Pediatric EM Morsels
SEPTEMBER 22, 2023
To celebrate the end of trauma season ( is it ever really over? ), we here at the Ped EM Morsels Bakery have cooked up a morsel to remind you that pediatric trauma can be even more difficult than you think. Never fear. As our fearless leader likes to say: “children are not aliens, but they are a special population with unique anatomy and physiology.” Children compensate for blood and volume loss very well… until they don’t.
Ken Grauer, MD
SEPTEMBER 22, 2023
The ECG in Figure-1 — was obtained from a middle-aged man with palpitations and shortness of breath. He was hemodynamically stable at the time this tracing was recorded. How would YOU interpret the ECG in Figure-1 ? Is there evidence of a recent or ongoing acute MI? What might you do first? Figure-1: The initial ECG in today's case. ( To improve visualization — I've digitized the original ECG using PMcardio ).
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The Trauma Pro
SEPTEMBER 1, 2023
In my previous post, I reviewed a recent paper analyzing which geriatric patients were more likely to have care withdrawn after serious injury. The authors noted that those with significant limitations to daily living activities, increasing age and/or frailty, and ventilator dependence were major factors. Today’s paper was written by a multi-institutional group from several Ohio trauma centers.
First 10 EM
SEPTEMBER 18, 2023
Transfusion seems like the simplest intervention in medicine. The patient is losing blood, so let’s put some back in. Not much more complicated than an oil change. Sure, you need to use a specific brand, but as long as the system is topped up, everything should run just fine. Therefore, when someone (to be left […] The post Massive hemorrhage: a very deep dive appeared first on First10EM.
RebelEM
SEPTEMBER 21, 2023
Bottom Line Up Top: Troponins should not be routinely sent in patients presenting with SVT. Rarely, they may be necessary if the patient has concerning ischemic symptoms that persist after conversion to sinus rhythm. Clinical Scenario: A 44-year-old man presents with palpitations that started 45 minutes ago. He has no medical problems and denies any prior similar symptoms.
EM Ottawa
SEPTEMBER 7, 2023
According to WHO and CDC: more than nine people die every minute from injuries or violence, and 5.8 million people die every year. It is the leading cause of death in people 1-44 years of age in developed countries (unintentional injuries, homicide, suicide). The most common cardiac rhythm in Traumatic Cardiac Arrest (TCA) is pulseless electrical […] The post Traumatic Cardiac Arrests appeared first on EMOttawa Blog.
Pediatric EM Morsels
SEPTEMBER 8, 2023
Life is full of hazards! Chance encounters with life’s hazards seem to increase in the Summer time (ex, Trampolines , Snakes , Lawn Mowers , Water , and Heat ). It is good that continue to raise awareness of such hazards so we can prevent them ! Certainly, the care of pediatric patients is known for its “ Seasonality. ” Now that the long days of summer ( for us in the Northern Hemisphere ) might be behind us, some of those hazards may also be receding, but injuries and illnesse
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Dr. Smith's ECG Blog
SEPTEMBER 19, 2023
Case submitted by anonymous. Written by Smith. Ken's piece at the bottom is excellent. A 50-something presented with s udden onset palpitations 8 hrs prior while sitting at desk at work. He had concurrent sharp substernal chest pain that resolved, but palpitations continued. Over past 3 months, he has had similar intermittent episodes of sharp chest pain while running, but none at rest.
First 10 EM
SEPTEMBER 25, 2023
Introduced to the world by our friend Scott Weingart, delayed sequence intubation (DSI) is often summarized as procedural sedation for the procedure of preoxygenation. (Weingart 2011, Weingart 2015) It is a brilliant concept, makes a ton of sense on paper, and anecdotally has seemed to help a number of my patients. However, any long time […] The post Delayed sequence intubation: An RCT appeared first on First10EM.
RebelEM
SEPTEMBER 28, 2023
Background: Primary PCI is the recommended reperfusion strategy in patients with STEMI and should be initiated within 2 hours after first medical contact. In non-PCI-capable hospitals this goal is not always achievable due to delays in transfer. In these cases, thrombolysis is recommended to improve morbidity and mortality. The STREAM-1 trial found that for [2] patients with STEMI presenting within 3 hours of symptom onset and unable to attain PCI within 1 hour of first medical contact, a phar
Don't Forget the Bubbles
SEPTEMBER 23, 2023
This talk, from Clare Skinner, on music, medicine and leadership , comes from our 2022 DFTB conference in Brisbane. [link] Years ago, before I became a medical student, I heard Professor Michael Field , Associate Dean of Medical Curriculum at the University of Sydney, nephrologist, and an accomplished flautist, being interviewed about his love of music on ABC Classic FM.
Critical Care North Hampton
SEPTEMBER 25, 2023
In this video, my great friend and fellow editor Dr Marcus Peck, talks us through the world of A.I in POCUS! Let’s face it, our kids are using it to write essays, the military uses it and you can’t seem to be able to speak to a human being on the phone as companies are.
