Emergency Medical Minute

Contributor: Dylan Luyten, MD Educational Pearls: After you diagnose a pulmonary embolism (PE) via CT or VQ scan, we need to categorize the PE as massive, sub-massive, or just PE to dictate treatment.   Massive PE: shock with hypotension due to an embolism, and the treatment of choice is thrombolysis with IV tPA with anticoagulation after lysis. Catheter thrombolysis is not used in the hemodynamic...

Host : Elizabeth Esty, MD Research By : Elizabeth Esty and Nathan Novotny References : Osumi M. Questions raised over COVID-19 reinfection after Japanese woman develops illness again. The Japan Times . https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/02/28/national/coronavirus-reinfection/#.Xn4coZNKhQI. Published February 28, 2020. Bao L, Deng W, Gao H, et al. Reinfection could not occur in SARS-CoV-2 infec...

Recorded 3/26/20

The circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 virus are quickly evolving and that means that EMM will have to as well. For the foreseeable future, EMM will be releasing COVID-19 updates. In this series, we will report the most recent statistics, summarize the newest literature and answer YOUR burning questions. Submit your questions through comments on this post or through private messages on any of...

  Contributor: Don Stader, MD Educational Pearls: PPIs (Proton pump inhibitors) reduce stomach acid levels and are commonly prescribed in patients with GERD or peptic ulcer disease Stopping a PPI after sustained use for a month or longer can lead to withdrawal - causing a rebound indigestion or reflux due to a surge in acid production Long term PPI use has noteworthy side effects including increas...

In this special edition of our On the Streets podcast, we discuss COVID-19 as well as what first responders and emergency providers need to know to keep themselves and their patients safe during this pandemic.

Contributor: Sam Killian, MD Educational Pearls: Agitation can be due to a number of causes, but regardless of the cause, sedation often plays a key role in patient and provider safety. But what is the best sedative agent? A study looked at control of agitation with intramuscular medication. Specifically, 5 different IM sedative agents were compared to see which one best provides "adequate" sedati...

Contributor: Sam Killian, MD Educational Pearls: Classic dogma teaching that epinephrine should not be used in the fingers, nose, penis, and toes when performing local anesthesia due to concerns for ischemia is wrong This has been well documented in multiple literature reviews A prospective, randomized double-blind study compared lidocaine vs lidocaine with epinephrine for finger injuries and the...

Part 1 of 2: Dr. Adam Graham dishes out the essentials of identifying concerning neurological deficits on the scene, predicting what they mean and how to best care for patients with neurological deficits in the pre-hospital setting.    About Dr. Adam Graham: Adam Graham, MD, is a board-certified neurologist with Blue Sky Neurology in Denver. His professional interests include treatment of diseases...

Contributor: Nick Tsipis, MD Educational Pearls: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a group of enzyme deficiencies in the adrenals leading to a deficiency of hormones normally synthesized by the adrenals (mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids, androgens) 21-hydroxylase is most commonly the deficient enzyme. 21-hydroxylase is needed to produce aldosterone and cortisol, and those with chronic cor...

Author: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: A recent retrospective study looked capsaicin cream in treating cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome in regards to length of stay, cost analysis, use of rescue therapies, and adverse events Results showed a trend towards reduced length of stay but did not reach statistical significance Use of opioids was reduced in the capsaicin group Capsaicin remains a po...

Author: Jared Scott, MD Educational Pearls: Differentiating symptomatic bradycardia from asymptomatic may be essential in determining workup and treatment Airway, breath, circulation always hold true Symptoms may  include dizziness, syncope, or weakness An EKG is essential in the majority of cases Complete heart block can be a cause of symptomatic bradycardia and requires immediate attention Compl...

Author: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls:   New data shows within 5 years of smoking cessation, the risk of cardiovascular disease becomes half of those who continue to smoke After 10-15 years of cessation, cardiovascular disease rates return to rates seen in non-smokers. Lung disease, COPD, and cancer rates do not decrease quite as rapidly, but do decrease It's important to remind patients of...

