Contributor: Ricky Dhaliwal, MD Educational Pearls: What are DKA and HHS? DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis) and HHS (Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic State) are both acute hyperglycemic states. DKA More common in type 1 diabetes. Triggered by decreased circulating insulin. The body needs energy but cannot use glucose because it can’t get it into the cells. This leads to increased metabolism of free fatty acids and the increased production of ketones. The buildup of ketones causes acidosis. The kidneys attem...
Mar 11, 2024•8 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen MD Educational Pearls: Button batteries cause alkaline corrosion and erosion of the esophagus when swallowed Children swallow button batteries, which create a medical emergency as they can perforate the esophagus A recent study compared various home remedies as first-aid therapy for button battery ingestion Honey, jam, normal saline, Coca-Cola, orange juice, milk, and yogurt The study used a porcine esophageal model to assess resistance to alkalinization with the differ...
Mar 04, 2024•3 min
Contributor: Ricky Dhaliwal, MD Educational Pearls: What can you do to control bleeding in a penetrating wound? Apply direct pinpoint pressure on the wound as well as proximal to the wound. Build a compression dressing. How do you build a compression dressing? Think about building an upside-down pyramid with the gauze. Consider coagulation agents such as an absorbent gelatin sponge material, microporous polysaccharide hemispheres, oxidized cellulose, fibrin sealants, topical thrombin, or tranexa...
Feb 27, 2024•5 min
Contributors: Kali Olson PharmD, Travis Barlock MD, Jeffrey Olson MS2 Summary: In this episode of Pharmacy Phriday, Dr. Kali Olson joins Dr. Travis Barlock and Jeffrey Olson in studio to discuss a variety of interesting topics in the form of a segment show. Dr. Kali Olson earned her Doctorate of Pharmacy from the University of Colorado, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and completed a PGY1 residency at Detroit Receiving Hospital and a PGY2 residency in Emergency Medicine at Denver Health. She now works...
Feb 23, 2024•43 min
Contributor: Taylor Lynch MD Educational Pearls Hypothermia is defined as a core body temperature less than 35 degrees Celsius or less than 95 degrees Fahrenheit Mild Hypothermia: 32-35 degrees Celsius Presentation: alert, shivering, tachycardic, and cold diuresis Management: Passive rewarming i.e. remove wet clothing and cover the patient with blankets or other insulation Moderate Hypothermia: 28-32 degrees Celsius Presentation: Drowsiness, lack of shivering, bradycardia, hypotension Management...
Feb 19, 2024•5 min
Contributor: Jared Scott MD Educational Pearls: Croup is a respiratory condition typically caused by a viral infection (e.g., parainfluenza). The disease is characterized by inflammation of the larynx and trachea, which often leads to a distinctive barking cough. A common treatment for croup is the powerful steroid dexamethasone, but it can take up to 30 minutes to start working. A folk remedy for croup is to take the afflicted child outside in the cold to help them breathe better, but does it r...
Feb 14, 2024•4 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen MD Educational Pearls: Does the size of a blood pressure (BP) cuff matter? A recent randomized crossover trial revealed that, indeed, cuff size can affect blood pressure readings Design 195 adults with varying mid-upper arm circumferences were randomized to the order of BP cuff application: Appropriate Too small Too large Individuals had their mid-upper arm circumference measured to determine the appropriate cuff size Participants underwent 4 sets of triplicate blood pr...
Feb 05, 2024•2 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen MD Educational Pearls: Is the adage, “GCS of 8, you’ve got to intubate” accurate? A recent study published in the November 2023 issue of JAMA attempted to answer this question. Design Multicenter, randomized trial, in France from 2021 to 2023. 225 patients experiencing comatose in the setting of acute poisoning were randomly assigned to either a conservative airway strategy of withholding intubation or “routine practice” of much more frequent intubation. The primary out...
Jan 29, 2024•3 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen MD Educational Pearls: A 2013 study randomized families of those in cardiac arrest into two groups: Actively offered patients’ families the opportunity to observe CPR Follow standard practice regarding family presence (control group) Of the 266 relatives that received offers to observe CPR, 211 (79%) accepted vs. 43% in the control group observed CPR The study assessed a primary end-point of PTSD-related symptoms 90 days after the event Secondary end-points included dep...
Jan 22, 2024•3 min
Contributor: Ricky Dhaliwal, MD Educational Pearls: Croup Caused by: Parainfluenza, Adenovirus, RSV, Enterovirus (big right now) Age range: 6 months to 3 years Symptoms: Barky cough Inspiratory stridor (Severe = stidor at rest) Use the Westley Croup Score to gauge the severity Treatment: High flow, humidified, cool oxygen Dexamethasone 0.6 mg/kg oral, max 16mg Severe: Racemic Epinephrine 0.5 mL/kg Consider heliox, a mixture of helium and oxygen Very severe: be ready to intubate Bronchiolitis Cau...
