As the weather becomes nicer, more people are venturing outside to work on their yards, hike and just take in the sun - and hence, more people are becoming exposed to poison ivy, oak, and sumac.  Learn the basic management for toxicodendron dermatitis. 

Submitted by Lauren Murphy, MD

For all of us who have placed a central line with the seldinger technique, you know that there is a risk that your needle will become displaced when trying to dislodge the syringe and place the guidewire. This causes increased time, multiple sticks, and pure frustration.

A 55 year old male presents to the ED in respiratory distress with hypoxia, tachycardia, and tracheal deviation. The patient is stabilized after intubation and chest tube insertion. What's the diagnosis?

Summer is fast approaching (woohoo)! For many of us living in endemic areas, that means we need to consider tick borne illnesses in many of our differentials of patients with flu-like illnesses and possibly a rash. Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are often the diseases that we remember easily. Below are some pearls to help clinch the diagnosis of some of the lesser known tick borne illnesses or, in some cases, answer a test question correctly!

Submitted by Catherine Ginty, MD