Ken Grauer, MD
NOVEMBER 15, 2024
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 ?
Pediatric EM Morsels
JULY 19, 2024
Previously, we covered Post-Tonsillectomy Hemorrhage and how we hope that “all bleeding eventually stops: ideally, by means that we have imposed rather than by exhaustion of the patient’s RBC resources.” Since the original morsel ( way back in 2012 ), the literature has shown that there are a few extra ingredients that we can add to our morsel recipe when we care for children with post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage.
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The Trauma Pro
JUNE 21, 2024
The VIP syndrome occurs in healthcare when a celebrity or other well-connected “important” person receives a level of care that the average person does not. This situation was first documented in a paper published in the 1960s, which noted that VIP patients have worse outcomes. Who is a VIP? It may be a celebrity. A family member. Or even a colleague.
Stop and Think
NOVEMBER 19, 2024
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.
Sensible Medicine
SEPTEMBER 19, 2024
Dr. Marty Makary has a powerful new book, BLIND SPOTS: When medicine gets it wrong and what it means for our health , that came out on Tuesday and instantly hit #2 bestselling book on Amazon. I loved the book and highly recommend it. In this piece, he discusses one of those blind spots of the modern medical establishment—America is getting sicker right before our eyes.
Science Based Medicine
NOVEMBER 8, 2024
Doctors who are concerned about members of our profession enabling powerful anti-vaxx disinformation agents should speak up before it's too late. But its probably too late already. The post Robert Kennedy Jr. & His Doctor Friends May Just Be Getting Started first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.
EMCrit
AUGUST 26, 2024
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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Dr. Smith's ECG Blog
JUNE 17, 2024
Written by Bobby Nicholson, MD 67 year old male with history of hypertension and hyperlipidemia presented to the Emergency Department via ambulance with midsternal nonradiating chest pain and dyspnea on exertion. Pain improved to 1/10 after EMS administers 324 mg aspirin and the following EKG is obtained at triage. What do you think? If this EKG were handed to you to screen from triage without any clinical information, what would you think?
First 10 EM
APRIL 2, 2024
Give your patients a break. Nobody is a perfect diagnostician. Not even the best trained physician can determine, with 100% accuracy, which patients have serious pathology. Even with advanced testing, we aren’t close to perfect. However, if you listen to the subtext of breakroom complaints, it seems like we expect patients to be better diagnosticians […] The post Are you a perfect diagnostician?
RebelEM
FEBRUARY 15, 2024
Background: Patients with decreased level of consciousness due to alcohol, drugs, or medications commonly present to the ED. These patients can be at risk of vomiting and aspiration and often prompts clinicians to pursue definitive airway management to avoid pneumonia and other complications. It is unclear, though, if the risks of intubation (including ventilator associated pneumonia) outweighs the benefits.
Ken Grauer, MD
MARCH 1, 2024
I was sent the 2 ECGs shown in Figure-1 — which were recorded from an elderly man whose heart beat "has been irregular for years". No clear history for recent chest pain — but the patient "has not been well" for the previous week. Regarding the 2 ECGs in Figure-1 : ECG #1 is the initial tracing obtained at the scene by the EMS ( E mergency M edical S ystems ) team — in association with an alert but markedly hypotensive patient.
Pediatric EM Morsels
MARCH 29, 2024
Often our job requires us to consider the presence of needles of significant illness in the haystack of nonspecific symptoms. With the help of our favorite geneticist , Dr. Liz Baker, we will dive into the haystack headfirst and find those needles. Hopefully, without getting poked. Let’s consider Inborn Errors of Metabolism Presenting in the ED : Inborn Errors of Metabolism: Basics Common Presentations, Uncommon Kiddos For the child with lethargy, vomiting, acidosis, hypoglycemia , organom
EM Ottawa
JANUARY 25, 2024
Mechanical ventilation has a lot of nuance associated with it, but a lot of reference guides focus on care in the ICU. There is certainly a need for more practical application for the ED doc or initial setup of patients on the vent. With both ER and ICU experience, this post acts as a quick […] The post Mechanical Ventilation Basics appeared first on EMOttawa Blog.
Critical Care North Hampton
JANUARY 25, 2024
Many thanks to Dr Manoj Wickramsinghe for his review of this fabulous POCUS textbook. He is a trainee in Anaesthesia and ICM, based in Leeds, and one of the CCN editorial team. About the book authors Editors; Hatem Soliman-Aboumarie, Marcelo Haertel Miglioranza, Luna Gargani, Giovanni Volpicelli. The authors and editors of this book include some.
