August, 2024

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Ultrasound in Cardiac Arrest

Mount Sinai EM

Ultrasound during cardiac arrest has quickly become standard. Initially, data suggested that the use of ultrasound during arrest increased pauses between compressions which worsens outcomes. To decrease time between compressions, many protocols were proposed (see here ). One such protocol that successfully decreased time between compressions is the CASA (Cardiac Arrest Sonographic Assessment) protocol.

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The Fifth Law Of Trauma – Pediatric

The Trauma Pro

And another law to end the first week! Any time I give a pediatric talk, I mention it. This one applies to anyone who takes care of children, and is particularly important to EMS / prehospital providers and emergency physicians. On occasion, medics are called to a home to treat a child in extremis, or occasionally in arrest. Similarly, extremely sick children are often brought to the ED by parents or other caregivers.

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Congenital Syphilis

Pediatric EM Morsels

Neonates presenting to the Emergency Department often cause a lot of uncertainty. Is this scalp swelling normal? Is this bloody stool concerning? Are this odd movements part of normal development? Is that umbilical area ok or concerning? Fortunately, we have addressed many neonatal issues in the PedEMMorsels. Obviously, one of the most concerning considerations in neonates is the potential for infection.

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Stanford University will host a conference on pandemic planning featuring the usual (COVID-19) suspects

Science Based Medicine

This week, Stanford University announced a conference on pandemic policy that features several of the usual suspects who spread misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Truly, Stanford has become the "respectable" academic face of efforts to undermine public health. The post Stanford University will host a conference on pandemic planning featuring the usual (COVID-19) suspects first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.

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Adam Cifu and Vinay Prasad are Both Wrong about A New Masking Trial

Sensible Medicine

Last week Adam Cifu and Vinay Prasad offered dueling interpretations of a randomized trial of masking. These posts were read by nearly a hundred thousand readers, and you can read them below. One reader, Ben Recht, a Berkeley Professor, thinks both of them are wrong. This is his column. Sensible Medicine Adam Cifu is Wrong About Masking In a recent post on Sensible Medicine, written on my phone while traveling, I criticized a randomized trial of masking in the BMJ that found Norweigans told to w

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PulmCrit Wee – A better classification of heart failure (HFxEF-RVxEF)

EMCrit

We often joke that the right ventricle is the “forgotten ventricle,” but there is a sad truth behind this joke. Recently, there has been increased recognition of the importance of right ventricle failure and systemic congestion within some circles (e.g., nephrologists and resuscitationists). However, overall the right ventricular failure continues to be commonly overlooked.

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Epigastric and Right Upper Quadrant pain after eating spicy food

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

A 60-something woman with no cardiac history presented with epigastric and right upper quadrant pain after eating spicy food. She had an ECG recorded at triage: What do you think? This was sent to me without any info while I was out and about, and I looked at it on my phone. I responded: "That is a tough one. V2 is very worrisome. But no other leads are.

EKG/ECG 125

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Pediatric Balanitis and Balanoposthitis

Pediatric EM Morsels

It’s never comfortable and is often very distressing to have skin problems and infections, such as intertrigo , folliculitis , panniculitis , omphalitis , or even preseptal or periorbital cellulitis. It’s even more distressing when the skin problem affects the penis. While summer is starting to wind down, and Summer Penile Syndrome is less likely to occur, we must still be vigilant for penile problems that can occur all year long.

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An Open Letter to the President of Stanford, Jonathan Levin: Don’t Censor Drs. Scott Atlas, John Ioannidis, Sunetra Gupta, Marty Marky, Monica Gandhi, Jay Bhattacharya, and Vinay Prasad. Amplify Their Voices.

Science Based Medicine

I trust you'll have the intellectual integrity to play videos of these speakers. Anything less, would be misinformation and censorship. The post An Open Letter to the President of Stanford, Jonathan Levin: Don’t Censor Drs. Scott Atlas, John Ioannidis, Sunetra Gupta, Marty Marky, Monica Gandhi, Jay Bhattacharya, and Vinay Prasad. Amplify Their Voices. first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.

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For Academic Institutions, Silence is Golden

Sensible Medicine

Editors note: a shortened version of this post was originally submitted to the New England Journal, but it was rejected. Refusing to host debates is why journals will die. By Joseph Marine, MD In a recent NEJM Perspective piece , Drs. Mullen, Topol, and Verghese argue “in support of institutional voices” to take public positions on matters of public controversy “when it concludes that a faculty member’s opinion could cause public harm.” Their essay (ironically publi

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Ep 197 Acute Heart Failure Risk Stratification and Disposition

Emergency Medicine Cases

We over-admit low risk acute heart failure patients and under-admit high risk heart failure patients. In this podcast we discuss the diagnostic accuracy of various clinical features, lab tests and imaging modalities for acute heart failure, the 3 validated risk stratification tools and a simple approach to PoCUS for the diagnosis and prognostication of acute heart failure in the ED to improve our diagnostic accuracy and disposition decisions for patients with acute heart failure.