Recorded remotely in the highest hospital in the world, Nick sits down to talk with Dr. Lisa Zwerdlinger, a small-town physician who's worn many different hats both in the hospital and her community.    Intro Music: Backbay Lounge Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  Author: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Previously, trials had shown promising evidence that vitamin C may improve mortality rates in patients with sepsis or septic shock.   A 2017 retrospective before-after study gave a "cocktail" of hydrocortisone, vitamin C, and thiamine to patients with severe sepsis or in septic shock and reported a decrease in mortality from 40% to 8%.  A 2020 randomi...

Author: Nick Tsipis, MD Educational Pearls: Aortic injury caused by blunt trauma is very rare Chest x-ray findings might include widening of the mediastinum Ligamentum arteriosum (remnant of the ductus arteriosus) tethers the aorta to the chest wall, potentially causing injury with abrupt decelerations and motion XR lacks significant sensitivity (around 75%) to be utilized in many cases CT angiogr...

Non Epileptic Seizures (NES) is perhaps one of the most misunderstood and overlooked disorders that emergency medicine professionals encounter. Dr. Randi Libbon & Dr. Laura Strom, both experts on NES, explain the ongoing research surrounding the topic as well as how to best manage patients with NES in the emergency setting.  To learn more about Dr. Randi Libbon: https://www.cudoctors.com/Find_A_Do...

Author: Don Stader, MD Educational Pearls: Nasogastric tubes (NGT) are very uncomfortable for all those involved but some simple tricks and tips may help: Topical lidocaine can be inserted into the nasal passage for local analgesia Afrin may help shrink the mucosal tissue of the nasal turbinates as well Molding the tube with cold/ice water can help - putting it in an ice bath with an endotracheal...

Author: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Traditional technique of needle thoracostomy for tension penumothorax is along the 2nd intercostal space at the midclavicular line Inserting a large angiocatheter along the 4th or 5th intercostal space at the mid-axillary line may provide a thinner area that is more easily identified, overcoming many of the obstacles of the traditional approach The 10th...

EMM is proud to present the pilot episode of our new monthly series, "On the Streets". This will be an informative podcast for all of our listeners, but this one was designed specifically for our EMS listeners.  Each month, we will consult medical experts on topics pertinent to prehospital care: Identifying a posterior circulation stroke in the field; Knowing when to do a 12-lead and what to look...

Contributor:  Don Stader, MD Educational Pearls: Olanzapine (Zyprexa) is an atypical antipsychotic that can be used in a similar fashion to haloperidol for pain and nausea, including that with abdominal pain and headaches Olanzapine can be administered as an oral disolving tablets, intramuscular or intravenous injection Because Zyprexa is an atypical antipsychotic, it has a lower risk for tardive...

Contributor:  Rachel Beham, PharmD Educational Pearls: Coricidin HBP Cough & Cold (dextromethorphan and chlorpheniramine) is one of the more commonly abused over-the-counter medications Dextromethorphan, binds to multiple receptors, particularly at high doses Opioid receptors, causing respiratory depression, CNS depression NMDA receptors, causing agitation and hallucinations Serotonin-reuptake inh...

Contributor: Jared Scott, MD Educational Pearls: A distal 5th metacarpal neck fracture is often referred to as a "boxer's fracture" and a common fracture encountered in the emergency department Splinting with an ulnar gutter splint is the typical management of uncomplicated boxer's fractures A recent study randomized patients to buddy taping or ulnar gutter splint for uncomplicated Boxer's fractur...

Contributor:  Don Stader, MD Educational Pearls: High-quality compressions are an essential, and probably one of the most important, part of cardiac arrest  Actual evidence for drugs in cardiac arrest included in ACLS are limited, including epinephrine, bicarbonate, amiodarone, etc. Early defibrillation for ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) has a plethora of supporting...

Dr. Vivek Tayal of Carolinas Medical Center, a pioneer of using ultrasound in the emergency department, reflects on his role in establishing ultrasound use in emergency medicine and much more!   Ultrasound Program Management: https://www.amazon.com/Ultrasound-Program-Management-Point-Care/dp/3319631411   Intro Music: Backbay Lounge Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: B...