EM Pulse Podcast™

Navigating breastfeeding as an EM physician In the previous two episodes, we explored some of the challenges related to fertility and pregnancy for EM physicians. In the final episode of our three part series, we take it one step further to discuss yet another challenge: breastfeeding. Of course, fed is always best, and there are many reasons to formula feed, but providing breastmilk is very impor...

In this episode, we delve into a pivotal multi-center study validating the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) prediction rules for using CT imaging in children with blunt abdominal and minor head trauma. We discuss with the authors the study’s impact, how these validated rules can optimize pediatric trauma care, minimize radiation risks, and what this means for emerge...

Pregnancy is common during medical training and in the early years as an attending physician, as these stages often align with individuals’ reproductive potential. The experience can vary widely depending on factors such as workplace dynamics, scheduling, and the physical demands of the job. But let’s be real – running around a busy ED while carrying extra weight, feeling nauseated (maybe vo...

This the first episode in our three part series on infertility, pregnancy and breastfeeding as an Emergency Physician. In this installment, we shine a light on the often unspoken struggles of infertility among physicians, specifically focusing on the emergency medicine community. Join us and expert, Dr. Melissa Parsons, as we delve into the personal experiences, professional challenges, and nuance...

If you practice in emergency medicine you probably live on the look out for sepsis.   You likely follow the 2016 Sepsis-3 guidelines for adults which really was a paradigm shift from an infection-associated SIRS, to infection-associated organ dysfunction with the SOFA score or sequential organ failure assessment score of at least 2 points in patients with suspected infection. However, the definiti...

People living with sickle cell disease can experience severe “pain crises”, or vaso-occlusive episodes (VOE), and are at increased risk for infections, strokes, heart failure, and other serious disease processes. When patients are out sickle cell present to the ED, it is crucial to initiate their evaluation and treatment as soon as possible. So what does this mean practically for us as clinicians?...

People living with sickle cell disease can experience severe “pain crises”, or vaso-occlusive episodes (VOE), and are at increased risk for infections, strokes, heart failure, and other serious disease processes. In this 3 part series, we’re talking with experts to learn more about sickle cell disease and its complications and how we can best advocate for and treat these patients in the ED. In par...

People living with sickle cell disease can experience severe “pain crises”, or vaso-occlusive episodes (VOE), and are at increased risk for infections, strokes, heart failure, and other serious disease processes. When patients are out sickle cell present to the ED, it is crucial to initiate their evaluation and treatment as soon as possible. So what does this mean practically for us as clinicians?...

This is the next episode of our Push Dose Pearls miniseries with ED Clinical Pharmacist, Chris Adams. In this ongoing series we’ll dig into some of the questions we all have about medications we commonly see and use in the ED. This episode focuses on RSI (rapid sequence intubation) meds – stuff every ED doc needs to know! What has changed and what are the latest recommendations? We’ll answer...

If you work in an ED, you’ve probably heard of EMTALA, or the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. But how much do you really know about this law? When does it apply and when does it not? EMTALA expert, Dr. Sophie Terp, helps us understand the history of EMTALA and what we need to know to ensure we provide the best care for our ED patients.   Do you have more questions about EMTALA? H...

We first explored the world of Telehealth back in February of 2021 in parts 1 and 2 of our telemedicine series. Telehealth has exploded since then, even after hospitals and clinics opened fully again when COVID restrictions loosened. Drs. Jenny McCormick and Kelly Owen join us to give an update on our very successful telehealth program at UC Davis, Express Care. How is it working for patients? How...

This is the next episode of our Push Dose Pearls miniseries with ED Pharmacist, Chris Adams. In this ongoing series we’ll dig into some of the questions we all have about medications we commonly see and use in the ED. This episode again focuses on common antibiotics we use in the ED. What has changed and what are the latest recommendations? We’ll answer these questions and more!   Did this episode...

In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. This decision, known as the Dobbs decision, Overturned Roe v. Wade and ended the right to abortion that had been upheld for decades. In the wake of this decision, many states have passed laws banning or severely restricting abortion. So how does this affect our patients and the care we provide in the E...

