Spider bites are a common occurrence in the United States. While most bites are benign, there are two types of spiders with clinical importance to emergency physicians because their venom can cause significant systemic manifestations. These are widow spiders and recluse spiders. Missed diagnosis is common for both bite types, Read more…
Accurate and expeditious diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction or acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is one of the key charges of emergency medicine providers. Chest pain is the second most common reason for emergency department visits in the United States and coronary artery disease is our leading cause of death (1,2). Read more…
Spider bites are a common occurrence in the United States. While most bites are benign, there are two types of spiders with clinical importance to emergency physicians because their venom can cause significant systemic manifestations. These are widow spiders and brown spiders. Missed diagnosis is common for both bite types, Read more…
Congratulations to Dr. Charles Murchison for our save of the month! A 75-year-old man with history of HTN and BPH presented with a single episode of rectal bleeding. His exam was notable for hemorrhoids, and his hemoglobin was at baseline. Previously, the patient had been discharged home, but he passed Read more…
Here are some highlights from our weekly education conference from May 1, 2019. Dr. Andy Wong gave his senior lecture on “Things That Sting You”: Fire Ants sting you They are found in the Southeast US Local care for stings is all that’s needed – use ice for pain and Read more…
Note:This post on resident life is not a peer-reviewed article. Those that know me know I do a lot of cooking. It was actually one of the careers I was choosing between when I decided to leave engineering and go into medicine. So for me it is especially important to Read more…
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is seen so often in our ED we may take the diagnosis and treatment for granted. Just follow the numbers – potassium 3.5, glucose 250, insulin drip at 0.1 U/kg/hr. But it helps to understand the underlying pathophysiology, because this can help you form a more nuanced Read more…
The RADICAL Trial was a prospective, double-blind, randomized, non-inferiority trial evaluating reduced dose (62.5 mg twice daily) vs. standard dose (125 mg twice daily) of acetazolamide for the prevention of acute mountain sickness in adults trekking to Everest Base Camp in Nepal.(1). Background: The current standard pharmacologic prophylaxis for acute Read more…
A 65-year-old male with history of diabetes mellitus type 2, hypertension, and hypothyroidism presented to the ED with nausea and vomiting that began that morning. He also reported generalized weakness and decreased exercise tolerance. Upon initial presentation, the patient had a heart rate of 109 per minute, blood pressure 107/68 Read more…
February’s Food & Journal Club (FJC) article was chosen by one of the senior residents to open up a discussion regarding evaluation of chest pain in the ED and the utility of the HEART score in our patient population. The gracious Dr. Stetz hosted, the venerable Dr. Wiener presided, and Read more…