Burns are low-volume, high-acuity injuries that require special attention and care from the pre-hospital team to the Emergency Department and finally to a dedicated burn unit and ICU. As a first responder in the pre-hospital setting, there are a couple things that need to remain at the forefront of your mind when dealing with burn…
Read MoreContributor: Don Stader, MD Educational Pearls: Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare cause of shock typically caused by Staph aureus or Strep pyogenes, that produces a toxin that leads to rapid onset hypotension with a diffuse erythematous rash. Signs of TSS may include rapid onset of altered mental status, dizziness, nausea, abdominal discomfort, hypotension,…
Read MoreContributor: Don Stader, MD Educational Pearls: Gout is an arthritis caused by the deposition of urate crystals into the joint space Colchicine works by disrupting microtubules and prevents white blood cells from getting into the joint space which stops the inflammatory response Colchicine has a high rate of adverse events, in particular explosive diarrhea The…
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Seeking Pleasure, Suffering Pain Chief Complaint: Abdominal Pain HPI: 21-year-old male presenting to the emergency department after placing a glass mason jar in his rectum 3 days ago, this was done for self-pleasure and experimentation. States that yesterday he tried having a bowel movement after taking stool softener and MiraLAX, reportedly resulted in a normal…
Read MoreContributor: Jared Scott, MD Educational Pearls: Suicide is currently the 10th leading cause of death in the US Low quality studies have reported ketamine as a potential promising agent in treating depression and preventing suicidal ideations or thoughts Randomized study was performed looking at giving ketamine to depressed patients in the ED to see if…
Read MoreContributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Hand raising test: a simple but effective tool to diagnose carpal tunnel Patients hold their hands over their head and if symptoms of carpal tunnel develop within 2 minutes, it is considered positive, meaning they likely have carpel tunnel Symptom included numbness and dull pain in the distribution of…
Read MoreMeet Adis Keric, Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist and a Board Certified Critical Care pharmacist who works in the Emergency Department and ICU of level 1 trauma center Regions Hospital in Saint Paul, MN. Adis is the founder and host of a new FOAMed podcast, ER-Rx. He started the podcast to inform clinicians in the ED…
Read MoreContributor: Michael Hunt, MD Educational Pearls: Contrast agents are commonly used for X-rays and CT’s to better characterize disease, but contrast doesn’t work with MRI. That’s where the element Gadolinium comes into play. Gadolinium, element 64, is ferromagnetic (attracted to iron) below 68 degrees and above that temperature it’s paramagnetic which makes it useful in…
Read MoreContributor: Don Stader, MD Educational Pearls: Altered mental status/confusion are major symptoms associated with both alcohol use and withdrawal. Wernicke’s encephalopathy is a triad of symptoms of confusion, internuclear ophthalmoplegia, and confabulation The treatment for Wernicke’s is IV thiamine or vitamin B1 Untreated Wernicke’s leads to Korsakoff’s syndrome where a prolonged thiamine deficiency leads to…
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Meet Michelle Whaley, Clinical Nurse Specialist and Stroke Program Coordinator at Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree, Colorado. Jordan and Michelle discuss advances in Artificial Intelligence technology in an app that uses algorithms to analyze CT Angiograms to alert physicians of patients with images concerning for Large Vessel Occlusions (LVOs). Listen as they discuss…
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