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Anterior OMI. What does the angiogram show?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

Written by Willy Frick A 50 year old man with no medical history presented with acute onset substernal chest pain. His ECG is shown below. Pretty obvious anterior current of injury. This was a machine read STEMI positive OMI. Readers of this blog can easily appreciate the hyperacute T waves in the precordium, clearest in V1-V4. What would you guess is the culprit artery?

EKG/ECG 122
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The Eleventh Law Of Trauma

The Trauma Pro

Here’s the last one… for now. If you have followed this blog for any period of time, you are aware of the skepticism I bring to bear when I am reading new material or learning of new ideas. Why is this? Because it is very difficult in this day and age to ascertain the veracity of anything we see, hear, or read. This is not new compared to, say, a hundred years ago.

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Optimal Timing for Life-Saving Procedures in Critical Care: Finding the Goldilocks Moment

St. Emlyn

St.Emlyn's - Emergency Medicine #FOAMed "Time Critical: Information Light" decision-making is vital in emergency medicine, requiring swift actions with minimal data. However, uncertainty decreases over time as more information becomes available. This model highlights the importance of making high-stakes decisions promptly, avoiding premature or delayed interventions.

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More on Long COVID

Science Based Medicine

It’s interesting to follow the scientific exploration of a new clinical entity in real time. It reveals a lot about how medical science works, and how scientists nibble away at complex problems. This is partly why I have been closely following the story of long COVID as it has unfolded over the last few years. I also see patients with long COVID […] The post More on Long COVID first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.

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Screening for Cancer Costs Billions - I Doubt it is Worth it

Sensible Medicine

I would like to live a long life. Surely you do as well. You can improve your chances by eating well, exercising, avoiding smoking and too much alcohol. There is also the matter of luck. The question today is whether modern medical screening can improve on those basic lifestyle choices. People believe it can, obviously. The screening industry is a money-making machine.

Outcomes 122
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How do Dubious Norms Get Established?

Stop and Think

One area continues to dominate my field of cardiology. It is the search for and treatment of ischemic heart disease. Coronary heart disease dominates the minds of patients and doctors alike. Find blockages so they can be fixed before a heart attack or death occurs—goes the thinking. Coronary artery scans are the newest tool. But stress labs run days and weekends.

Outcomes 120
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What does this ECG show?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

Written by Pendell Meyers Try first to interpret the ECG without any clinical context: What do you think? Sinus rhythm with abnormal STE in V2-V6, and I, II, aVF. Reciprocal STD in aVR and V1. Most leads with STE have remarkably non-hyperacute, flat T waves. Most would say that there is Spodick's sign. The PR depression in II (and its reciprocal PR elevation in aVR) is probably beyond normal baseline values.

EKG/ECG 120
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The First Law Of Trauma

The Trauma Pro

Let’s get started with the Laws of Trauma! After pursuing any discipline for an extended period, one begins to see the common threads and underlying principles of their area of expertise. I’ve been trying to crystallize these for years, and today I’m going to share one of the most basic laws of trauma care. The First Law of Trauma Any anomaly in your trauma patient is due to trauma, no matter how unlikely it may seem.

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The Doc Side of the Loon

ACEP Now

Every once in a while, I get a text from a friend of a meme decrying the inevitability of becoming interested in birds as you age. In a way, it’s true; it came out of nowhere for me. And granted it can seem peculiar to the uninitiated. But now that I have been indoctrinated for a couple of years, it has become much more than a hobby to me. I see it as a healthful exercise, a practice in mindfulness.

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Dr. Vinay Prasad Opposed The Pediatric COVID Vaccine Before There Was A Pediatric COVID Vaccine

Science Based Medicine

Dr. Vinay Prasad started treating vaccine side effects as a fate worse than death in February 2021, before these was a COVID vaccine for children. The post Dr. Vinay Prasad Opposed The Pediatric COVID Vaccine Before There Was A Pediatric COVID Vaccine first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.

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High Flow Nasal Cannula

Life in the Fast Lane

Jeremy Rogers and Chris Moseley High Flow Nasal Cannula

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Hustling at Work: What's the difference between a TechBro and a Junior Faculty Member in Medicine

Sensible Medicine

A few years ago, a colleague of mine was applying for, and eventually received, a grant to study lung cancer screening in a vulnerable population. One day, we were having coffee, and she mused. “Look at these 20 year old tech start up people. 8 of them living in a house. Spending day and night coding. All dreaming that they will make it big. It’s sad to watch, knowing how few will succeed.

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60 yo with chest pain: why the abnormal QRS and abnormal repolarization?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

Written by Pendell Meyers A man in his 60s presented with acute chest pain and normal vital signs. Here is his triage ECG: What do you think? The ECG shows massively hyperacute T waves of LAD OMI, plus WPW. V3-V5 also have the depressed HATW takeoff which qualifies them as the rare de Winter subtype of HATWs. Its hard to measure the STE in I exactly with the moving baseline, but there is almost certainly not enough STE to meet STEMI criteria.

