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Electrophysiology is on the brink of a possible disaster

Stop and Think

The OPTION trial compared two strategies to reduce stroke and bleeding after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation. The current strategy is to continue an anticoagulant medication. The alternative tested in OPTION is to implant a left atrial appendage device—abbreviated as LAAC (left atrial appendage closure). AF ablation is one of the most common procedures in my field.

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JC: Small versus Large-Bore Thoracostomy for Traumatic Hemothorax.

St. Emlyn

St.Emlyn's - Emergency Medicine #FOAMed Traditionally, large-bore chest tubes have been standard for managing hemothorax, but smaller tubes are now proving just as effective in stable patients, with added benefits like reduced pain and fewer tube days. This review explores outcomes in drainage efficacy, complication rates, and patient comfort, showing that small-bore thoracostomy may be a reliable alternative for non-emergent cases.

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ECG Blog #456 — Acute MI or Something Else?

Ken Grauer, MD

Today's case was contributed by Dr. Magnus Nossen ( from Fredrikstad, Norway ). Dr. Nossen was at his computer — reviewing ECGs from patients recently admitted to his group's hospital service. He came across the ECG shown in Figure-1 — obtained from a woman in her 70s who was admitted to the hospital for new CP ( C hest P ain ). QUESTION: How would YOU interpret the ECG in Figure-1 ?

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BECTS (Benign Epilepsy with CentroTemporal Spikes) Seizures / Benign Rolandic Epilepsy of Childhood

Pediatric EM Morsels

Seizures are super scary for a parent to witness, but not all seizures mean danger. There is actually a diagnosis of seizures that has “ BENIGN” in the name! Have you ever had that feeling of falling that rapidly wakes you from sleep? While it’s unlikely that you were having Benign Epilepsy with CentroTemporal Spikes (BECTS) seizures or a benign Rolandic seizure, that tenuous state between sleeping and waking is a time when some odd neurologic things can happen, including BECTS.

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If You Sanewashed RFK Jr., Or If You Sanewashed Doctors Who Did, You Own the Next 4 Years

Science Based Medicine

When RFK Jr. does to the U.S. what he did to Samoa, doctors will say they are horrified, that they love vaccines, blah blah blah. But it will be too late. The post If You Sanewashed RFK Jr., Or If You Sanewashed Doctors Who Did, You Own the Next 4 Years first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.

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Prehospital Cath Lab Activation. What happened when the medics and patient arrived at this Academic ED?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

This was texted to me by a paramedic while I was out running one day: "54 yo male chest pain started at 1pm. History of diabetes type II and stent placement in 2018. I’m seeing hyperacute T waves III, aVF, down sloping depression I and aVL. Thoughts?" What do you think? I responded: "Definite inferior OMI. And Right Ventricular. Activated the Cath Lab.

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Meta-analysis: Leg ergometry helps vented patients in ICUs worldwide

PulmCCM

Critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation are highly prone to developing severe weakness and long-term disability. Although early mobilization and physical therapy for vented patients would intuitively seem to have indisputable benefits, early mobility programs have failed to consistently show improvements in meaningful patient-centered outcomes (e.g, increased functional independence or exercise ability after ICU discharge).

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What Does it Mean to Own the Next 4 Years?

Science Based Medicine

It means pertussis and measles outbreaks will be happening under your watch and you'll be held responsible while your boss is an anti-vaxx crank. Enjoy! The post What Does it Mean to Own the Next 4 Years? first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.

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What kind of a doctor are you?

Sensible Medicine

“What kind of a doctor are you?” “I’m a general internist.” “Like an intern?” Laughing, “Don’t you think I’m too old to be an intern? No, I do general internal medicine, mostly outpatient primary care, but I do some inpatient general medicine as well.” “Oh, so you’re like a GP.” “Sort of… ” Sensible Medicine is a reader-supported publication.

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Levitan/Rezaie Practical Airway Course

RebelEM

View Course Dates This 2-day course provides an in-depth look at effective surgical airway management techniques that you will actually use in your next emergency airway. There is a unique focus on airway anatomy and imaging combined with one-of-a-kind opportunity to practice the techniques on a large variety of non-embalmed, specially prepared cadavers.

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September 2024 Round-Up – Patient Experience in the ED, Dirty Adrenaline, and More!

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 September 2024 Round-Up – Patient Experience in the ED, Dirty Adrenaline, and More! appeared first on St.Emlyn's.

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What are Children’s Lives Worth (to Save)?

EM Literature of Note

This article regarding the cost of upgrading emergency departments to be “ready” for sick children has been bouncing around in the background since its publication, with some initial lay press coverage. The general concept here is obviously laudable and the culmination of at least a decade of hard work from these authors and the team involved – with the ultimate goal of ensuring each emergency department in the country is capable of caring for critically unwell children.