Sensible Medicine
JULY 25, 2024
Atle Freithem and colleagues report in the British Medical journal the results of a pragmatic randomized control trial. The take-home message is that wearing a surgical mask for 2 weeks during the winter season of 2023 reduced the spread of self-reported viral illness. According to some, the study proves masks work. First, I commend the authors for running a randomized control trial.
Science Based Medicine
NOVEMBER 1, 2024
Any doctor who is unabashedly pro-vaccine has already spoken up about the normalization of anti-vaxx quackery within our ranks. The post If RFK Jr. Turns the CDC Into An Anti-Vaxx Propaganda Outfit, I Don’t Want To Hear a Peep From Some “Respectable” Doctors first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.
Stop and Think
MARCH 31, 2024
My career in cardiology can be separated into two decade-long blocks. The first decade I practiced like most other cardiologists. I went with the flow, followed the guidelines. I went to few meetings, read few studies and as a result had little (mental) tension. Then I started writing about medical evidence. This required studying the evidence. Over time, I learned the skill of critical appraisal.
St. Emlyn
JULY 9, 2024
St.Emlyn's - Emergency Medicine #FOAMed A podcast with Steve Smith ECG educator extraordinaire where we discuss occlusive myocardial infarction and the future of AI and ECG interpretation. The post Podcast – Occlusive Myocardial Infarction, ECGs and Artificial Intelligence with Steve Smith appeared first on St.Emlyn's.
Dr. Smith's ECG Blog
NOVEMBER 14, 2024
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.
First 10 EM
NOVEMBER 11, 2024
In the most recent BroomeDocs podcast, we talk about an attempt to use the IM route to give cardiac arrest victims epinephrine faster. (The podcast and Research Roundups blog post might actually come out next week.) I was skeptical about the outcomes, partly because the evidence that epinephrine helps at all in cardiac arrest is […] The post IV versus IO for cardiac arrest (PARAMEDIC3 and IVIO) appeared first on First10EM.
RebelEM
MAY 27, 2024
Background: The REVERT Randomized Controlled Trial demonstrated the superiority of the modified valsalva maneuver (MVM) over the standard valsalva maneuver (VM) in re-establishing normal sinus rhythm (NSR) in patients with PSVT (Appelboam 2015). MVM exaggerates venous return to the heart and increases vagal outflow by elevating the patient’s legs.
Ken Grauer, MD
MARCH 27, 2024
I was sent the ECG in Figure-1 — with the following history: The patient is a young man in his early 20s — who presents to the ED ( E mergency D epartment ) because of SOB ( S hortness O f B reath ) that had been ongoing for several hours. No chest pain. He reports a number of similar previous episodes over the past few years ( although apparently has not been formerly evaluated for this ).
Emergency Medicine Cases
APRIL 2, 2024
In this part 2 of our 2-part podcast on asthma with Dr. Sameer Mal and Dr. Leeor Sommer, we dig into the recognition and management of life-threatening asthma. We answer such questions as: what are the key elements in recognition of threatening asthma? What are the most time-sensitive interventions required to break the vicious cycle of asthma? What are the best options for dosing and administering magnesium sulphate, epinephrine, fentanyl and ketamine in the management of the crashing asthmatic
EM Ottawa
MARCH 14, 2024
Posterior circulation ischemia accounts for approximately 20-25% of all ischemic strokes and is a significant cause of patient disability. The diagnosis can be extremely challenging as findings are often not typically focal. Posterior strokes are misdiagnosed more than 3x more often than anterior circulation strokes.1 Similar to anterior circulation strokes, posterior strokes are most commonly […] The post Posterior Circulation Strokes appeared first on EMOttawa Blog.
EMCrit
JUNE 1, 2024
intro: the challenge of procedural sedation in critical illness Procedural sedation for critically ill patients is a minefield for several reasons: Patients are already physiologically unstable. Procedures are emergent (a factor widely associated with greater complications). Time constraints often prevent a complete pre-anesthetic evaluation (e.g., medical history and laboratory studies may be unknown).