Ken Grauer, MD
SEPTEMBER 1, 2023
The interesting rhythm shown in Figure-1 was obtained after Adenosine was given for a regular SVT ( S upra V entricular T achycardia ). How would YOU interpret this rhythm in Figure-1 ? Why are there so many shapes for the QRS complex in the long lead II rhythm strip? Figure-1: 12-lead ECG and long lead II rhythm strip obtained after Adenosine was given for a regular SVT rhythm.
Science Based Medicine
SEPTEMBER 12, 2023
Doctors who repeatedly predicted herd immunity in 2020 and 2021, mocking and berating those who disagreed, now treat herd immunity as a taboo phrase. The post When Did “Herd Immunity” Become a Taboo Phrase? first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.
EMCrit
SEPTEMBER 3, 2023
In many countries, pulmonary and critical care are commonly bundled together. Consequently, a single person will often be responsible for both inpatient ICU management as well as inpatient pulmonary consultation. Honestly, I have some doubts about whether this is an ideal system. As both pulmonology and critical care medicine become increasingly complex, it's becoming impossible […] EMCrit Project by Josh Farkas.
RebelEM
SEPTEMBER 14, 2023
Background: Cardiogenic shock develops in up to 10% of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and carries a 30 day mortality rate around 50%. Revascularization of the culprit lesion remains one of the few established treatments though there are numerous other unproven modalities including extracorporeal life support (ECLS). Many centers have attempted ECLS to achieve hemodynamic stabilization in this group of patients.
Don't Forget the Bubbles
SEPTEMBER 13, 2023
The Choosing Wisely ® campaign is an initiative that promotes collaborative conversations between clinicians and families to safely avoid unnecessary and potentially harmful tests. The American Academy of Paediatrics Section on Emergency Medicine (AAP SOEM) created a list of five key recommendations for Paediatric Emergency Medicine after a structured review process and expert consensus opinion.
Dr. Smith's ECG Blog
SEPTEMBER 3, 2023
This was sent by anonymous The patient is a 55-year-old male who presented to the emergency department after approximately 3 to 4 days of intermittent central boring chest pain initially responsive to nitroglycerin, but is now more constant and not responsive to nitroglycerin. It is unknown when this pain recurred and became constant. More past history: hypertension, tobacco use, coronary artery disease with two vessel PCI to the right coronary artery and circumflex artery several years prior.
Ken Grauer, MD
SEPTEMBER 29, 2023
You are asked to interpret the ECG in Figure-1. What is the rhythm in ECG #1 ? Figure-1: You are asked to interpret this tracing. What is the rhythm? MY Thoughts on the ECG in Figure-1: I routinely begin assessment of each 12-lead ECG I encounter — with interpretation of the rhythm. To do this — I apply the P s, Q s, 3 R Approach ( See ECG Blog #185 — for review of my system ).
Critical Care North Hampton
SEPTEMBER 26, 2023
We obsess with diuresis in our critically ill patients with positive fluid balances. But are we doing a dis-service? The focus should perhaps be on natriuresis…but how? The evidence is out there suggesting a positive fluid balance is detrimental to overall outcomes in ICU.
Science Based Medicine
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023
COVID-19 "contrarians" like Dr. Vinay Prasad have long complained about being labelled "antivaccine," which they view as unfair. Why, then, do they embrace antivax messages like "do not comply," even if they don't use the exact words? The post Dr. Vinay Prasad fully embraces the antivax message of “do not comply” first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.
RebelEM
SEPTEMBER 7, 2023
BACKGROUND: intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) makes up 10-15% of all strokes and significantly contributes to overall stroke-related morbidity and mortality ( Hostettler 2019 ). Levetiracetam is frequently used to prevent seizures in patients with conditions such as ICH, traumatic brain injury (TBI), supratentorial neurosurgery, and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).
Don't Forget the Bubbles
SEPTEMBER 4, 2023
This talk, from Joe Brumm, was given at our 2022 DFTB conference. “Bluey” is an iconic Australian children’s animated television series. It follows the adventures of a Blue Heeler puppy named Bluey and her family, including her father, Bandit, her mother, Chilli, and her younger sister, Bingo. [link] There is a profound connection between art and life.
Dr. Smith's ECG Blog
SEPTEMBER 15, 2023
I came to work one day and one of my partners said, "Hey, Steve, we had a STEMI this afternoon!" I said, "Cool, can I see the ECG?' Of course he said: "Yes, it was a 60 year old diabetic with Chest pain." So he showed me the ECG recorded in triage: What did I say? "That is not a STEMI. That is Arterial Pulse Tapping Artifact (APTA)." He said: "What?
Ken Grauer, MD
SEPTEMBER 15, 2023
The tracing in Figure-1 was sent to me for my interpretation. As per the title of today's Blog post — There is no simple explanation for all that is happening in this challenging tracing. Are YOU up for the challenge? I found that the most challenging part of today's tracing is determining the etiology of beat "X". As I explain below — I think it unlikely that beat "X" represents a single, slightly accelerated junctional beat.