Jan 15, 2024•7 min
Contributor: Ricky Dhaliwal MD Educational Pearls: Three zones of the neck with different structures and risks for injuries: Zone 1 is the most caudal region from the clavicle to the cricoid cartilage Zone 2 is from the cricoid cartilage to the angle of the mandible Zone 3 is superior to the angle of the mandible Zone 1 contains the thoracic outlet vasculature (subclavian arteries and veins, internal jugular veins), carotid arteries, vertebral artery, apices of the lungs, trachea, esophagus, spi...
Jan 10, 2024•5 min
Contributor: Kiersten Williams MD, Travis Barlock MD, Jeffrey Olson MS2 Summary: In this episode, Dr. Travis Barlock and Jeffrey Olson meet in the studio to discuss a clip from Dr. Williams’ talk at the “Laboring Under Pressure, Managing Obstetric Emergencies in a Global Setting” event from May 2023. This event was hosted at the University of Denver and was organized with the help of Joe Parker as a fundraiser for the organization Health Outreach Latin America (HOLA). Dr. Kiersten Williams compl...
Jan 08, 2024•25 min
Contributor: Meghan Hurley MD Educational Pearls: What is a nerve block? A nerve block is the medical procedure of injecting anesthetic into the area around a nerve to block pain signals. They are typically done with ultrasound guidance. Are nerve blocks effective? Most of the information we have about nerve blocks is extrapolated from fascia iliaca blocks. This nerve block targets the fascia iliaca compartment, which contains the femoral, lateral femoral cutaneous, and obturator nerves. These b...
Jan 01, 2024•7 min
Contributor: Jorge Chalit, OMS II Educational Pearls: Migraine pathophysiology Primarily mediated through the trigeminovascular system Serotonin, dopamine, and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) Trigeminovascular system is linked to the trigeminal nucleus caudalis, which relays pain to the hypothalamus and cerebral cortex One effective treatment for acute migraines is -triptan medications 5-HT1D/1B agonists such as sumatriptan Often combined with NSAIDs and dopamine antagonists (as antiemeti...
Dec 25, 2023•3 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen MD Educational Pearls: How is the severity of a stroke assessed? Strokes are assessed by the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS), this scale has different tasks, such as asking the person to repeat words, move their arms, or follow simple instructions. The maximum score is 42 but any score over 21 is considered severe. What would qualify as a minor storke? NIH This could be achieved with minor symptoms such as numbness Should patients with minor strokes be given thrombolytics? A n...
Dec 20, 2023•2 min
Contributor: Nick Tsipis MD Educational Pearls: The review article assessed 16.3 million patients across six states to identify those at high-risk for critical revisit Criteria for critical revisit was ICU admission or death within three days of discharge from the ED Critical revisits are extremely rare 0.1% of patients have a critical revisit after discharge 0.00001% die after revisit Of the patients that do experience critical revisits, the two major risk factors are Asthma - relative risk 2.2...
Dec 12, 2023•3 min
Contributor: Meghan Hurley MD Educational Pearls: Pearls about labor: Labor is split into 3 stages. Stage 1 starts when the first persistent contractions are felt and goes up until the cervix is fully dilated and the mother starts pushing. Stage 1 is split into two phases: the latent phase (cervix is dilated from 0-4 cm), and the active phase (cervix dilates from 4-10 cm). The latent phase can take between 6 and 12 hours with contractions happening every 5 to 15 minutes. The active phase usually...
Dec 04, 2023•8 min
Contributor: Dr. Taylor Lynch Educational Pearls: Time of arrival until intubation was 26 minutes but nobody tried anterior neck access like a cricothyrotomy until his dad arrived Traditional ACLS protocol is not enough for anaphylactic respiratory arrest Circulating O2 from compressions alone is not enough to sustain the brain Patients need a definitive airway and endotracheal tube is the best method BVM ventilation is not enough to get patients the oxygen they need Time to anoxic brain injury ...
Nov 27, 2023•6 min
Contributor: Jared Scott MD Educational Pearls: Should we use opioids to treat low back and neck pain? The OPAL Trial, published in The Lancet, in June 2023, attempted to answer this very question. Objective: Investigate the efficacy and safety of a short course of opioid analgesic (oxycodone-naloxone) for acute low back pain and neck pain. Trial Design: Triple-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized trial, conducted in Emergency and Primary Care in Sydney, Australia, involving adults with 12 wee...
Nov 20, 2023•4 min
Contributor: Jared Scott MD Educational Pearls A recently published study assessed the burden of respiratory viruses in a longitudinal cohort of children from 0 to 2 years of age The children in the study received nasal swab PCR testing weekly to determine infectivity They were also monitored for symptoms via weekly text surveys The study differentiated between infection and illness by defining an acute respiratory illness (ARI) as fever ≥38°C or cough. The median infectivity rate was 9.4 viral ...