***Trigger warning: this episode includes discussion of child abuse*** In our last episode, Identifying abuse: the LCAST app , we talked about recognizing subtle signs concerning for child abuse and how to use the new LCAST app to determine the risk of non-accidental trauma. But identifying potential abuse is just the first step in a long and often emotionally taxing process. How do you approach p...

In March of this year, we published a Rebeat of one of our most powerful episodes, It Could Have Been Different . We took a deep dive into one of the most difficult aspects of our jobs as emergency physicians – recognizing and managing child abuse, or non-accidental trauma (NAT). Signs of abuse can often be subtle, but there are some very specific findings that should make us consider NAT. O...

It’s been a while since we talked about social media in emergency medicine and a LOT has changed! We first explored this topic in 2019 with Dr. Meghan Ranney in our episode With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility . The following year, the pandemic hit and digital platforms exploded while many people isolated themselves or worked from home. Add in complications including the spread of disinform...

This is the next episode of our Push Dose Pearls miniseries with ED Pharmacist, Chris Adams. In this ongoing series we’ll dig into some of the questions we all have about medications we commonly see and use in the ED. This episode again focuses on insulin. Should everyone with hyperglycemia get regular insulin? Is IV better than subcu? We’ll answer these questions and more as we discuss the latest...

In the last episode, we replayed one of our most powerful episodes, Sold for a Chrysler 300 . The episode featured Annika Huff sharing her story as a survivor of human trafficking, as well as recommendations on how to address trafficking from experts in the field. If you haven’t listened to that episode, we recommend checking it out!   In this follow up episode, our own Dr. Julia Magaña fills us i...

It’s time for another Repeat! This is one of our earliest episodes and it is a favorite because of one woman’s powerful story. Annika Huff (formerly Annika Mack) is a survivor of human trafficking. She speaks with us about her experiences in the life, how she got out, and how she was able to move on with her life. Then, Dr. Bryn Mumma takes us through her research on how we can better identify pot...

This is the second episode in our Push Dose Pearls miniseries with ED Pharmacist, Chris Adams. In this ongoing series we’ll dig into some of the questions we all have about medications we commonly see and use in the ED. This episode again focuses on antidotes – medications we can give to treat or reverse the harm caused by overdoses, intoxications, envenomations, etc.   What is your favorite...

This is the first episode in our Push Dose Pearls miniseries with ED Pharmacist, Chris Adams. In this ongoing series we’ll dig into some of the questions we all have about medications we commonly see and use in the ED. Our first episode will focus on antidotes – medications we can give to treat or reverse the harm caused by overdoses, intoxications, envenomations, etc.   What is your favorit...

One of our quintessential roles as emergency physicians is managing and securing the emergent airway. This can be a life or death moment for the patient and often gets our own adrenaline pumping – it’s not a procedure we take lightly. Airway management in the ED can be complicated by physical and situational factors (beards, trauma, vomit), resource limitations, and our own emotional state....

Our last episode was a Rebeat of “The Game has Changed”, one of our earliest and most listened to episodes that explored medication assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. A LOT has changed since we first published the episode in 2018! In this follow up episode, addiction medicine specialist, Dr. Aimee Moulin, talks to us about what’s new, including modifying treatment for people using f...

It’s time for another Rebeat! We’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes from our very first season. The opioid epidemic is still very real and there are some new challenges with fentanyl as the predominant opioid on the street. But we’ve gained experience with medication assisted treatment (MAT) and it is now even easier to prescribe treatment for opioid use disorder. The Rebeat has been edite...

There has been a lot in the news about “tranq dope”, especially following a recent New York Times article. Most concerning are the non-healing skin wounds that seem to be associated with its use. So what is tranq dope, or more formally, xylazine? And what do we need to know to safely treat our patients? We caught up with Dr. Hoan Nguyen, emergency physician and medical toxicologist at UC Davis, to...