECG shown in Figure-1 — told only that the patient was a middle-aged man with septicemia. QUESTIONS: Is this rhythm too fast to be sinus tachycardia? Are flutter waves hidden within the QRS and T waves? Are we seeing the retrograde P waves of AVNRT? Is this ATach ( A trial T achycardia )? Figure-1: The initial ECG in today's case. MY Thoughts on Today’s CASE: In my opinion — none of the above answers are optimal to describe the rhythm in Figure-1.

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Lifestyle, Statins, or Both?

Sensible Medicine

The study of the week will take a short break. I head to Curitiba Brazil tomorrow for the Brazilian EP society meeting. I have five lectures. I will be back next week. And there will be plenty of studies to choose from because we are entering the fall season of medical meetings. This week, Sensible Medicine features a guest column from Zachary R. Caverley, a Cardiology Physician Assistant working in the Northwest coast of Oregon.

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Delirium revisited

EM Ottawa

Delirium is a medical emergency. It is characterized by acute disturbance of consciousness, with changes in perceptual disturbances and fluctuation of symptoms. Delirium is often the initial manifestation of an underlying acute illness and can be present before fever, tachypnea, tachycardia, or hypoxia. There is an ED prevalence ranging from 7-24%, with increased mortality rates […] The post Delirium revisited appeared first on EMOttawa Blog.

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Bridging Innovation & Patient Care: The Growing Role of AI

Speaker: Simran Kaur, Co-founder & CEO at Tattva.Health

AI is transforming clinical trials—accelerating drug discovery, optimizing patient recruitment, and improving data analysis. But its impact goes far beyond research. As AI-driven innovation reshapes the clinical trial process, it’s also influencing broader healthcare trends, from personalized medicine to patient outcomes. Join this new webinar featuring Simran Kaur for an insightful discussion on what all of this means for the future of healthcare!

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The PECARN c-spine rule could cause a lot of harm

First 10 EM

As with everything that comes out of the PECARN group, this is a huge study, and is therefore one that everyone needs to know about. That being said, despite working in two very busy community hospitals with a high percentage of pediatrics visits, c-spine injuries are just not an issue I struggle with. I have […] The post The PECARN c-spine rule could cause a lot of harm appeared first on First10EM.

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Training Healthcare Personnel to Better Serve Seniors and Disabled Patients

American Medical Compliance

A survey reveals that falls are the most frequent health issue affecting seniors in long-term care facilities. Interestingly, while 90% of caregivers feel confident in implementing fall prevention measures, only 60% have adequate knowledge to do so effectively. As the aging population grows, so does the demand for specialized healthcare tailored to the unique needs of seniors and individuals with disabilities, posing new challenges and responsibilities for healthcare providers.

More Trending

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ECG Blog #452 — Is this Wide QRS Rhythm VT?

Ken Grauer, MD

The patient whose ECG is shown in Figure-1 — presented with acute dyspnea and hypotension. QUESTION: In Figure-1 — Is the rhythm VT? — How certain are you of your answer? Figure-1: The initial ECG in today's case. ( To improve visualization — I've digitized the original ECG using PMcardio ). == MY Thoughts on the ECG in Figure-1: Although at first glance, the ECG in Figure-1 appears to be wide — this is a false initial impression!

EKG/ECG 282
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Diagnostics and Therapeutics: Pneumomediastinum

Taming the SRU

Pneumomediastinum is defined as the presence of air in the mediastinum after rupture of air-filled structures such as the esophagus or trachea, or small parts of the lung such as alveoli. This can occur spontaneously or after trauma. Pneumomediastinum is often benign and self limited. However, in more serious cases it can require close monitoring and sometimes surgical intervention.

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Ocular POCUS and ICP elevation

Mount Sinai EM

The Case: A woman in her twenties with no significant medical history presents with one month of progressive frontal headaches radiating to her occiput. Her headaches have been intermittent, however over the past few days she has had a few episodes of vomiting and brief episodes of blurred vision. Her headache is 8/10 currently. Last emesis and blurred vision were both 12 hours prior.

