Contributor: Chris Holmes, MD Educational Pearls: Through world history, there have been various interesting approaches to wound care Ancient Egyptians applied honey, lint, and grease which provided antimicrobial, absorptive and moisturizing properties, respectively Ancient Greeks irrigated wounds with clean water and applied wine and vinegar which may have been antimicrobial One of the first synthetic topical antimicrobials was a dye researched by scientist Gerhard Domagk and later produced by ...
Jan 04, 2023•4 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Wound care in the emergency department aims to prevent future infection Copious wound irrigation is the important step in preventing wound infection Studies have shown that irrigation with tap water is just as effective, if not superior, to irrigation with saline or other solutions Several studies have shown no reduction in wound infection rates when using sterile gloves during wound care Recent study in the Netherlands compared infection rates b...
Jan 03, 2023•3 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Pediatric patients frequently have vital signs considered abnormal for age at discharge Large multicenter study recently evaluated if pediatric patients discharged with abnormal vital signs have worse outcomes 97,824 pediatric discharges were included in the study 18.1% were discharged with vitals considered abnormal for age No significant difference in readmission rates at 48 hours (2.28% in abnormal cohort vs. 2.45% in normal cohort) No signifi...
Dec 29, 2022•4 min
Contributor: Travis Barlock, MD Educational Pearls: The causes of pancreatitis can be remembered with the mnemonic: “GET SMASHED” G: Gallstones (Most common cause of pancreatitis overall) E: Ethanol (Alcohol consumption is the most common cause of chronic pancreatitis) T: Trauma S: Steroids M: Malignancy A: Autoimmune S: Scorpion Sting H: Hypertryglyceridemia E: ERCP D: Drugs (e.g. Valproate, Antiretrovirals) References Beyer G, Habtezion A, Werner J, Lerch MM, Mayerle J. Chronic pancreatitis. L...
Dec 19, 2022•3 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint is uncommon accounting for Immunosuppression and IV drug use increases the risk Can account for up to 17% of septic arthritis cases in patients who use IV drugs Symptoms are typically vague with pain presenting around where the sternum meets the clavicle Consider imaging with CT or MRI and draining/analyzing the fluid if possible Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment, but surgery may be required ...
Dec 13, 2022•5 min
Contributor: Meghan Hurley, MD Educational Pearls: Venomous snakes in the United States include species from the family Elapidae and subfamily Crotalinae In prehospital setting, elevate the bitten extremity and transport to hospital immediately Do not attempt interventions with the bite site Monitor for progression of swelling past any joint line, systemic symptoms or lab abnormalities for 8-12 hours Symptoms may present up to hours after bite Crotalinae venom has heme toxicity and may present w...
Dec 12, 2022•6 min
Contributor: Jared Scott, MD Educational Pearls: Two conventional ways to aid in external jugular vein (EJ) catheter placement are Trendelenburg’s position and Valsalva’s maneuver by patient One study compared ultrasound visualization of cross sections of EJ and common femoral vein at baseline and with patients in Trendelenburg's position, Valsalva's maneuver, and while humming The study found all three conditions distended the veins from baseline, but there was no significant difference in diam...
Dec 06, 2022•3 min
Contributor: Meghan Hurley, MD Educational Pearls: Syncope is defined as a loss of consciousness with an immediate return to baseline Differential is broad Cardiogenic Structural (aortic stenosis, HOCUM, etc.) Electrical (long QT syndrome, Brugada, etc.) Neurogenic/neurovascular (brain bleed, etc.) Seizure Everything else Hypoglycemia, anemia, and bleeding into the abdominal cavity are some potential causes to rule out Vasovagal Diagnosis of exclusion Work Up EKG Good H&P Labs especially Hb and ...
Dec 05, 2022•6 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Torus (Buckle) fractures are a commonly encountered pediatric fracture pattern Typically presents as wrist pain secondary to a child falling on outstretched hand One edge of the bone “buckles” or bends because children’s bones are softer and more pliable Management Older studies have shown that short term immobilization with a velcro splint and primary care follow up is sufficient Recent randomized trial compared immobilization with Velcro splint...
Nov 29, 2022•4 min
Contributor: Travis Barlock, MD Educational Pearls: Normal Saline (NS) contains 154 mEq of both Sodium (Na) and Chloride (Cl), and has a pH of 5.5 Normal Na and Cl in adult humans are about 140 mEq/L and 103 mEq/L. respectively Excess negative charge resulting from hyperchloremia is managed via bicarbonate excretion leading to loss of base Overall, administration of NS drives metabolic acidosis Lactated Ringers (LR) contains 130 mEq of Na and 109 mEq Cl, and has a pH of 6.5 LR components are clo...