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Acute chest pain and an abnormal ECG. Do precordial leads show benign T-wave inversion or ischemia?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

Written by Willy Frick A 51 year old man with hypertension presented with three hours of acute onset, severe midsternal chest pain associated with two episodes of nausea and vomiting. ECG 1 What do you think? Smith : Inferior leads have subtle ST Elevation with reciprocal STD in aVL. The end of the T-wave in all of II, III, aVF has a rapid downturn, suggesting early T-wave inversion.

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Subgroups, Specialties, and Prior Hypotheses

Sensible Medicine

Posting this article was a no brainer. It is a critical appraisal deep dive by “friend of the stack” David Rind that combines the “letter to the editor” feel that we like so much as well some nice EBM history. Enjoy. Adam Cifu Sensible Medicine is a reader-supported publication. If you appreciate our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy Through Pediatric Immunization Training 

American Medical Compliance

Defined by the World Health Organization as the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines, vaccine hesitancy is influenced by complex factors including misinformation, cultural beliefs, and fear of adverse effects. To help address this growing concern, pediatric immunization training equips healthcare providers with the skills, knowledge, and empathy necessary to effectively address vaccine hesitancy.

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Critical Care Evidence Updates – October 2024

The Bottom Line

What’s new in the Critical Care literature – monthly updates

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Your Brain In Space

Science Based Medicine

Amid all the shocking and depressing news regarding the future of American healthcare and medicine, at least over the next four years, I thought I would tackle something a bit lighter today. What happens to the brains of astronauts aboard the ISS? Space medicine is a field of study, if fairly niche, and will likely have increasing implications as humanity increases its […] The post Your Brain In Space first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.

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Is this OMI reperfused or active?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

These ECGs were texted to me by one of our previous ultrasound fellows, Will Smoot An elderly male arrived via EMS for acute substernal chest pain with radiation to left shoulder and arm that awakened him from sleep at 0030. He took two full strength aspirin prior to EMS arrival. The pain was relieved by one prehospital NTG spray. He arrived at the ED just shy of two hours after onset, pain free.

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SAEM Clinical Images Series: A Rash with Cranial Nerve Deficits

ALiEM

A 48-year-old male with no significant past medical history presented to the Emergency Department with a left-sided facial rash and associated burning left eye pain that started four days prior. He was seen at an ophthalmology clinic when his symptoms started and given oral valacyclovir which he took for three days without improvement. He also endorsed left-sided facial weakness and diplopia for the last eight days.

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First10EM Journal Club: November 2024

Broome Docs

Palatinus HN, Johnson MA, Wang HE, Hoareau GL, Youngquist ST. Early intramuscular adrenaline administration is associated with improved survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Resuscitation. 2024 Aug;201:110266. doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2024.110266. Epub 2024 Jun 9. PMID: 38857847 Bottom line: This before and after study demonstrates an association between early IM epinephrine and survival from cardiac arrest.

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MAHA and Medical Conservatism

Sensible Medicine

What does our philosophy have to do with RFK Jr and MAHA?

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Neonatal Hypotension

Don't Forget the Bubbles

As you roll into your night shift, getting briefed and handed the urgent pager, you exit the briefing room and go into the hum of the neonatal intensive care unit. The familiar beeps of monitors and the soft cries of a premature infant fill the air, but then—a sharp, unusual beep cuts through. Moments later, a nurse calls, “Doctor, could you check this blood pressure?

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The Financial Landscape for Junior Doctors in Australia

Mind The Bleep

Starting a career as a junior doctor in Australia is both a professional milestone and a significant financial transition. While the position comes with a respectable salary, it also involves various expenses that can quickly accumulate. Understanding these costs is crucial for financial planning and ensuring a comfortable lifestyle while navigating the early stages of a medical career.

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Signature Healthcare elevates patient experience and workforce engagement through strategic partnership with NRC Health

NRC Health

Signature Healthcare has selected NRC Health to enhance its network through human-centered healthcare solutions and next-generation, data-driven insights that deliver Human Understanding to its patients, employees, and communities. The post Signature Healthcare elevates patient experience and workforce engagement through strategic partnership with NRC Health appeared first on NRC Health.

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Smog and noise threaten our fertility

Emergency Live

Demonstrated correlation between exposure to air and noise pollutants and an increased risk of infertility Environmental pollution is one of the biggest threats to public health globally. In recent years, a correlation has been demonstrated between exposure to air and noise pollutants and an increased risk of developing various diseases, including cardiovascular, respiratory and neurodegenerative […] The post Smog and noise threaten our fertility appeared first on Emergency Live.

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A New DC Degree. What the World Needs Now.

Science Based Medicine

Perhaps the neck manipulation was a bit too aggressive. The post A New DC Degree. What the World Needs Now. first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.