ACEP Now
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023
Ben Mattingly, MD, tries to live by the adage, “One should be adventurous and daring, but not reckless.” The challenge is that the line between adventurous and reckless is often paper-thin. Take, for example, his recent expedition to Nepal to summit Mount Everest. When he arrived at the base camp, he found out three rope-fixing sherpas had just been killed in the famously dangerous Khumbu Icefall.
The Skeptics' Guide to EM
SEPTEMBER 9, 2023
Reference: Snelling et al. Ultrasonography or radiography for suspected pediatric distal forearm fractures. New England Journal of Medicine June 2023 Date: July 19, 2023 Guest Skeptic: Dr. Casey Parker is a Rural Generalist that includes in his practice emergency medicine, anesthesia, and critical care. He is also a fully-fledged ultrasonographer. Casey currently splits his time […] The post SGEM#415: Buckle Down for some Ultrasound to Diagnosis Distal Forearm Fractures first appeared on The Ske
Sensible Medicine
SEPTEMBER 16, 2023
Recently, I saw a tweet from World Lung Conference. A presenter lamented differences in Lung cancer screening rates by race. Black and Hispanic patients had lower rates of lung cancer CT screening than whites, and the speaker argued that we needed targeted efforts to improve this disparity. But lung cancer screening doesn't work, as I described in a prior post.
Science Based Medicine
SEPTEMBER 22, 2023
Measles and COVID are different, of course, but they are not categorically different. With both viruses, unvaccinated children suffer the most. Yet, doctors who rightly said "measles can be a devastating childhood illness" also said it was "breathless fear-mongering" to acknowledge that COVID can also be a devastating childhood illness. The post Doctors on Measles: “NEVER Listen to the Anti-Vax Cult When They Say This ‘Natural’ Disease is Harmless”.
Dr. Smith's ECG Blog
SEPTEMBER 27, 2023
This was written by Magnus Nossen, from Norway, with comments and additions by Smith A 50 something smoker with no previous medical hx contacted EMS due to acute onset chest pain. Upon EMS arrival the patient appeared acutely ill and complained of chest pain. An ECG was recorded immediately and is shown below. How do you interpret the ECG? ECG#1 There is a regular tachycardia with a ventricular rate of about 180 bpm.
First 10 EM
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023
This is a guest post by Dr. Lanujan Kaneswaran. Lanujan is a second-year Family Medicine resident at the University of Toronto. He has a background in medical health informatics and machine learning. His areas of interest include artificial intelligence and machine learning in medicine, and health equity through advocacy and technology. When managing atrial fibrillation […] The post Can we use D-dimer to assess for left atrial clot in atrial fibrillation?
Medagadget
SEPTEMBER 26, 2023
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed an electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor that is incorporated into a virtual reality headset. The technology can measure brain activity while someone is undergoing an immersive virtual reality experience. The device may assist in enhancing medical virtual reality interventions, such as those used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder or phobias, by revealing brain activity during different tasks or experiences that help clinicians to
EMCrit
SEPTEMBER 28, 2023
background Today the Van de Bergh group in Belgium released a RCT investigating tight versus liberal glycemic control in the ICU. Before diving into this study, let's take a walk down memory lane. Major interest in tight glycemic control in the ICU began in 2001 with an RCT by the same group of investigators, also […] EMCrit Project by Josh Farkas.
Sensible Medicine
SEPTEMBER 26, 2023
We are living in a time of growing distrust in science and scientific institutions. According to a 2022 Pew surve y, “Trust in scientists and medical scientists, once seemingly buoyed by their central role in addressing the coronavirus outbreak, is now below pre-pandemic levels. Overall, 29% of U.S. adults say they have a great deal of confidence in medical scientists to act in the best interests of the public, down from 40% who said this in November 2020.” Subscribe now At the same
Science Based Medicine
SEPTEMBER 24, 2023
Once a doctor has minimized *literal death*, how can we take them seriously when they scold us for minimizing something not as severe as say, *literal death*? The post Part 1: “Don’t Minimize Myocarditis From The Vaccine”, By the Author of “Don’t Fear Literal Death From COVID”. first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.
Dr. Smith's ECG Blog
SEPTEMBER 8, 2023
Submitted by anonymous, edited by Jesse McLaren The first person "I" and "me" is this anonymous sender. A 50 year old presented to the emergency department of a remote rural community (where the nearest cath lab is a plane ride away) with one hour of mild chest pain radiating to the back and jaw, and an ECG labeled ‘normal’ by the computer interpretation.
Emergency Medicine Cases
SEPTEMBER 12, 2023
In this ECG Cases blog Dr. Jesse MacLaren guides us through 10 cases of patients who present with generalized weakness or acute neurologic symptoms and discusses how to look for ECG signs of dysrhythmias, electrolyte emergencies, acute coronary occlusion, and demand ischemia in patients with generalized weakness and in patients with neurologic symptoms, to consider predisposing factors like LVH; seizure-like activity from cardiac syncope; TIA/CVA embolic sources like atrial fibrillation or LV th
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