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The Eighth Law Of Trauma

The Trauma Pro

All trauma professionals need to keep up with the current thinking in their field. There are a variety of ways to do this, including lectures, courses, online curricula, meetings, and reading journal articles. The last method requires a bit of skill and patience. Many research papers are dry, long, and hard to read. Quite a few people do not have the patience to wade through them, and get lost in all the details.

Research 201
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Why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Matter in Medical Education

ACEP Now

The inclusion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles in undergraduate medical education is considered crucial for creating a just and fair health care system. Though DEI education, including critical race theory and its derivatives, is still a topic of public debate, many industry specialists and educators believe that it forms the foundation of high quality health care practices and the achievement of health equity.

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Great Barrington Declaration Author Joins COVID-19 Lab Leak-Pushing Group

Science Based Medicine

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and the merging of political pandemic narratives The post Great Barrington Declaration Author Joins COVID-19 Lab Leak-Pushing Group first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.

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ECG Cases 51 – Artifact and Lead Misplacement

Emergency Medicine Cases

ECG artifact and lead reversal can mimic tachy-arrhythmia, infarct or Brugada. Learn how to identify these errors to prevent misdiagnosis on this month's ECG Cases with Dr. Jesse McLaren. The post ECG Cases 51 – Artifact and Lead Misplacement appeared first on Emergency Medicine Cases.

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The Moment I Realized AI Will Introduce a Brave New World for Medicine

Sensible Medicine

I’d been certain that all would be well in medicine in the age of AI. I had been telling myself that the addition of AI to medical practice would be a net positive. AI would assist with some of the drudgery that is part of every doctor’s job. We would also incorporate AI into our decision making. AI would help us read X-rays or pathology specimens.

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Back to basics: what's going on here?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

Written by Pendell Meyers A man in his 70s presented with history of pacemaker presented with shortness of breath with exertion and presyncope. Here is his triage ECG with minimal symptoms: What do you think? The ECG shows pacemaker failure with inability to capture or sense, with either underlying atrial fibrillation or junctional escape rhythm. The QRS shows LVH and there are diffuse ST-T abnormalities likely in part appropriate for the LVH, though memory T waves are also a consideration.

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The Third Law Of Trauma

The Trauma Pro

Trauma patients don’t always behave the way we would like. They continually surprise us, sometimes for the better when they recover more quickly and completely than we thought. But sometimes it’s for the worse. They occasionally crash when we think everything is going so well. The crashing patient is in obvious need of help and most trauma professionals know what to do.

Radiology 202
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The Role of Technology in Advancing Healthcare Equity 

American Medical Compliance

According to Rock Health , digital health funding still totaled $15.3 billion in 2022, despite economic challenges. This figure underscores the critical role technology continues to play in healthcare, particularly in advancing access and equity. As healthcare providers, organizations, and policymakers increasingly recognize the persistent disparities in health outcomes across different populations, technology is emerging as a powerful tool to bridge these gaps.

Outcomes 105
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The Hypocrisy Is The Point. Doctors Who Said Not To Mix Politics & Medicine.

Science Based Medicine

Hypocritical articles on politics and medicine weren't really about politics and medicine, they were a message- the standards we set for you, don't apply to us and everyone knows it. The post The Hypocrisy Is The Point. Doctors Who Said Not To Mix Politics & Medicine. first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.

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NRC Health announces Nobl acquisition & Medallia partnership to advance healthcare experience innovation

NRC Health

NRC Health announces the acquisition of leading healthcare rounding technology company Nobl and a new strategic partnership with customer and employee experience management leader Medallia. The post NRC Health announces Nobl acquisition & Medallia partnership to advance healthcare experience innovation appeared first on NRC Health.

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Should residents take the day off when they are sleepy?

Sensible Medicine

When I was a resident, I worked 7 nights of 12 hour shifts alternating with 7 days of 14 hour shifts. The jet lag was like flying to Moscow. I also worked 28 hour shifts Q4 (on paper), which actually ran as high as 32-36 hours (in reality). Often, I was tired. Whether or not residents need to work long hours, and what they do during that time is an open debate.

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Three prehospital ECGs in patients with chest pain

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

Written by Magnus Nossen with Edits by Grauer and Smith The ECGs in today’s case are from 3 different patients all presenting with new-onset CP ( Chest Pain ). All ECGs were recorded by EMS, and transferred to a PCI capable center for evaluation. For 2 of the 3 patients — the cath lab was activated based on the ECG. One of the patients was lucky to have expert ECG interpretation by the Queen Of Hearts AI model.

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The Sixth Law Of Trauma

The Trauma Pro

Here’s another one. I’ve seen the clinical problems and poor outcomes that can arise from ignoring it many times over the years. You’ve ordered a CT or a conventional x-ray image. The result comes back in your EMR. You take a quick glance at the summary at the bottom of the report. No abnormal findings are listed. So now, in your own mind and in any sign-outs that you provide, the image is normal.

Outcomes 200