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August 2024 Round-Up – Goldilocks Moments, Nasal Analgesia, and Public Health in the ED

St. Emlyn

St.Emlyn's - Emergency Medicine #FOAMed All the best from the blog from August 2024, in our easy to digest podcast. The post August 2024 Round-Up – Goldilocks Moments, Nasal Analgesia, and Public Health in the ED appeared first on St.Emlyn's.

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Empathy’s Role in Managing Aggression in Assisted Living 

American Medical Compliance

Assisted living facilities are a lifeline for elderly and vulnerable individuals who need care and support in a safe, nurturing environment. Yet, even in these compassionate settings, caregivers often face the challenge of managing aggressive behaviors among residents. Imagine the case of Mrs. Stevens, a once gentle and kind woman who, after the onset of dementia, began exhibiting sudden outbursts of anger.

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Tranq dope (fentanyl-xylazine combination): A new horizon in opioid withdrawal treatment

ALiEM

‘Dope’ is no longer heroin in an increasing number of our communities. The biggest change has been the gradual replacement of diacetylmorphine (heroin) by fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Due in large part to the proliferation of anonymous chemical factories able to produce industrial volumes of inexpensive synthetic opioids without opium or other controlled precursors, fentanyl spilled into the United States, Canada, and Europe, heroin soon fell to market forces [1, 2].

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Putting Clinical Gestalt to Work in the Emergency Department

ACEP Now

On a busy day shift in the emergency department, our seasoned triage nurse comes to me after I finish caring for a hallway patient, “Hey, can you come see this guy in the triage room? His vitals are fine…”. Seemingly unsure, she pauses, “I’m getting an interpreter, and I think he has belly pain, but something just doesn’t seem right.” Coming into triage, I see a young man—Georgian-speaking—bracing himself with a hand against the wall and holding his lower abdomen.

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A New Tool to Help Screen for Sepsis in Kids?

Taming the SRU

Georgette N, Michelson K, Monuteaux M, Eisenberg MA. Development of a New Screening Tool for Pediatric Septic Shock. Ann Emerg Med 2024; Big Picture Current screening tools for pediatric septic shock and sepsis are highly specific but lack sensitivity. This study substituted age adjusted vital sign measures and a pediatric shock index into currently existing pediatric sepsis scoring systems to create the qPS4.When utilizing a cut off of ≧ 2 points, the qPS4 was highly sensitive and specific, and

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Video versus Direct Laryngoscopy for Urgent Intubation of Newborn Infants

EM Ottawa

Methodology: 4/5 Usefulness: 4/5 Geraghty LE, et al. N Engl J Med. 2024 May 30;390(20):1885-1894. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2402785. Question and Methods: Study aimed to determine if video laryngoscopy improves first-attempt intubation success in neonates compared to direct laryngoscopy through a randomized controlled trial. Findings: 74% first pass success with video laryngoscopy and 45% with direct laryngoscopy […] The post Video versus Direct Laryngoscopy for Urgent Intubation of Newborn Infa

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Nonsurgical Admissions And The Nelson Score

The Trauma Pro

All trauma centers admit some of their patients to nonsurgical services. This usually occurs when patients have medical comorbidities that overshadow their injuries. Unfortunately, the decision-making that goes into balancing the medical versus trauma issues is not always straightforward. The fear is that if trauma patients are inappropriately placed on a nonsurgical service, mortality and morbidity may be higher because their injuries may not receive adequate attention.

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How to Conduct Effective Compliance Audits 

American Medical Compliance

Compliance isn’t just a box to check—it’s a vital responsibility that safeguards patient well-being and protects organizations from significant financial losses. Shockingly, over $54 billion is stolen each year through scams targeting patients and insurance companies with fraudulent medical charges, according to the NHCAA. This staggering figure highlights the importance of staying vigilant.

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SAEM Clinical Images Series: Wilma, Take a Look at This!

