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EM Quick Hits 72 EMC²: Peds Neurocritical Care, Pulmonary Hypertension, Cytokine Release Syndrome, Peds Wrist Fracture, Bradycardia ECG Interpretation, Coaching the EM Mind Part 2
In this month’s EM Quick Hits Podcast, Amna Karabegovic joins us for an EMC² case of pediatric altered LOA and neurocritical care, Anand Swaminathan simplifies the high-risk management of pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure, and Brit Long reviews how to recognize and treat Cytokine Release Syndrome. Plus, Andrew Tagg on whether uncomplicated pediatric distal radius fractures need reduction, Jesse McLaren on a systematic approach to ECG interpretation in the bradycardic patient, and Sara Gray and Katie Lin return for Part 2 of “Coaching the EM Mind,” with practical strategies for managing stress and optimizing psychological safety on shift… Please consider a donation to ensure EM Cases continues to be high quality Free Open Access Medical Education here: https://emergencymedicinecases.com/donation/
Ep 220 Facial Injuries: Assessment, Management and Disposition
Facial trauma is common in emergency medicine, but the biggest pitfalls are often not the fractures themselves—they're the threatened airway, vision-threatening ocular injuries, missed septal hematomas, and subtle soft tissue injuries hiding beneath the skin. Which facial fracture is most likely to cause delayed airway obstruction? Why does the physical examination often matter more than the CT scan? Which injuries require urgent consultation or transfer, and which can safely go home? In this episode of EM Cases, Anton is joined by Dr. Jeff Fialkov and Dr. Andrew Petrosoniak for a practical, top-down approach to facial trauma covering airway, bleeding, vision-threatening injuries, fracture assessment, soft tissue injuries, and disposition. Please consider a donation to EM Cases to ensure ongoing high quality Free Open Access Medical Education here: https://emergencymedicinecases.com/donation/
Ep 219 Hip Emergencies: Recognition and Management
Hip complaints are bread-and-butter emergency medicine—but every so often they are anything but straightforward. The obvious shortened, externally rotated leg after a fall is one thing; the patient with acute hip pain, a normal x-ray, unremarkable blood work, and no clear diagnosis is another. Hip fractures are also far from benign, carrying a 30-day mortality of 6–7% and a 1-year mortality of about 20%, often triggering a cascade of pain, immobility, delirium, deconditioning, and death. But hip fractures are only the tip of the iceberg. In this EM Cases episode, Dr. Arun Sayal and Dr. Matt DiStefano go beyond “get an x-ray and call ortho” to tackle hip fractures, occult injuries, atraumatic hip pain, and hip dislocations. We answer questions like: Why do so many patients never return to baseline after a hip fracture? What can we do in the ED to avoid delaying surgery? What are the best pain management and delirium prevention strategies? Which physical exam findings help diagnose an occult hip fracture? How do we distinguish hip from pelvic fractures clinically? When is a normal x-ray not enough, and when should we proceed to CT or MRI? What is POCUS useful for in the painful hip? How should hip fractures be classified to change ED management? How should we approach atraumatic hip pain? How do native and prosthetic hip dislocations differ? What clinical position suggests posterior versus anterior dislocation? Which reduction technique should we choose? What is the Whistler technique? What are the nuances of post-reduction management? And much more. Please consider a donation to EM Cases to support ongoing high-quality Free Open Access Medical Education: https://emergencymedicinecases.com/donation/
ECG Cases 62 – ACLS Arrhythmia Pitfalls, Part 5: Stable Narrow Complex Tachycardias
Stable narrow complex tachycardias are not always what they seem. In this ECG Cases, Dr. Jesse McLaren explores the key pitfalls in distinguishing sinus tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and SVT, with 8 real-world cases highlighting common ECG interpretation errors, secondary causes, and the crucial management decisions that can prevent patient harm... Please consider a donation to EM Cases to ensure continued Free Open Access Medical Education here: https://emergencymedicinecases.com/donation/
Journal Jam 24 Antibiotics for Strep Throat: Evidence, Myths and Misperceptions
Antibiotics for strep throat seem like a simple decision—but the evidence is anything but simple. In this Journal Jam podcast with Dr. Casey Parker and Dr. Justin Morgenstern, we critically appraise the literature behind one of the most common infections seen in emergency medicine. Do antibiotics meaningfully improve symptoms? Do they prevent peritonsillar abscess, post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis, or rheumatic fever? How reliable are the studies informing our practice? We explore publication bias, limitations of the Centor score, antibiotic harms, and the importance of local epidemiology, helping clinicians move beyond dogma toward more nuanced, evidence-based decision-making... Please consider a donation to EM Cases to ensure ongoing high quality free open access medical education here: https://emergencymedicinecases.com/donation/
Ep 218 Substance Use Disorder in the ED – Stigma, Compassion and System Change
Emergency physicians pride themselves on recognizing and treating life-threatening illness under pressure. Yet one of the most lethal, common, and treatable conditions presenting to our EDs still often receives fragmented, stigmatized care: substance use disorder. The opioid crisis has evolved into an era of increasingly toxic and unpredictable drug supplies, including ultra-potent synthetic opioids such as nitazenes. Between 2016 and 2021, more than 27,000 Canadians died from opioid toxicity, while opioid-related ED visits continue to rise sharply. Patients discharged with untreated opioid use disorder face mortality rates approaching 5% within 12 months. Despite this, substance use disorder is still not consistently approached with the same urgency and systems-based care as other chronic high-risk illnesses. In this episode, Dr. Bjug Borgundvaag, Tish Mizon and Kari Herbert discuss how stigma affects care in the ED and how trauma-informed communication, person-first language, compassionate care, peer navigators and Bridge-style addiction programs can improve outcomes for both patients and clinicians. Please support EM Cases ongoing Free Open Access Medical Education learning platform with a donation here: https://emergencymedicinecases.com/donation/
