Placement of a foley catheter is usually a simple process. However when it doesn’t go smoothly, when the foley just won’t seem to pass, there are specific approaches that are needed to successfully catheterize the patient. Suprapubic catheters will also frequently need replacement and troubleshooting in the ED.
Read MoreRib fractures occur in up to 10% of all traumatically injured patients and these fractures are frequently associated with respiratory complications such a pneumonia. In the ED, our typical protocol to decrease the incidence of these respiratory complications is early initiation of aggressive pain control and pulmonary hygiene. These patients often will receive systemic analgesia with opiates to decrease the incidence of these respiratory complications, which leads to its own set of opiate associated-complications, including constipation, delirium and dependence.
Read MoreShoulder injury and dislocations are common reasons for patients to present to the emergency department (ED) for evaluation. As ED physicians we often must determine whether the shoulder is fractured, dislocated, or both. Most of the time this is done through the use of physical examination in addition to the use of a plain film radiograph of the shoulder.
The use of ultrasound in the diagnosis and management of musculoskeletal injuries is becoming more common. While it currently does not supplant the use of radiographs, it can be a useful adjunct to the management of these patients.
Read MoreThe anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the most commonly injured knee ligaments, with nearly 200,000 injuries annually in the US, with ~100,000 requiring reconstruction. The ACL prevents anterior translation of the tibia relative to the femur and is a secondary restraint to tibial and varus/valgus rotation. Accurately diagnosing ACL injuries in the ED after an acute knee injury remains difficult. The diagnosis is complicated because clinical tests are performed on an acutely injured knee, which is likely swollen and painful, leading to muscle contractures and patient apprehension. As Emergency Medicine physicians, we must have some confidence in suspicion of an ACL tear because not all patients can or should be referred for prompt orthopedic follow-up.
Read MoreA Maisonneuve fracture is a specific ankle fracture pattern that involves the medial malleolus, syndesmosis and proximal fibula. It can be easily missed if a provider does not routinely evaluate the proximal fibula as part of their ankle examination, as x-rays of the ankle can often appear normal. Disruption of these structures yields an unstable ankle fracture, thus making close follow up for operative management imperative. It is key to identify this fracture when patients present to the Emergency Department with ankle injuries to ensure definitive management and prevention of complications down the line.
Read MoreMore than 1.5 million adults undergo tracheal intubation outside of the operating room each year in the United States. Traditionally, this has been performed with direct laryngoscopy, where a clinician displaces the patient’s tongue and epiglottis with a laryngoscope blade to visualize the vocal cords through the mouth, allowing for direct visualization of the passage of an endotracheal tube. An alternative method for tracheal intubation is video laryngoscopy, where a camera on the distal half of the blade transmits an image to a screen allowing for indirect visualization of the vocal cords and passage of an endotracheal tube without direct line of site.
Read MoreRapid sequence intubation (RSI) is frequently performed under emergent conditions in acutely ill patients. RSI is a technique for managing the emergency airway that induces immediate unresponsiveness (induction agent) and muscular relaxation (neuromuscular blocking agent). In properly selected patients, it is a quick, safe, and effective approach that results in optimal intubating conditions. However, one of the feared complications of RSI is post-intubation hypotension leading to cardiovascular collapse. Although there are multiple possible reasons for hypotension post-intubation, the choice and dosing of induction agents has been implicated.
Read MoreThe workup of febrile infants (<60 days) can be extensive and invasive. This post and podcast covers a recent paper by the PECARN research group that sought an answer to the question: What is the prevalence of bacteremia and/or bacterial meningitis (“invasive bacterial illness”, ISI) in febrile infants ≤60 days of age with a positive urinalysis (UA) result?
Read MoreEnd-Tidal CO2 monitoring has a variety of uses in the Emergency Department. Whether used diagnostically or for monitoring of a patient’s physiology, clinicians must possess an understanding of the information that you can gather from EtCO2 waveform tracings. Knowing how to interpret the waveforms makes EtCO2 much more than a number, allowing the clinician to gain insight into minute to minute changes in a patients physiological state.
Read MoreBoarding of admitted patients in the ED and subsequent overcrowding of ED’s continues to plague hospitals in the United States and Internationally. The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated an already growing problem regarding capacity management and patient flow. In this current climate, the Emergency Physician’s responsibilities continue to shift toward the front-end of the process, mainly patients waiting to be seen in the lobby. As such, identifying sick patients in a timely manner and utilizing additional resources to predict patients at risk of clinical deterioration will be paramount moving forward.
Read MoreAs an EM physician, it is important to have an understanding of the spectrum of foot injuries and how these are appropriately evaluated. Certain injuries carry risks of further injury, injury-related complications, and poor outcomes which are exacerbated if they are inappropriately managed in the ED. This post will cover some of the most common and important injuries, but is not comprehensive. Injuries discussed are shown in Image 1.
Read MoreAs an EM physician, it is important to have an understanding of the spectrum of ankle injuries and how these are appropriately evaluated. Certain injuries carry risks of further injury, injury-related complications, and poor outcomes which are exacerbated if they are inappropriately managed in the ED. This post will cover some of the most common and important injuries, but is not comprehensive.
Read MoreSepsis, including severe sepsis and septic shock, is a frequently encountered condition in the emergency department and carries a high mortality rate. One of the primary pathophysiologic mechanisms involves complex cascade of host dysregulation in response to an infectious stimulus (Evans, Rhodes et al. 2021, Jarczak, Kluge et al. 2021). Recent meta-analyses and systematic reviews evaluating mortality in patients with septic shock reported mortality as high as 35% and 38% at 30 and 90 days, respectively (Vincent, Jones et al. 2019, Bauer, Gerlach et al. 2020). Despite the complexity and heterogeneity of patients with sepsis, there have been few interventions which have been demonstrated to decrease mortality: early antimicrobial and fluid administration (Levy, Evans et al. 2018, Kuttab, Lykins et al. 2019, Evans, Rhodes et al. 2021, Im, Kang et al. 2022), ideally with antibiotics administered within one hour of sepsis recognition by the treating provider (Evans, Rhodes et al. 2021). Each subsequent one-hour delay in antimicrobial administration increases mortality by 35% in patients with septic shock (Im, Kang et al. 2022).
Read MoreOften when we see elevated temperatures in the emergency department, our first instinct is to search for an infectious source. However, when body temperatures start exceeding 40.5 degrees, infection is a less likely etiology and there are a plethora of conditions that need to be considered.
Read MoreThe management of atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response is often complicated by the presence of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. The presence of HFrEF limits pharmacologic options for rate control. This podcast will cover a retrospective study looking at the use of metoprolol vs diltiazem in patients with A fib with RVR and concomitant heart failure
Read MoreSRU (pronounced "shrew") = Shock Resuscitation Unit
Training in, and managing, the SRU is one of the crown jewels of our residency. It is where the sickest of the sick patients are found in our ED. It is a crucible, a test of knowledge and strength, and a true manifestation of the tripartite mission of our department: Leadership, Excellence, and Opportunity.
Training in, and managing, the SRU is one of the crown jewels of our residency. It is where the sickest of the sick patients are found in our ED. It is a crucible, a test of knowledge and strength, and a true manifestation of the tripartite mission of our department: Leadership, Excellence, and Opportunity.