Nov 28, 2022•5 min
Happy Thanksgiving EMM listeners, Mason here wanting to extend a special thank you to all of you for tuning in to our show. Today we are featuring a special episode on health disparities in the opioid epidemic and their intersection with the ER that we produced for the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative’s Compass Opioid Stewardship Program , a national initiative to provide comprehensive education on opioid stewardship and best practices. In an effort to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in Em...
Nov 23, 2022•52 min
Educational Pearls: Most common sexually transmitted disease (STD) in North America: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) From the emergency department patients should be connected to follow-up care and educated on vaccine series Most common non-viral STD in North America: Trichomonas Vaginalis While men may be asymptomatic, they can transmit the disease to women who may experience irritation leading to increased likelihood of PID and contraction of other STDs and HIV Trichomonas is diagnosed via wet prep...
Nov 22, 2022•5 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen,MD Educational Pearls: R ecent study looked at mechanically ventilated patients in ED and ICU to determine if O2 saturation level impacted patient outcomes 2541 patients randomized to one of three target O2 saturation levels Low: 90% (Range: 88-92%) Intermediate: 94% (Range: 92-96%) High: 98% (Range: 96-100%) Outcome indicators Primary: Number of days alive and ventilator free by day 28 of hospital admission Secondary: Mortality at 28 days No significant difference was ...
Nov 21, 2022•3 min
Contributor: Travis Barlock, MD Educational Pearls: Gauge and length of catheter are determinants of flow rate Smaller gauges produce higher flow rate Longer catheters reduce flow rate Common IV gauges produce predictable rates of flow: 20 gauge = 60 cc/min 18 gauge = 105 cc/min 16 gauge = 220 cc/min Central lines typically have two 18 gauge and one 16 gauge lumen, both with long catheters, producing the following slower flow rates: 18 gauge = 26 cc /min 16 gauge = 55 cc/min Sheath Introducers, ...
Nov 15, 2022•3 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Monkeypox transmission is still occurring in the United States Transmitted by contact to exposed lesion MSM are a high-risk group for monkeypox infection Symptoms include rash and flu like symptoms Monkeypox lesions are often described as blister-like, firm, clear, and rubbery Most commonly develop on the face and/or anogenital regions Patients with potential monkeypox infection should be moved to isolation to reduce risk of transmission Provider...
Nov 14, 2022•4 min
Contributor: Nick Hatch, MD Educational Pearls: In the setting of traumatic injury, tranexamic acid (TXA) is given to stabilize clots which minimizes bleeding and decreases risk of hemorrhagic shock Current TXA dose for trauma is 1 g bolus followed by a 1 g infusion; both doses should be given within 3 hours from time of injury Due to the split dose and narrow window, patients with complicated care, particularly if they require transfer may miss the infusion dose Various smaller studies have sho...
Nov 08, 2022•4 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Recent study evaluated if early exposure to an allergen impacted the rate of allergy development later in childhood Children were exposed to peanut, milk, wheat, and egg allergens at 3 months of age and then followed for 3 years 2.5-3% of children who were not exposed developed allergies to these allergens 1% of children exposed to the allergens developed allergies to these allerrgens Exposing 63 children to allergens at 3 months would prevent th...
Nov 07, 2022•3 min
Contributor: Travis Barlock, MD Educational Pearls: The presence of a STEMI has traditionally been used to determine if a patient with acute chest pain requires urgent cath lab management STEMI indicates an occluded coronary artery, and urgent intervention is needed to restore perfusion to ischemic tissue Patients with occluded coronary arteries can present with EKG findings other than STEMI 2022 ACC Expert Consensus Decision Pathway on the Evaluation and Disposition of Acute Chest Pain in the E...
Nov 01, 2022•4 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: In urban settings, it is becoming more common for police to transport critical patients from scene to hospital A 2022 multicenter observational study compared mortality rates in patients with penetrating injury to torso and/or proximal extremity when transported by EMS versus police Approximately 18% of patients were transported by police Overall mortality was approximately 15% in both groups In patients with more severe injury, mortality was sti...
Oct 31, 2022•3 min
Contributor: Travis Barlock, MD Educational Pearls: Catheter related blood infections were thought to be caused by skin flora seeding the catheter. Thus, significant effort is applied to sterility and skin preparation. However, studies have shown that bacteria growing on the tip of the catheter is not consistent with growth on cultures of skin. Staphylococcus epidermidis is commonly found on cultures of catheter sites. It has also been found in the gut flora of >50% of ICU patients. Rates of cat...
