Best Case Ever is a mini podcast where an Emergency Medicine Cases guest expert describes a practice changing case, what they learned from it, and clinical pearls and pitfalls you can use on your next shift.

BCE 73 Esmolol in Refractory Ventricular Fibrillation

In anticipation of EM Cases Episode 112 on Tachydysrhthmias with Amal Mattu and Paul Dorion, Melanie Baimel tells her Best Case Ever of a previously healthy young man who presents in refractory ventricular fibrillation after receiving multiple single shocks, ongoing chest compressions, several rounds of epinephrine, amiodarone and dual sequence defibrillation without ROSC...

BCE 72 Overinvestigation in Emergency Medicine

With increased access to timely advanced diagnostic testing in ED rational resource utilization is becoming ever more important. In his Best Case Ever Dr. Shabhaz Syed argues that a patient at Janus General who presented to the ED with chest pain, died as a result of overinvestigation, and explains how understanding the factors that contribute to overinvestigation, Baysian theory, diagnostic decision analysis, radiation risk, and teaching "dogma" may help prevent overinvestigation in Emergency Medicine...

BCE 71 Cricothyrotomy and the Value of Simulation Training

In anticipation of EM Cases Episode 110 Airway Pitfalls Live from EMU 2018 with Scott Weingart, we have Dr. Shira Brown tell her Best Case Ever of a pediatric trauma patient who required a cricothyrotomy. She explains how, despite working in a non-trauma center with limited resources, her team was well prepared because of the robust simulation program specifically designed for practicing emergency physicians that she had developed in her region. We also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the scalpel-Bougie vs scalpel-finger-Bougie cricothyrotomy techniques and to maintain an optimistic attitude in seemingly futile cases...

BCE 70 Female Urinary Retention – The Return of Carr’s Cases!

Urinary retention is 13 times less common in woman than it is in men, and the differential diagnosis is wide. In this EM Cases Best Case Ever we have the return of Dr. David Carr describing a woman with an unusual diagnosis who presents with urinary retention. We discuss issues around the appropriate use of chaperones and what to do in the situation when you are in over your head...

BCE 69 Necrotizing Fasciitis

In anticipation of EM Cases Episode 109 Recognition and Management of Skin and Soft Tissue Infections with Melanie Baimel and Andrew Morris we have Dr. Morris telling us his Best Case Ever of a nurse that he worked with diagnosed with Necrotizing Fasciitis. We discuss some of the diagnostic pearls for this difficult diagnosis as well as issues around privacy when health care workers become patients at their hospital.

BCE 68 Ectopic Pregnancy Pitfalls in Diagnosis

This month's EM Cases Best Case Ever podcast features Dr. Catherine Varner, Emergency Physician at Sinai Health System and researcher at Schwartz-Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute (SREMI) discussing the key pitfalls in the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy and ruptured ectopic pregnancy. It turns out that we're missing the diagnosis more than we'd like to admit. Dr. Varner debunks much of the traditional teaching around ectopic pregnancy so that we can improve our diagnostic skills for this potentially life threatening diagnosis...

BCE 67 Child Abuse – Sentinel Injuries

In anticipation of EM Cases Episode 107 on Pediatric Physical Abuse with Dr. Carmen Coombs and Dr. Alyson Holland, Dr. Coombs tells her Best Case Ever (actually worst case ever) that inspired her to pursue expertise in pediatric physical abuse...

BCE 66 CHD with Bronchiolitis: A Delicate Balance

When patients with known congenital heart disease present to the ED with common illnesses we need to consider how their physiology might alter our approach to those common illnesses. Max Ben-Yakov guides us through his Best Case Ever of a CHD patient who presents with bronchiolitis and gives us some tips on how best to approach these fragile patients in a crisis situation...

BCE 65 Intimate Partner Violence – A Silent Epidemic

I was taken aback when I came across the statistic that approximately every 6 days a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner. Victims of intimate partner violence and domestic violence that we see in the ED typically involve an abuse story of repeated escalating violence over time that ends up in a crisis situation. The woman is often financially dependent on her abuser and has no one to turn to for help. In one of her worst cases ever from Janus General, Dr. Meeta Patel and I discuss the notions that Emergency providers have a unique opportunity to identify patients who are victims of intimate partner violence; that we should begin by thinking of how we can screen every woman of childbearing age about intimate partner violence in a private, safe and respectful way. We describe the quick Partner Violence Screen and finally how to offer supportive, empowering statements and connect your patients with resources like assaulted women’s helpline and shelters in your community...

BCE 64 Salicylate Poisoning

In this EM Cases Best Case Ever Hans Rosenberg and Rajiv Thavanathan discuss recognition and management pearls and pitfalls in salicylate poisoning. They answer question such as: What are the most important diagnostic clues of salicylate poisoning in the patient who presents with undifferentiated fever and altered level of awareness? What is the best timing and ventilation strategy for intubation? Which electrolyte abnormalities do you need to be on the lookout for? and many more...

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