ALiEM

A 2-year, 11-month-old female with a history of constipation was brought to the ED by her mother for abdominal pain. The mother noticed that the patient’s abdomen had been enlarging for months. When they visited the pediatrician several months ago, the pediatrician also noticed a mildly enlarged abdomen but the patient was asymptomatic at that time.

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Would you advise your son or daughter to go medical school?

Sensible Medicine

In a world where doctors are increasingly treated like cogs in a machine, the question arises: Would you recommend your son or daughter pursue the field? Recently, I saw this poll: I said ‘unsure’, but that is just a fragment of what I think. Here is my answer (leave yours in the comments). My answer is: it depends on who is asking. I would strongly encourage you to pursue medicine if… Your primary goal in a career is using your talents to improve the well being of others.

Wellness 144
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Chemical Burns

Mind The Bleep

Chemical burns are a unique subset of burns that require specialised management due to the nature of the substances involved. Proper initial management is critical to prevent further tissue damage and systemic complications. The majority of acid burns cause coagulative necrosis and cytotoxicity leading to skin and mucosal changes that limit deeper injury.

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The green revolution in operating rooms: reducing water use

Emergency Live

Changing the way surgeons prepare for surgery can reduce water consumption in hospitals A recent study by the Campus Bio-Medico in Rome has revealed an astonishing truth: changing the way surgeons prepare for surgery can drastically reduce water consumption in hospitals. The study For two years, researchers have closely monitored water consumption during thousands of […] The post The green revolution in operating rooms: reducing water use appeared first on Emergency Live.

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Is there a Precedence for Precedex in the ED?

EM Ottawa

Precedex (dexmedetomidine) is an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist increasingly used in critical care environments for sedation and anxiolysis. It offers a unique profile of sedation without respiratory depression, making it an attractive option in various clinical scenarios. Historically, it has been used more frequently in the ICU than in Emergency Departments, likely due to provider comfort. […] The post Is there a Precedence for Precedex in the ED?

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Uber / Lyft For Medical Transport???

The Trauma Pro

In this day and age of ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft, it is possible to get a cheap ride virtually anywhere there is car service and a smartphone. And, of course, some people have used these services for transportation to the hospital instead of an ambulance ride. What might the impact of ride services on patient transport be for both patient and EMS?

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A 30-something with acute chest pain

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

This was sent to me from Sam Ghali ( @EM_Resus ) with no other information. I assumed it was a patient with acute chest pain. "What do you think, Steve? Real or just fake?" What do YOU think? It has some inferior ST elevation with some reciprocal ST depression and inverted T in aVL. This usually indicates inferior OMI. My answer: "Fake: pretty certain, but not 100% certain.

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Masking Mistakes – Fall 2024 Edition

Sensible Medicine

It is my pleasure to introduce this article by Joseph Marine, MD in response to mandatory masking policies in a number of California hospitals. There is simply no randomized evidence to support these policies, and they make little sense in 2024. I worry about the mental abilities of the public health officers who instituted these policies, and that their actions will further erode trust in public health.

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Podcast – Simulation for Elite Team Performance with Andrew Petrosoniak at Tactical Trauma 2024

St. Emlyn

St.Emlyn's - Emergency Medicine #FOAMed This post accompanies the podcast “Simulation for Elite Team Performance,” which was recorded live at the Tactical Trauma 2024 conference in Sundsvall, Sweden. We are grateful to the organizing team […] The post Podcast – Simulation for Elite Team Performance with Andrew Petrosoniak at Tactical Trauma 2024 appeared first on St.Emlyn's.

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Smartphone: a new alarm bell for the heart?

Emergency Live

People who spend long hours on their cell phones are more likely to develop heart problems, according to a study In the digital age, our smartphone has become an extension of ourselves, an inseparable companion that accompanies us at every moment of the day. But this intimate relationship could hide risks for our health, especially […] The post Smartphone: a new alarm bell for the heart?

