When patients present to the Emergency Department with acute upper GI bleeding, the natural inclination is to quickly pull the transfusion trigger. However, a 2013 study gives us pause...
Intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) are rare but significant causes of morbidity and mortality in both traumatic and medical ICU patients.
For some, this topic may be more bread and butter than others. Many of you may work in cold areas where you are likely to see patients with hypothermia on a regular basis, especially in the winter. Whether you work shifts in a mountainous region or are simply catching up on EM topics while studying for boards in your in you flip flops by the beach, here are a few pearls regarding patients who present with hypothermia and their management.
Succinylcholine in the Pediatric Patient
Do you have a patient with altered mental status from Baclofen toxicity? Here's some pearls to remember...
Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) offers rapid transport to trauma centers while simultaneously providing advanced prehospital care. It is through these reasons that HEMS carries a survival benefit over ground emergency medical services (GEMS). However, increasing financial burdens and aviation risks to flight crews/patients complicate the decision to transport a patient by HEMS.
A high-yield summary of the evidence behind the benefit of antibiotics in cirrhotic patients with upper GI bleeding
You are intubating a sick patient in the ED via direct laryngoscopy. After opening the airway, sweeping the tongue with your blade, inserting into the vallecula, and lifting at the precisely correct angle your eyes behold....well...not the vocal cords! Maybe the arytenoid cartilages if you're lucky (aka Cormack Lehane 3 or 4 view). But wait, you aren't finished yet! You reach into your back pocket and remove your trusty bougie...
As the treatment of malignancy evolves, the number patients who are receiving active chemotherapy presenting to the Emergency Department is increasing. Many of these patients present with respiratory chief complaints ranging from mild dyspnea to acute respiratory distress. This post aims to introduce chemotherapy-induced pulmonary toxicity and review those chemotherapuetic agents that commonly affect the lungs.
Following a severe brain injury the goal of the clinician is to prevent secondary brain injury. This entails increasing oxygen delivery to the brain by preventing hypoxia and increasing cerebral perfusion. Hyperosmolar therapy, including mannitol and hypertonic saline, is often used to decrease ICP.
