Grand Rounds Recap 1.3.17

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Grand Rounds Recap 1.3.17

The first grand rounds of 2018 started out with an R4 Simulation that highlighted the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of salicylate toxicity.  This was followed by a guest lecture by Dr. Richard Sears, who discussed the benefits of wellness and mindfulness, and how we can apply them in the workplace.  Dr. Hall then went over the utility and application of various labs used to evaluate patients with sickle cell disease who present in vaso-occlusive crisis.  We then finished the conference with a case based discussion on septic bursitis led by Dr. Mike Klaszky. 

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Laboratory Evaluation of Sickle Cell Disease in the ED

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Laboratory Evaluation of Sickle Cell Disease in the ED

Given the morbidity of sickle cell disease, these patients frequently present to the emergency department, raising questions of: what laboratory testing is needed in these patients? And, how do we interpret commonly ordered labs in these patients? This article will discuss the basic principles of these commonly ordered studies in hopes of delineating when they are necessary and how they can help in the evaluation of the sickle cell patient presenting to the emergency department.

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Liver Function Tests Decoded

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Liver Function Tests Decoded

If the chief complaint of your patient is abdominal pain, altered mental status, overdose, generalized weakness chances are you at least considered ordering a hepatic panel. In fact, studies show that the hepatic panel is the third most common laboratory test ordered in the emergency department only behind the CBC and renal panel. If emergency medicine physicians are so quick to order this test, it is important to also know how to interpret all the little red arrows that often accompany your results. For this we will review each component and even (wait for it) … a little biochemistry!

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