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EMCrit 385 – Eye Trauma I – Retrobulbar Hematoma, Orbital Compartment Syndrome, and Paracanthal Decompressions

EMCrit

When you need to temporize orbital compartment syndrome, there is markedly easier way than Lateral Cantholysis EMCrit Project by Scott Weingart, MD FCCM.

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ECG Cases 51 – ECGs falsely labeled “normal”

Emergency Medicine Cases

In this ECG Cases blog we look at 5 cases of ECGs falsely labeled 'normal'. Can you spot the critical abnormality? Written by Jesse McLaren; Peer Reviewed and edited by Anton Helman. October 2024 Five patients presented with ECGs labeled ‘normal’. Can you use systematic ECG interpretation to identify the [.] The post ECG Cases 51 – ECGs falsely labeled “normal” appeared first on Emergency Medicine Cases.

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How terrible can it be to fail to recognize OMI? To whom is OMI Obvious or Not Obvious?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

This was sent to me by a reader who wishes to remain anonymous. A lady in her 60s came to the ER with chest discomfort and shortness of breath. She had a history of previous anterior MI treated by primary PCI to the proximal LAD. The first EKG is from 2:30 PM on the day of presentation to the ER. Smith : To me this is a blatantly obvious acute anterior OMI.

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Letters of Recommendation Should Not Be a Component in Residency Selection

Sensible Medicine

This post continues yesterday’s. If you have not read Part I, I suggest you read it first. Adam Cifu Sensible Medicine is a reader-supported publication. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. There was a time when, right or wrong, there was a consensus within medicine regarding what kind of person would make a good doctor. It was believed that being a doctor meant you had to remember a great number of obscure things, and so we designed tests that heavily weighted memorization

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RCEM ASC 2024.

St. Emlyn

St.Emlyn's - Emergency Medicine #FOAMed Day one report of the Annual Scientific Conference of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine #RCEMASC #FOAMed @stemlyns The post RCEM ASC 2024. appeared first on St.Emlyn's.

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Schiena a rischio: una nuova epidemia

Emergency Live

By 2050, back pain could outnumber Alzheimer’s as the leading cause of disability globally Back pain, a nuisance that accompanies many of us in our daily lives, is taking on ever more alarming proportions. According to recent scientific studies, by 2050 it could outnumber Alzheimer’s as the leading cause of disability globally. This should make […] The post Schiena a rischio: una nuova epidemia appeared first on Emergency Live.

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Toxicology: the excuses must stop

First 10 EM

I love toxicologists, but it’s time for someone to call them out. (I also love ranting. Let’s see if I can get myself cancelled by a group of physicians that are definitely smarter than me.) I am sick of the anti-science rhetoric. Every time a toxicologist takes the stage at a conference, or grabs the […] The post Toxicology: the excuses must stop appeared first on First10EM.

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Test characteristics of point-of-care ultrasonography in patients with acute kidney injury.

EM Ottawa

Methodology: 2.5/5 Usefulness: 3.5/5d Gaudreau-Simard M, et al. Ultrasound J. 2024 Feb 22;16(1):15. doi: 10.1186/s13089-023-00352-3. Question and Methods: The authors aimed to determine the test characteristics of point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) for detecting hydronephrosis in acute kidney injury. Findings: From 65 patients, POCUS had a sensitivity of 85% (95% CI 71-94%), specificity of 78% (95% CI […] The post Test characteristics of point-of-care ultrasonography in patients with ac

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Cath Lab occupied. Which patient should go now (or does only one need it? Or neither?)

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

This was sent to me by an undergraduate name Hans Helseth, who is an EKG tech, but who is an expert OMI ECG reader. He wrote most of it and I (Smith) edited. A prehospital “STEMI” activation was called on a 75 year old male ( Patient 1 ) with a history of hyperlipidemia and LAD and Cx OMI with stent placement. He arrived to the ED by helicopter at 1507, about three hours after the start of his chest pain while chopping wood around noon.

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