EM Pulse Podcast™

“He came in by ambulance short of breath…” This is how Dr. Taylor Nichols’ tweet thread began. It’s a line many of us could have written – typical of an encounter in the COVID era. But the thread goes on to tell a more complicated story about racism, a physicians duty, and the toll this pandemic has had on many frontline healthcare providers. Dr. Nichols shares his story with us, along...

In our recent episode in the future of emergency medicine , several of our guests pointed to technological advances, including telemedicine, as key pieces in the evolution of our specialty. And, thanks in large part to the pandemic, the development and implementation of telemedicine has accelerated over the past year. In this episode, Dr. Josh Elder, Medical Director of Express Care at UC Davis, s...

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us all to become more comfortable with virtual engagement. From faculty and group meetings to conferences to kids’ school to social events – it seems everything is online these days. And while we may finally be getting used to this after many months, most of us still have a lot to learn in terms of how to best present ourselves in the virtual space. We’ll dis...

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of us, and with vaccines starting to roll out, I think we’re all looking forward to getting past it. But some people who have had COVID-19, getting past it hasn’t been easy. In this Heartbeat, we talk with infectious disease expert, Dr. Larissa May, about “Long haul COVID”, or “Long COVID” – a syndrome that affects about 10% of people who have had COVID...

It’s 2021, and we couldn’t be happier to leave 2020 behind and start a new year. In the past few months, we’ve talked about the past and present of emergency medicine. In this episode, we’ll explore the future. We welcome back some of our specialty’s visionary leaders, Dr. Aimee Moulin, Dr. Gillian Schmitz, Dr. Cherri Hobgood, and Dr. J Adrian Tyndall, to discuss what’s ahead for EM. How has the p...

I think we can all agree that this has been a long year. For those of us working in the emergency department, the stress of treating patients with COVID-19, while trying to keep our families and ourselves safe, has been overwhelming at times. But there is finally a light at the end of this tunnel – in the form of vaccines! Infectious disease specialist, Dr. Dean Blumberg, talks with us about...

Open notes or the 21st Century Cures ACT introduces a brave new world of sharing the whole medical record immediately with our patients. In this episode we discuss with an informatics specialist what this mandate is, what the exceptions are, and why this can be good for us and our patients.   Let us know how Open Notes is going for you and your tips for other note writers. Follow us on social medi...

In our September episode, The Alexandria Plan , we journeyed back through the fascinating history of Emergency Medicine with some of the founders of our specialty. This month’s episode follows on, exploring the present state of EM. We talk with current leaders and visionaries, Dr. Aimee Moulin, Dr. Gillian Schmitz, Dr. Cherri Hobgood, and Dr. J Adrian Tyndall, about the role of EM and how the COVI...

This is the fascinating story of Dr. Rory Stuart the Bronze Star recipient for his fight against COVID in Afghanistan. He shares what it was like to be blindsided by COVID in the Middle East and the lessons we can apply   stateside. Follow us on social media, @empulsepodcast, or through our website, ucdavisem.com . ***Please rate us and leave us a review on iTunes! It helps us reach more people.**...

The November 2020 election is right around the corner, and yet many Americans still aren’t registered to vote. Voting is not always a priority when people are struggling to meet their basic needs, yet the voices of people in underrepresented groups are essential to shaping policy that benefits everyone. We talk with Dr. Katren Tyler about VotER, a program started at Massachusetts General Hospital...

A new PECARN study found just a single episode of moderate-severe DKA impacts cognition! This game changing article challenges what we thought about glucose and the brain and really makes a case for aggressive DKA treatment and glucose control! Let us know what you think @empulsepodcast, or through our website, ucdavisem.com . ***Please rate us and leave us a review on iTunes! It helps us reach mo...

Ever wondered how the specialty of Emergency Medicine came about? We take it for granted that we have emergency departments staffed 24/7 with board certified EM physicians, but this wasn’t always the case. Join us for a trip down memory lane, with the help of Dr. Brian Zink. Dr. Zink collected stories and audio recordings from some of the founders of our specialty. He shares several of these with...

