While the scuba diving decompression illnesses of decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism are treated the same, the pathophysiology and presentation are different.

In 2010, there were approximately 535,000 ED visits for foreign bodies.  Approximately 80-90% of ingested foreign bodies pass through the GI tract without complications while the rest require intervention.  What are some basics that you need to know about foreign bodies that ingested, aspirated and inserted?

Tis the season for respiratory infections in children. This week's post reviews a few of the important phyical exam findings in a child presenting with respiratory distress. Videos are included! Stay tuned for next week's post that will include some great pearls about bronchiolitis which you are sure to see if you care for pediatric patients!   

As ER physicians, we are greatly limited in what we can do for patients with submassive to massive hemoptysis.
- Our job is to manage the airway (prevent asphyxiation), reverse coagulopathies and provide supportive care
- The definitive therapy is an urgent bronchoscopy with ENT or pulmonology
But what if there was more we could do during the bridging period waiting the specialist on call? Enter tranexamic acid!

You are caring for a sick patient with an acute COPD exacerbation. What O2 sat should you target? What meds should you give? If you have to intubate, what are the issues you'll have to deal with? This week we glean some valuable management pearls for the management acute COPD exacerbations from this month's Internal Medicine module at Cooper.

A 19 year old female with a history of sickle cell disease presents to the ED with fever, cough and chest pain...

A 64 y/o female presents with two days of "coughing up blood"...

This week during our Internal Medicine module, Dr. Jillian Smith discussed approach to hemoptysis.  Read ahead for highlights of this very informative talk....  

This post is a a summary of a portion of Dr Byrne's airway talk from last month's ResusEM conference at the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. New techniques for preoxygenation before intubation can help to prolong time to desaturation and make this potentially dangerous procedure safer than ever!

With summer in full swing now, swimming emergencies are bound to increase. A recent surge in media coverage may have raised many questions about the phenomenon known as “dry drowning." Variations in nomenclature regarding drowning can lead to confusion and imprecise terminology. Check out this post for a quick review: