The Point of Care Podcast

Explore asterixis, often called the 'liver flap,' a critical neurological sign indicating toxic-metabolic encephalopathy. Learn why this 'negative myoclonus' isn't a tremor, how to spot its distinctive 'flapping' motion, and its diverse etiologies, from liver and kidney disease to hypoglycemia and medications. We demystify its strong historical link to hepatic issues an...

Navigating hepatic encephalopathy can be complex, and the role of ammonia levels is often misunderstood. In this concise episode, we clarify why hepatic encephalopathy is fundamentally a clinical diagnosis, not one based solely on lab values, and reveal the crucial limitations of ammonia testing. Learn when ammonia levels are genuinely helpful - specifically in acute liver failure - and why relyin...

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) can feel like it comes out of nowhere: one day a patient is baseline, the next they’re confused after “just” constipation, a little dehydration, or a routine diuretic tweak. In this episode, we unpack why seemingly benign stressors can flip a fragile gut–liver–brain system past its tipping point. Subscribe to the Point of Care Medicine Substack.

In this episode, we break down why lactulose and rifaximin work specifically for HE: lactulose acidifies the colon to “trap” ammonia as ammonium (NH4⁺) and rapidly clears nitrogen substrates via catharsis, while rifaximin reshapes the gut microbiome and dampens gut-derived inflammatory signaling - benefits that don’t always correlate with serum ammonia levels. We also cover why other antibiotics f...

A comprehensive guide on how to complete a thorough history and physical (H+P) for patients presenting to the hospital with opioid withdrawal. 00:15 Admission Checklist for Opioid Withdrawal 00:40 Triage and Chart Check 02:01 Critical Considerations and Admission Orders 03:10 Initial Treatment Options for Opioid Withdrawal 05:32 Detailed HPI Intake Questions 07:33 Physical Exam Notes 08:35 Key Tak...

This is a text-to-speech (TTS) AI reading of our most recent blog post: 6 Facts Every Clinician Needs to Know About Tumor Lysis Syndrome. https://www.pointofcaremedicine.com/blog-post/6-facts-every-clinician-needs-to-know-about-tumor-lysis-syndrome-2025 Tumor Lysis Syndrome  (NEJM, 2025) Bociek RG, Lunning M. Tumor Lysis Syndrome.  N Engl J Med . 2025;393(11):1104-1116. doi:10.1056/NEJMra2300923 ‍...

Many patients with hypertension have primary aldosteronism, but most at-risk patients are never tested. Learn who needs screening, how to order an ARR without unnecessary washouts, and why timely diagnosis prevents heart, vessel, and kidney damage. Based on “Things We Do For No Reason – Failing to Consider Primary Aldosteronism in Hypertension” (Journal of Hospital Medicine). Source: https://pubme...

Today's episode is an AI text-to-speech (TTS) reading of our most recent blog post: 12 Key Principles for Diagnosing and Managing Vertigo and Dizziness. Read along here: https://www.pointofcaremedicine.com/blog-post/12-key-principles-for-diagnosing-and-managing-vertigo-and-dizziness Related Content Dizziness and Vertigo Admission Template https://www.pointofcaremedicine.com/inpatient-admission...

Today's quick admit episode is a rapid review on the evaluation of vertigo and dizziness in a hospital setting. Visit https://www.pointofcaremedicine.com/inpatient-admission/dizziness-and-vertigo to see the online admission template and follow along. Timestamps 00:00 - Intro and Summary 02:13 - Admission Checklist 02:51 - HPI Intake 06:54 - Focused Physical Exam 09:06 - Differential Diagnosis...

AFib with RVR: Quick Admit This Quick Admit episode on AFib with RVR will focus on only the highest yield information you need when admitting a patient to the hospital. To take your understanding of the disease to the next level, check out the full-length episode for more information including a discussion of the most important clinical pearls and literature. Visit https://www.pointofcaremedicine....

Atrial Fibrillation: Clinical Review This full-length clinical review episode on atrial fibrillations is designed to help take your fund of knowledge to the next level! Visit https://www.pointofcaremedicine.com/review-article/atrial-fibrillation to see the online Clinical Review Article. Our mission is to create accessible and easy-to-use digital resources that help healthcare professionals tackle...