It’s that time of year again – residency recruiting season! But this year, things will look very different, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. We talk with Dr. David Barnes, Emergency Medicine Residency Program Director at UC Davis, about some of the challenges for both applicants and residency leadership. He also offers some sound advice for students applying in EM – most importantly, b...

“Less Lethal” Crowd Control You may have heard of “non-lethal” or “less lethal” weapons used for crowd control. These include things such as pepper spray, tear gas, bean bags, and rubber bullets. But, while these may be less lethal than standard weapons and bullets, they still cause serious harm and even death. As protests raged across the U.S. this summer, we have seen many injuries associated wi...

Has MIS-C changed the way you approach a febrile child? I know I struggle to understand this new disease. Fortunately Dr. Natasha Nakra, a Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist, joins us this month to clarify what we know about MIS-C, when we should think about it, and what we should do. Have you seen a child with MIS-C? What tipped you off? Send us your answer via on social media, @empulsepodca...

Welcome back to EM Pulse. It’s no secret that black, indigenous, and people of color are underrepresented in medicine and academics. This is largely due to structural or institutionalized racism, which is a massive topic for another time. While it may be difficult to swallow, white people have benefited from this system, and many of us are still learning just how our my privilege afforded us. This...

In the first half of our episode on surge, we heard first hand accounts of how COVID-19 impacted EDs and ICUs in hard hit areas. In the second half, we explore emergency preparedness at a more macro level. Experts, Dr. John Rose and Dr. Dan Colby, join us to discuss how county emergency medical services, hospital administration, and emergency departments are planning for a potential surge of COVID...

As we watched the novel coronavirus spread through China and Italy, we knew it was just a matter of time before a wave of illness hit the US. The surge struck early in New York and New Orleans, threatening to overwhelm health care resources, including PPE, ventilators, ICU beds, and hospital staff. We hear from Dr. Leslie Palmerlee, an emergency physician in New Orleans, about her experience there...

What are you seeing in your hospital? How did your system prepare for a surge? Send us your answer via on social media, @empulsepodcast, or through our website, ucdavisem.com . And stay tuned for the June 17 episode on SURGE. We will hear from the critical care doctor who managed the surge from the provider standpoint with other experts on how we can prepare for a SURGE. ***Please rate us and leav...

COVID was supposed to be the great equalizer, but in reality not all of us are affected the same. Vulnerable populations experience higher rates of infection and death, and worse social outcomes. Access to healthcare is not equitable. In this episode we dive into why this is a thing and what we can do about this as providers. What are you seeing in your hospital? What are you or your systems doing...

How do you treat the pain of pediatric long bone fractures? Is it equitable? In this episode the authors of Racial and Ethnic Differences in Emergency Department Pain Management of Children With Fractures of Pediatrics May 2020 discuss if our care is equitable and why it may not be. It is an important discussion that pushes us to think about our perception of pain and how race and ethnicity impact...

This is a challenging time for physicians and the entire healthcare workforce. That’s putting it mildly. The coronavirus pandemic is affecting all of us, physically and emotionally. In emergency medicine, we are used to dealing with stressful situations, but this pandemic brings new personal and professional challenges. We are managing severe illness for which we have no proven treatment, watching...

In this episode of our miniseries, EM physician and wellness expert, Dr. Wendy Lau, returns with a guided meditation, using the GRACE framework. This practice helps us breathe, relax, and cope with the stress we are all feeling during the coronavirus pandemic. Get comfortable, close your eyes, and meditate with us.   How are you coping with the stress of the coronavirus pandemic? Did you find this...

In these uncertain times, poets, artists, musicians, psychiatrists, philosophers, and others, have stepped forward to offer inspiration, compassion, advice, and hope. In this episode of our miniseries, we share some of the words and art we found helpful. Thank you to the authors and artists featured, and to all those who are contributing positive energy during this time.   What art, words, or musi...

We’re in the midst of a global pandemic and, of course, everyone’s attention is focused on COVID-19. Other podcasts have excellent coverage of this situation. In this episode, we’ll be discussing other important infections that continue to affect our communities: HIV, hepatitis C, and syphilis. Over the past year, the UC Davis ED implemented a massive screening effort to identify patients who have...