EMS brings in a 45 year old male with a PMHX of tobacco abuse who was rescued in a house fire.  The report is that a cigarette dropped on the patient’s couch while he was sleeping and caused a smouldering fire.  It resulted in a significant amount of smoke creation but very little fire damage in the house. The patient has no visible burns.  On arrival, the patient’s pulse oximetry on room air is 84%. He is alert and oriented but notes a sense of persistent dyspnea. His workup is significant for a lactate of 2.2 but otherwise benign.  Co-oximetry is normal without evidence of severe carbon monoxide poisoning. The patient does not display evidence of inhalational burns. The patient’s new hypoxia and dyspnea is worrisome so you planned admission to the hospital but wonder if you should give hydroxycobalamin empirically in case of occult cyanide toxicity.

EMS brings in a 67 year old male in a PEA arrest. ROSC is obtained after twenty minutes of downtime. He was intubated by EMS during transport. A colleague talks to the family and she lets you know that he was complaining of shortness of breath and chest pain for an hour before he had a witnessed cardiac arrest and that his PMH includes HLD and HTN. The respiratory therapist is asking for the ventilator settings.

Case: A 34 year old female with no PMHX presents to the ED with unilateral right lower extremity swelling, dyspnea, and moderate pleuritic chest pain.  Vitals: BP 130/65, HR 68, RR 20, SPO2 89% on room air, Temp 37.8. A CT finds evidence of PE bilaterally at the segmental level. BNP and troponin are both mildly elevated.  Point of care cardiac ultrasound shows mild RV dilation. After interviewing the patient, you don’t identify any contraindications to anticoagulation. Pregnancy testing is negative.  Her renal function is normal. You consider what is the preferred agent for anticoagulation in this patient.

Anchoring on the most common can miss rare diagnoses