Spinal cord injury syndromes

Another quick reference since these seem to show up on board exams from time to time. The bottom line in any suspected spinal cord injury is immobilization of the C spine with a semirigid collar, and keeping the patient supine. Steroids haven't been proven to be necessarily beneficial, and MRI is the imaging test of choice. Central cord syndrome Incomplete [...]

By |2014-10-28T15:34:23-04:00October 28th, 2014|Neurosurgery|

Briefs: C-spine radiography injury rules

Think about what you do in the ED? Do you recognize how the following studies have impacted your practice? National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study Multicenter, prospective, observational study of patients with blunt trauma for whom cervical spine X-rays were obtained. Get C-spine films if: Patients with abnormal neurologic examination Distracting or painful injury (like a femur fracture) Depressed or altered [...]

By |2014-10-24T11:50:05-04:00October 23rd, 2014|Briefs, Radiology, Trauma|

The Centor Criteria

Have you read my post on the exam based approach to the patient with a sore throat? Cool, you should also be using the Centor Criteria to help decide who needs to be tested for strep. These criteria can be used to assess the likelihood of bacterial infection in patients with a sore throat. It was studied in adult patients, [...]

By |2016-12-14T12:56:51-05:00October 16th, 2014|Infectious Diseases|

The top ten articles in Pediatric Emergency Medicine (2014 edition)

Check out my live-tweet of the top ten Pediatric Emergency Medicine articles of the year presentation at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition in San Diego, CA on Saturday, October 11, 2014. I'll be exploring these topics in a more in depth fashion soon and discussing how they wight impact your practice and teaching. [View the story [...]

By |2014-10-12T19:19:25-04:00October 13th, 2014|PEMBlog Updates|

Check out the newest edition of the PEM Currents podcast on topical anesthetics

PEM Currents returns with an examination of the different topical anesthetics used in Emergency Department. Specifically, by listening to this edition you'll learn about LET, EMLA and LMX and how you can add them to your repertoire for pre-procedure anesthesia in the ED. You can download it on iTunes Or listen right here via the embedded media player [...]

By |2016-12-14T12:56:51-05:00October 12th, 2014|Podcasts, Procedures|

Why we do what we do: Intravenous magnesium for asthma exacerbations

So you've thrown the kitchen sink at a child with a moderate to severe asthma exacerbation. And despite the large hematoma on their forehead from the concussive effect of the faucet ricocheting off their skull they've not improved. What's a clinician to do? Give intravenous magnesium sulfate, that's what you should do. Interestingly we learned that it was valuable when [...]

By |2016-12-14T12:56:51-05:00October 11th, 2014|Pharmacology, Pulmonology, What We Do|

Briefs: Do we need antibiotics after I&D of a cutaneous abscess?

First of all, the proper and effective treatment of a cutaneous abscess is ALWAYS incision and drainage. With that out of the way, let us address the more controversial question. Should a child be prescribed antibiotics after I&D? We'll look at the evidence as it stands then address the main question in a scenario-based approach. Certainly MRSA is the main [...]

By |2016-12-14T12:56:51-05:00October 9th, 2014|Briefs, Infectious Diseases|

Learn about the #FOAMed movement at the AAP NCE in San Diego

If you'll be attending the annual National Conference & Exhibition in San Diego this weekend stop by and see me as I present a poster discussing the #FOAMed movement in Emergency Medicine. You can also learn about: The difference between "stock" and "flow" and how these concepts relate to content on the web The growth of Emergency Medicine [...]

By |2016-12-14T12:56:51-05:00October 8th, 2014|PEMBlog Updates|
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