Sensible Medicine
MAY 25, 2024
Imagine if your car mechanic took $10,000 a year from Michelin tires for “consulting” and then tended to recommend their tires over Pirelli — even if the latter are on sale or better quality or both. Imagine if your Governor took campaign contributions from Panera bread and then strangely exempted Panera bread from the new minimum wage law.
Science Based Medicine
NOVEMBER 15, 2024
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.
Intensive Blog
MARCH 13, 2024
Everything ECMO 048: History of ECPR evidence and considerations for future research Author: Dr George Walker Peer reviewer: A/Prof Aidan Burrell Introduction The first recorded attempts to resuscitate patients were as early as 1530 where Swiss physician Paracelsus used fireplace bellows to reinflate the lungs of those who had stopped breathing. Several more centuries passed before techniques more akin to modern day cardio-pulmonary resuscitation were reported.
St. Emlyn
SEPTEMBER 18, 2024
St.Emlyn's - Emergency Medicine #FOAMed Case series of dirty epi drips in Australia. A potentially useful tool in austere/remote settings, but lots of caveats and cautions before we all start doing this! Be careful, but do learn about this potential therapy. #FOAMed @stemlyns The post The Dirty Adrenaline (Epi) drip. appeared first on St.Emlyn's.
Dr. Smith's ECG Blog
OCTOBER 20, 2024
Written by Magnus Nossen The patient in today's case is a male in his 70s with hypertension and type II diabetes mellitus. His wife contacted the ambulance service after the patient experienced an episode of loss of consciousness. The syncope lasted about 2-3 minutes according to his wife. He woke up alert and with chest pain which he also had experienced intermittently over the previous few days.
First 10 EM
JUNE 24, 2024
A can’t intubate can’t oxygenate scenario will always be scary, but after years of mental rehearsal and some real world experience, the idea of surgical front of neck access in an adult doesn’t bother me much. (I think that is an important mental space for emergency physicians to find if you want to be able […] The post The pediatric can’t intubate can’t oxygenate scenario (Use a knife) appeared first on First10EM.
RebelEM
JULY 1, 2024
Background: Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) is an effective treatment modality for patients with both hypoxemic or hypercapnic respiratory failure and has been shown to decrease the need for intubation [2]. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) provides a constant positive pressure support throughout the breathing cycle, while bilevel positive airway pressure (BPAP) provides different levels of positive airway pressure during inspiration and expiration.
Ken Grauer, MD
OCTOBER 10, 2024
I was sent the ECG shown in Figure-1 — told only that the patient was a middle-aged man with septicemia. QUESTIONS: Is this rhythm too fast to be sinus tachycardia? Are flutter waves hidden within the QRS and T waves? Are we seeing the retrograde P waves of AVNRT? Is this ATach ( A trial T achycardia )? Figure-1: The initial ECG in today's case. MY Thoughts on Today’s CASE: In my opinion — none of the above answers are optimal to describe the rhythm in Figure-1.
ALiEM
JUNE 10, 2024
For years, adult literature has provided clear guidelines for cervical spine imaging through the NEXUS and Canadian C-spine Rule (CCR) tools. These have been invaluable in helping clinicians decide when to image the neck in trauma patients. Similarly, the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) has developed robust tools for assessing blunt head trauma in children.
EM Ottawa
OCTOBER 24, 2024
Precedex (dexmedetomidine) is an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist increasingly used in critical care environments for sedation and anxiolysis. It offers a unique profile of sedation without respiratory depression, making it an attractive option in various clinical scenarios. Historically, it has been used more frequently in the ICU than in Emergency Departments, likely due to provider comfort. […] The post Is there a Precedence for Precedex in the ED?
EMCrit
JUNE 17, 2024
introduction Bilevel Sequence Intubation (BSI) refers to initiation of noninvasive bilevel positive pressure ventilation with a backup rate prior to intubation (either using a BiPAP machine or a full-featured mechanical ventilator). BSI is distinct from traditional rapid sequence intubation (RSI), since BSI involves the delivery of machine-initiated, pressure-controlled breaths following administration of sedation and paralytics. […] EMCrit Project by Josh Farkas.
Sensible Medicine
JUNE 6, 2024
The first two weeks of March 2020 were jolting. Governments read the Imperial College London report (modeling a million deaths in the US), watched horrifying scenes in Bergamo (a city with median age in the 80s fyi), and collectively embraced policies that had no precedent in human history: The global closing of borders, schools, business, and the use of the police state to enforce this lockdown.
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