Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Mechanical CPR (machine assisted compression devices) remains a hot topic of debate in emergency medicine Machine assisted CPR has been advocated to provide more consistent compressions in cardiac arrest and free up staff for other tasks. However, multiple studies have shown mechanical CPR provides no significant survival benefit yet…
Read MoreContributor: Jared Scott, MD Educational Pearls: Cholera has been responsible for 6 previous global pandemics and currently the world is in the seventh pandemic of cholera, ongoing since 1961. Cholera originated in the Ganges Delta of India and spread worldwide but largely is unseen in the US and other developed countries due to water sanitation…
Read MoreContributor: Nick Hatch, MD Educational Pearls: A cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy occurs when the pregnancy implants along the scar tissue deep in the myometrium from a prior cesarean surgery, felt to be precipitated by a small fissure or fistula residual in the scar Diagnosis can be challenging and ultrasound may not clearly show this type…
Read MoreContributor: Nick Tsipis, MD Educational Pearls: Recent randomized controlled trial compared early intervention (PCI/CABG) to medical management for those diagnosed with moderate to severe cardiac ischemia on stress testing Primary outcome was a composite of death from cardiovascular causes, myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for unstable angina, heart failure, or resuscitated cardiac arrest Secondary outcome was…
Read MoreContributor: Nick Hatch, MD Educational Pearls: An AC (acromioclavicular joint) separation in the shoulder is a common traumatic injury XRs can help rule out other injuries as well as help with grading the injury There are six different grades for AC separations: Grade I: is stretching of the AC ligament without disruption or displacement of…
Read More*(A shorter and more clinically focused follow up piece to our COVID Digest released on 5/1/20) Contributor: Nick Tsipis, MD Educational Pearls: Case series reported 5 cases of generally young and healthy patients with COVID-19 who presented to the ER with acute stroke Now several case series showing cardiovascular involvement or complications related to COVID-19…
Read MoreContributor: Don Stader, MD Educational Pearls: Buprenorphine has been shown to decrease morbidity and mortality in opioid use disorder Buprenorphine used in naloxone-induced withdrawals can displace naloxone at opioid receptors, leading to reduced withdrawal symptoms and lessen the chance of using after discharge Patients in acute withdrawal due to naloxone after an overdose should be…
Read MoreContributor: Don Stader, MD Educational Pearls: COVID-19 commonly appears as a bilateral patchy infiltrate on chest radiograph, but this is a non-specific finding Sensitivities range from 17-70% for COVID-19 Many other viral pneumonias such as RSV and influenza can have similar findings Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) demonstrates B-lines, water-fall sign, or hepatization of the lung, but…
Read MoreContributor: Don Stader, MD Educational Pearls: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a catch all term for when lung injury leads to fluid collection in the air spaces of the lungs Ventilatory management in ARDS patients involves lower FiO2 and PEEP than other patients and relies on lung protective ventilation strategies to prevent barotrauma Proning…
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