Author: Shivon Manchanda We recently had a wonderful guest lecture from Elizabeth Pieroth, PsyD, ABPP, the Director of the Concussion Program at Midwest Orthopedics, about how to approach concussions in the ED. This post is a summary of that lecture. Initial Assessment: The initial assessment of a suspected concussion patient requires the examination of three…
Author: Catherine Buckley MD Typically these are seen to be different ends of the spectrum of the same disease process, causing widespread epidermal necrosis and detachment of the skin and mucosal surfaces. Or in normal human lingo: these are both a scary skin emergency. The big difference between the two is the amount of Body Surface…
Oh epistaxis. This dreaded entity can be difficult to control, and always manages to rear its ugly head at the end of a busy shift. Its severity can range from mild bleeding to life threatening hemorrhage. In this brief blog post, we will be discussing important considerations in the workup and treatment of epistaxis. You…
Author: Shivon Manchanda Adapted from the lecture of Dr Kasia Gore Unilateral Leg Swelling When a patient complains of unilateral leg pain and swelling, we often get an ultrasound right away. Here at Rush, it’s often done in triage, and usually resulted by the time you see the patient. Why we do this makes sense…
Dr. Harrison Pidgeon Background: We see nausea all the time in the Emergency Department (ED). Providers have different preferences on what agents they use as anti-emetics. But when put through the best evidence based tests (randomized controlled trials), ondansetron/Zofran, metoclopramide/Reglan, and prochlorperazine/Compazine fail to prove better than placebo for undifferentiated nausea. These agents are used…
Author: Dr. Shivon Manchanda “Pregnancy-Adapted YEARS Algorithm for Diagnosis of Suspected Pulmonary Embolism.” Background: The diagnosis of PE can be challenging. We do not want to scan everyone, yet even with the creation of decision-making tools, our use of CTPA is going up, while our yield of actual PE is going down. And pregnancy makes…
“Combined Corticosteroid and Antiviral Treatment for Bell Palsy A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis” Background/Study Question This article aimed to answer the question: Do steroids PLUS antivirals offer reduced risk of unsatisfactory facial recovery in patients with Bells Palsy? A little background about Bell’s Palsy; it is a cranial nerve 7 palsy thought to be viral…
So the adrenal gland is the little cap on top of the kidney. It is broken up into two parts- the medulla and the cortex. For now, lets ignore the medulla and focus on the three parts of the cortex. Since we aren’t studying for step II I don’t really care what hormones come from…
Author: Dr. Tisma Background/Study Question How often do septic patients receive their second antibiotic dose later than they should? What are the risk factors for these delays? And do these delays affect patient outcomes? Leisman et. al. published a study in 2017 that examined these important inquiries. These questions are particularly interesting to me as…
Author: Dr. Catherine Buckley Based on a simulation case discussion led by Dr. Michelle Hughes, let’s talk about Cystic fibrosis (CF) from an emergency medicine stand point. Briefly- CF is an autosomal recessive disease that is caused by mutations in the CFTR channel which prevents Cl- from being secreted. Without the normal levels of Cl-,…