This full-length episode on the inpatient management of acute pancreatitis includes not only the admission framework, but also key clinical pearls on the background, pathophysiology, etiologies, presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and complications associated with the disease to help take your understanding to the next level! Visit pointofcaremedicine.com to see the templates, pearls, literature,...

This Quick-Admit episode on acute pancreatitis will focus on only the highest-yield information you need when admitting a patient to the hospital. To take your understanding of the disease to the next level, check out the full-length episode for more information including a discussion of the most important clinical pearls and literature. Visit pointofcaremedicine.com to see the templates, pearls,...

Visit pointofcaremedicine.com to see the templates, pearls, literature, and other resources discussed in this episode. Our mission is to create accessible and easy-to-use digital resources that help healthcare professionals tackle common clinical presentations at the point of care, without getting bogged down by unnecessary details or trivia. Timestamps : 00:00:07 - Background and Epidemiology 00:...

Visit pointofcaremedicine.com to see the templates, pearls, literature, and other resources discussed in this episode. Our mission is to create accessible and easy-to-use digital resources that help healthcare professionals tackle common clinical presentations at the point of care without getting bogged down by unnecessary details or trivia. Timestamps 00:00:08 – Background 00:01:12 – Pathophysiol...

Visit pointofcaremedicine.com to see the templates, pearls, literature, and other resources discussed in this episode. Our mission is to create accessible and easy-to-use digital resources that help healthcare professionals tackle common clinical presentations at the point of care, without getting bogged down by unnecessary details or trivia. Time Stamps: 00:00:08 - Background and Definitions 00:0...

Today's episode is on the inpatient workup and management of Community-Acquired Pneumonia featuring an admission checklist, HPI intake, differential, plan, and high-yield clinical pearls. Visit pointofcaremedicine.com to see the templates, pearls, literature, and other resources discussed in this episode. Our mission is to create accessible and easy-to-use digital resources that help healthcar...

Visit pointofcaremedicine.com to see the templates, pearls, literature, and other resources discussed in this episode. Our mission is to create accessible and easy-to-use digital resources that help healthcare professionals tackle common clinical presentations at the point of care, without getting bogged down by unnecessary details or trivia. 00:00:07 - Historical Background and Definitions 00:01:...

Visit pointofcaremedicine.com to see the templates, pearls, literature, and other resources discussed in this episode. Our mission is to create accessible and easy-to-use digital resources that help healthcare professionals tackle common clinical presentations at the point of care, without getting bogged down by unnecessary details or trivia. Show Notes: 00:00:15 - Introduction and Terminology 00:...

Visit pointofcaremedicine.com to see the templates, pearls, literature, and other resources discussed in this episode. Our mission is to create accessible and easy-to-use digital resources that help healthcare professionals tackle common clinical presentations at the point of care, without getting bogged down by unnecessary details or trivia. Show Notes: 00:00:38 - Background and terminology 00:02...

Visit pointofcaremedicine.com to see the templates, pearls, literature, and other resources discussed in this episode. Our mission is to create accessible and easy-to-use digital resources that help healthcare professionals tackle common clinical presentations at the point of care, without getting bogged down by unnecessary details or trivia. Show Notes: 00:00:00 First steps and communicating with...

Visit pointofcaremedicine.com to see the templates, pearls, literature, and other resources discussed in this episode. Our mission is to create accessible and easy-to-use digital resources that help healthcare professionals tackle common clinical presentations at the point of care, without getting bogged down by unnecessary details or trivia. 00:00:00 - First Things First 00:01:01 - Assessment of...

Visit pointofcaremedicine.com to see the templates, pearls, literature, and other resources discussed in this episode. Our mission is to create accessible and easy-to-use digital resources that help healthcare professionals tackle common clinical presentations at the point of care, without getting bogged down by unnecessary details or trivia. Timestamps : 00:00:00 - Initial Steps and Delegation: S...

Visit pointofcaremedicine.com to see the templates, pearls, literature, and other resources discussed in this episode. Our mission is to create accessible and easy-to-use digital resources that help healthcare professionals tackle common clinical presentations at the point of care, without getting bogged down by unnecessary details or trivia.

Visit pointofcaremedicine.com to see the templates, pearls, literature, and other resources discussed in this episode. Our mission is to create accessible and easy-to-use digital resources that help healthcare professionals tackle common clinical presentations at the point of care, without getting bogged down by unnecessary details or trivia.