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The November 2024 Research Roundup

First 10 EM

Back for another month of interesting, arcane, important, or baffling articles. As we enter the winter in the Northern hemisphere, and I have little interest in heading outside, I will probably spend more time reading, so these write ups might get longer for the next few months. For now, the weather remains fine, golf season […] The post The November 2024 Research Roundup appeared first on First10EM.

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Applying to Infectious Disease: A great and fun career!

Mind The Bleep

Infectious disease (ID) is much more than simply collecting blood cultures; it’s a dynamic and exciting specialty that offers the opportunity to work with patients of all ages, varying acuities, and diverse clinical presentations. If you are seeking a specialty that combines intellectual challenge with the ability to make a real difference in patient care, ID could be the perfect fit for you.

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ECG Pointers: A Dynamic Approach to Tachydysrhythmias Part 3

EMDocs

Authors: Lloyd Tannenbaum, MD (EM Attending Physician, Geisinger Wyoming Valley, PA); Mai Saber, DO (EM Attending Physician, Hackensack University Medical Center, NJ); Rachel Bridwell, MD (EM Attending Physician, Charlotte, NC) // Reviewer: Brit Long, MD (@long_brit) Hello and welcome back to ECG Pointers, a series designed to make you more confident in your ECG interpretations.

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A deep genetic link between diabetes and periodontitis

Emergency Live

New research has shown that the two diseases share a common genetic basis A recent scientific discovery has revealed an unexpectedly strong genetic link between two apparently distinct diseases: type 2 diabetes and periodontitis. A study conducted by the University of Hong Kong and published in the prestigious journal Endocrine has identified 62 genes that […] The post A deep genetic link between diabetes and periodontitis appeared first on Emergency Live.

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Small Bore vs Large Bore Thoracostomy for Traumatic Haemothorax.

St. Emlyn

St.Emlyn's - Emergency Medicine #FOAMed Traditionally, large-bore chest tubes have been standard for managing hemothorax, but smaller tubes are now proving just as effective in stable patients. Dive in to explore the latest evidence in trauma management and see if small-bore thoracostomy is suitable for your practice’s patient population. The post Small Bore vs Large Bore Thoracostomy for Traumatic Haemothorax. appeared first on St.Emlyn's.

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Medical Music Mondays: Shiny Happy Virus

PEMBlog

You don’t need to send comprehensive viral tests in the majority of children with cough and congestion. Just make a clinical diagnosis dang it! Lyrics Adeno, rhino, entero too swabbing a nose just for something to do RSV, HSV, EBV, no! Save all that money and let the kid go Influenza, COVID, why not some more? Big viral panels? Show them the door!

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Diagnostics: Intractable Hiccups

Taming the SRU

Overview Hiccups are one of the most common human reflexes and fascinatingly occur in adults, children, neonates and in utero! The official medical term for hiccups is “singultus” which is derived from the Latin root word singult and means “to catch one’s breath while sobbing”. While there is no established purpose for hiccups in adults, it is hypothesized that its role in utero is to prevent amniotic fluid aspiration and for respiratory muscle and diaphragmatic training prior to delivery.

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SGEM#460: Why Do I Feel Like, Somebody’s Watching Me – CHARTWatch to Predict Clinical Deterioration

The Skeptics' Guide to EM

Date: October 28, 2024 Reference: Verma et al. Clinical evaluation of a machine learning–based early warning system for patient deterioration. CMAJ September 2024 Guest Skeptic: Michael Page is currently the Director of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Commercialization at Unity Health Toronto. He leads an AI team intending to improve patient outcomes and healthcare system efficiency.

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Weight Loss Drugs: Serious side effects

Emergency Live

Serious side effects raise safety questions for new weight-loss drugs In recent years, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1), such as semaglutide and liraglutide (marketed respectively as Wegovy and Ozempic), have revolutionized the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, Despite the many benefits, cases of serious side effects have emerged, raising questions about the […] The post Weight Loss Drugs: Serious side effects appeared first on Emergency Live.

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Podcast – Care in the Hot Zone with Claire Park at Tactical Trauma 2024

St. Emlyn

St.Emlyn's - Emergency Medicine #FOAMed Emergency medicine is shaped by our ability to respond effectively to both routine cases and extreme, high-stakes incidents. While civilian incidents dominate prehospital care, the intersection of civilian and military […] The post Podcast – Care in the Hot Zone with Claire Park at Tactical Trauma 2024 appeared first on St.Emlyn's.

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Blurred Lines: The Ethical Pitfalls of Urine Drug Screens

EM Ottawa

Urine drug (or toxicologic) screens are a fairly standard tool used in addictions, psychiatry and the Emergency Department (ED), often employed to detect substance use in patients presenting with altered mental status, trauma, psychiatric or abnormal behaviour. Yet, the reliance on these screens is fraught with inaccuracies, clinical irrelevance, and significant ethical concerns, particularly from […] The post Blurred Lines: The Ethical Pitfalls of Urine Drug Screens appeared first on EMOt