Oct 25, 2022•3 min
Contributor: Jared Scott, MD Educational Pearls: Immediate resuscitative thoracotomy can be performed in the ED to gain rapid access to the thoracic cavity in cases of traumatic cardiac arrest Western Trauma Association Society Criteria for ED thoracotomy Blunt trauma + Penetrating trauma to torso + Penetrating trauma to the neck/extremity + Signs of life with refractory shock can consider resuscitative thoracotomy Outcomes in immediate resuscitative thoracotomy are poor but are improving A rece...
Oct 24, 2022•7 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Lateral Cutaneous Femoral Nerve Entrapment Syndrome, also known as Meralgia Paresthetica, results from entrapment of the lateral cutaneous femoral nerve, often as it exits the pelvis under the inguinal ligament. Meralgia Paresthetica is associated with obesity, pregnancy, compression from clothing or belts and diabetes. Symptoms include numbness, paresthesia and pain of the proximal lateral thigh. Signs or symptoms of radiculopathy such as weakne...
Oct 18, 2022•3 min
Contributor: Travis Barlock, MD Educational Pearls: An EKG should be obtained quickly after a syncopal event to identify possible life-threatening causes such as ischemia and arrhythmia WOBBLER is a good mnemonic for remembering additional EKG findings to look for in syncope W olff-Parkinson-White (WPW) Check for delta wave on QRS O bstructed AV node Any potential heart blocks B rugada syndrome Na channel blockade that can cause ST elevations in anterior leads B ifascicular block Conduction bloc...
Oct 17, 2022•5 min
Contributor: Don Stader, MD Educational Pearls: Home naloxone is traditionally given to those at high risk for opioid overdose such as those in the ED due to an opioid overdose, opioid intoxication, or admit to illicit opioid use There are a number of other patient populations that benefit from home naloxone including those on chronic opioid or benzodiazepine therapy, and those who report any type of illicit drug use Any illicit drug could be laced with opioids, and those who use drugs are more ...
Oct 11, 2022•4 min
Contributor: Jared Scott, MD Educational Pearls: Elevated lactate levels can be a useful indicator of critical illness in patients who meet SIRS criteri a Lactate can also be elevated due to other causes including seizures and medications such as albuterol and metformin A recent study from Switzerland* performed routine point-of-care lactate testing in all elderly patients presenting at triage in the emergency department in order to determine the prevalence of elevated lactate in the population ...
Oct 10, 2022•5 min
Contributor: Don Stader, MD Educational Pearls: There are two major groups of local anesthetics: Amide and Esther To recall what group an anesthetic belongs to, use this memory trick: Amide has an ‘i’ in the name and Amide anesthetics have 2 ‘i’s e.g., Lidocaine. Ester has no ‘i’ and most common Ester anesthetics have only one ‘i’ e.g., Tetracaine. In a true allergy and/or contraindication to both local anesthetic groups, diphenhydramine is an acceptable alternative. Epinephrine is administered ...
Oct 04, 2022•7 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: 2020 retrospective study with dat from two California hospitals compared rates of cardiovascular admissions in a five day period two weeks before and the five days after the presidential election Hospitalization rate for acute cardiovascular disease increased by 17% and rate of acute myocardial infarction increased by 42% Highest rates occurred in demographic of white males older than 75 years old No significant difference between groups in rates...
Oct 03, 2022•2 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: The management of severe asthma or COPD exacerbation is complex, especially when the patient requires intubation/ventilation Asthma is an obstructive airway disease that can cause air trapping and hyperinflation of the lungs To avoid worsening hyperinflation patients typically require slower respiratory rates, lower tidal volumes, and increased expiratory time when on a ventilator Patients on a ventilator require very close monitoring to prevent ...
Sep 27, 2022•4 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Historically, pancreatitis has been treated with aggressive IV fluid rehydration. Recently published data shows this may not be appropriate. A randomized, controlled, multi-hospital trial evaluated outcomes for patients with acute pancreatitis receiving lactated Ringer’s solution Aggressive fluid resuscitation group received 20ml/kg bolus + 3ml/hour Moderate fluid resuscitation groups received either 10 ml/kg bolus if hypovolemic or no bolus if n...
Sep 26, 2022•3 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Recent study looked at the impact of screen time on duration of post-concussive symptoms 125 patients aged 12-25 diagnosed with a concussion were randomized to either abstain from or have unrestricted screen time for 48 hours after injury Patients with unrestricted screen time averaged approximately 5 hours/day of screen time Patients in the no screen time group averaged approximately 1 hour/day of screen time Statistically significant difference...
Sep 19, 2022•3 min
