This is the first ever video podcast on EM Cases with Jordan Chenkin from EMU Conference 2017 discussing how to optimize three aspects of cardiac arrest care: persistent ventricular fibrillation, optimizing pulse checks and PEA arrest, with code team videos contrasting the ACLS approach to an optimized approach...
Shortness of breath is a very common chief complaint in the emergency department, but despite our familiarity with this symptom, management is not always straightforward. The differential diagnosis is extensive, including the common cardiorespiratory conditions, but extending to toxicologic, hematologic, neuromuscular, metabolic, and psychiatric causes. Over the past decade, we have seen the widespread adoption of new technologies to help us manage these patients. This post will look at some new evidence on two of those technologies: noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) and ultrasound (POCUS). We will answer 3 questions based on 3 systematic reviews using the BEEM critical appraisal framework...
Urolithiasis is one of the more frequent diagnoses we are faced with in the Emergency Department, with an estimated 1 million ED visits due to renal colic. As such we are tasked with its diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. The following is a brief summation of the evidence regarding some of the most frequent questions encountered when diagnosing and managing urolithiasis. Four questions are answered by Rory Spiegel on this BEEM Cases. What is the optimal initial imaging modality for the diagnostic work-up of urolithiasis? Once the diagnosis of renal colic has been made what is the most efficacious analgesic strategy? Is there clinical utility to IV fluid administration in the management of renal colic? What is the use of medical expulsion therapy in the management of urolithiasis?
I had the great pleasure of meeting Dr. Mike Winters on his first ever visit to Canada at North York General's Emergency Medicine Update Conference, where he gave two fantastic presentations. His credentials are impressive: He is the Medical Director of the Emergency Department, Associate Professor in both EM and IM, EM-IM-Critical Care Program co-director and Residency Program Director of EM-IM at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. Sometimes we are so caught up with the job we need to get done during cardiac arrest that we forget about the important and profound effect that this event has on patients' families. On this Best Case Ever Dr. Winters tells the story of witnessing his grandfather's cardiac arrest, being present in the ED during the resuscitation attempts, and how that experience has coloured his practice. We discuss some pearls on communication with patients' families after death, colour-coded cardiac arrest teams and how to integrate POCUS into cardiac arrest care while minimizing chest compressions.
When was the last time you saw ventricular fibrillation in a 4 month old? Dr. Simard tells his Best Case Ever of a Pediatric Cardiac Arrest in which meticulous preparation, sticking to his guns, early activation of the transportation service, and clever use of point of care ultrasound helped save the life of a child. He explains the importance of debriefing your team after an emotionally charged case.
In this Journal Jam we have Dr. Michelle Lin from Academic Life in EM interviewing two authors, Dr. Rebecca Smith‑Bindman, a radiologist, and Dr. Ralph Wang an EM physician both from USCF on their article “Ultrasonography versus Computed Tomography for suspected Nephrolithiasis” published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2014. There is currently a wide practice variation in the imaging work-up of the patient who presents to the ED with a high suspicion for renal colic. On the one extreme, some EM physicians use CT to screen all patients who present with renal colic, while on the other extreme, other EM physicians do not use any imaging on any patient who has had previous imaging. The role of POCUS and radiology department ultrasound as an alternative to CT in the work up of renal colic has not been clearly defined in the ED setting. This study was a pragmatic multi-centre randomized control trial of patients in whom the primary diagnostic concern was renal colic, that tried to answer the question: is there a significant difference in the serious missed diagnosis rate, serious adverse events rate, pain, return visits, admissions to hospital, radiation dose and diagnostic accuracy if the EM provider chose POCUS, radiology department ultrasound or CT for their initial imaging modality of choice. This Journal Jam is peer review by EMNerd's Rory Spiegel. [wpfilebase tag=file id=618 tpl=emc-play /] [wpfilebase tag=file id=619 tpl=emc-mp3 /]
David Carr discusses his top 10 pearls on endocarditis and blood culture interpretation in this Carr's Cases Best Case Ever on EM Cases - Endocarditis and Blood Culture Interpretation. [wpfilebase tag=file id=560 tpl=emc-play /] [wpfilebase tag=file id=561 tpl=emc-mp3 /]
On this EM Cases Best Case Ever, Andrew Sloas, the brains behinds the fabulous PEM-ED podcast tells the tale of a pericardiocentesis gone bad and what he learned from it. Emergency pericardicentesis can be life saving, but it also carries risks. Dr. Sloas reviews the steps to take to ensure that the pericardiocentesis needle is the the correct place to minimize the risk of intubating the right ventricle of the heart. A discussion of errors of omission and ones of commission follows.... [wpfilebase tag=file id=540 tpl=emc-play /] [wpfilebase tag=file id=541 tpl=emc-mp3 /]
In this Episode, a follow up to Episode 18 Point of Care Ultrasound Pearls and Pitfalls, which covered pericardial effusion, pneumothorax, undifferentiated shock, cardiac arrest & DVT, we bring you 4 of North America’s Pediatric Point of Care Ultrasound gurus recorded live from Toronto during the first ever P2 Conference (PEM POCUS) - Pediatric Emergency Medicine Point of Care Ultrasound. The format will be a bit different for this episode. I’ve asked each our P2 gurus to describe a case that illustrates their favorite point of care ultrasound application, why they think it is useful, how it improves patient care, a step by step description of how to perform the application, the pearls and pitfalls of the application, and bit about what the literature says about the application. Dr. Jason Fischer on ultrasound-guided nerve blocks, Dr. Alyssa Abo on pediatric lung POCUS, Dr. Adam Sivitz on pediatric appendicitis POCUS and Dr. Alex Arroyo on intussesception.
In this episode on Whistler's Update in Emergency Medicine Conference 2014 Highlights we have... Chapter 1 with David Carr on his approach to Shock, including the RUSH protocol, followed by a discussion on Thrombolysis for Submassive Pulmonary Embolism.... Then in Chapter 2 Lisa Thurgur presents a series of Toxicology Cases packed with pearls, pitfalls and surprises and reviews the use of Lipid Emulsion Therapy in toxicology....Finally in Chapter 3 Joel Yaphe reviews the most important articles from 2013 including the Targeted Temperature Managment post-arrest paper, the use of Tranexamic Acid for epistaxis, return to play concussion guidelines and clinical decision rules for subarachnoid hemorrhage. Another Whistler's Update in Emergency Medicine Conference to remember.......