Kyle Kelson, Downstate/Kings County Emergency Medicine resident.
@kelsonmd
Last month we discussed the use of needle aspiration as an alternative to placing a traditional large-bore chest tube in patients with spontaneous pneumothoraces. One of the selling points of using these less invasive methods is that they decrease the amount of time these patients spend in the hospital. In fact, Read more…
A young, tall, athletic man is brought to your emergency department by ambulance after he experiences sudden-onset shortness of breath. He’s tachypneic but not has otherwise normal vital signs upon examination. You’re not sure if you hear breath sounds on one side. Being the ultrasound enthusiast that you are, you Read more…
There’s no ‘normal’ day in the Emergency Department. It’s a matter of pride that as a group, we’re all highly adaptable and energetic enough to handle anything that comes through the door at any moment. It’s never boring. It’s an honor and a privilege that we’re exposed to some of Read more…
A young woman presents to your ED with shortness of breath and pleuritic chest pain. She states she got off a long plane flight from the Philippines. She is mildly tachycardic. OK, you think, let’s just whip out the ol’ Well’s criteria and get to work. You pull up her Read more…
A young child presents to your ED after falling off his swing and landing directly on his forehead. He’s going to need some stitches. Unfortunately, he just doesn’t want to cooperate, is not at all entertained by your Dora the Explorer stickers, and the tearful parents are refusing to assist Read more…
It’s a quiet night in CCT, and you receive a notification from EMS about an elderly, tachycardic and hypotensive patient. When the patient arrives, her airway is intact, and she is altered. EMS was unable to obtain IV access in the field, and the nurse is unable to obtain venous Read more…