Nov 13, 2023•3 min
Contributor: Travis Barlock MD Educational Pearls: Common sedatives used in the Emergency Department and a few pearls for each. Propofol Type: Non-barbiturate sedative hypnotic agonizing GABA receptors. Benefit: Quick on and quick off (duration of action is approximately 2-7 minutes), helpful for suspected neurologic injury so the patient can wake up and be re-evaluated. Also has the benefit of reducing intracranial pressure (ICP). Downsides: Hypotension, bradycardia, respiratory depression. Wha...
Nov 06, 2023•5 min
Contributor: Meghan Hurley MD Educational Pearls: Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardial sac, which can arise from infectious or non-infectious etiologies Myocarditis is inflammation of the myocardium, which may accompany pericarditis Pericarditis clinical findings include: Diffuse concave ST elevation, classic for acute pericarditis with myocardial involvement. More common in younger male patients Elevated high-sensitivity troponin - higher levels may occur in young healthy patients Ul...
Oct 30, 2023•7 min
Contributor: Dylan Luyten MD Educational Pearls: What is a Bradyarrhythmia? Also known as a bradyarrhythmia, it is an irregular heart rate that is also slow (below 60 beats per minute). What can cause it? Complete heart block AKA third-degree AV block; identified on ECG by a wide QRS, and complete dissociation between the atrial and ventricular rhythms with the ventricular being much slower. Treat with a pacemaker. Medication overdose, especially beta blockers. Many other drugs can slow the hear...
Oct 23, 2023•3 min
Contributor: Aaron Lessen MD Educational Pearls: Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a common medication to achieve hemostasis in a variety of conditions Patients visiting the ED for gross hematuria (between March 2022 and September 2022) were treated with intravesical TXA 1 g tranexamic acid in 100 mL NS via Foley catheter Clamped Foley for 15 minutes Subsequent continuous bladder irrigation, as is standard in most EDs Compared with a cohort of patients visiting the ED for a similar concern between March ...
Oct 16, 2023•2 min
Contributor: Meghan Hurley MD Educational Pearls: What is Cellulitis? A common and potentially serious bacterial skin infection. Caused by various types of bacteria, with Streptococcus and Staphylococcus species being the most common. What is Preseptal Cellulitis and why is it more serious than facial cellulitis? Preseptal Cellulitis, also known as Periorbital Cellulitis, is a bacterial infection of the soft tissues in the eyelid and the surrounding area. This requires prompt and aggressive trea...
Oct 09, 2023•5 min
Contributors: Andrew White MD - Outpatient Psychiatrist; Fellowship Trained in Addiction Psychiatry; Denver Health Travis Barlock MD - Emergency Medicine Physician; Swedish Medical Center Summary In this episode of Mental Health Monthly, Dr. Travis Barlock hosts Dr. Andrew White to discuss the elements of mania that may be encountered in the emergency department. The discussion includes a helpful mnemonic to assess mania, work-up and treatment in the ED, underlying causes of mania, mental health...
Oct 05, 2023•41 min
Contributor: Travis Barlock MD Education Pearls: The Cushing Reflex is a physiologic response to elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) Cushing’s Triad: widened pulse pressure (systolic hypertension), bradycardia, and irregular respirations Increased ICP results from systolic hypertension, which causes a parasympathetic reflex to drop heart rate, leading to Cushing’s Triad. The Cushing Reflex is a sign of herniation Treatment includes: Hypertonic saline is comparable to mannitol and preferable in ...
Oct 02, 2023•4 min
Contributors: Kalen Abbott, MD - EM Physician and Medical Director for AirLife Denver Brendan Reiss - Flight Nurse AirLife Denver Matt Spoon - Flight Paramedic AirLife Denver Jordan Ourada - EMS Coordinator at Swedish Medical Center and Paramedic Summary: In this episode, hosted by Jordan Ourada, Brendan Reiss and Matt Spoon present a first-hand experience case of hydrofluoric acid exposure in a pediatric patient. Commentary and educational pearls are provided by EM Physician, Kalen Abbott. The ...
Sep 29, 2023•41 min
Contributor: Meghan Hurley MD Educational Pearls: What is ATLS? Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) is a systematic and comprehensive approach to the evaluation and management of trauma patients It was developed by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) The key components include the Primary Survey ("ABCDE"), the Secondary Survey, Definitive Care, and Special Considerations What are the issues with ATLS? ATLS relies on many algorithms and rules-of-thumb, which might be helpful for individuals wi...
Sep 25, 2023•7 min
Contributor: Meghan Hurley MD Educational Pearls: Shift work is defined as anything that takes place outside of a 9-5 schedule, not exempting day-shift medical workers Various ill effects of shift work on overall health: Increased all-cause mortality Increased number of accidents Glucose metabolism dysregulation Increased BMI Fertility impacts for men and women Increased breast cancer risk Decreased cognitive functioning Mitigation strategies Work at the same time every day Anchor Sleep - always...
Sep 18, 2023•4 min
