As the weather becomes nicer, more people are venturing outside to work on their yards, hike and just take in the sun - and hence, more people are becoming exposed to poison ivy, oak, and sumac. Learn the basic management for toxicodendron dermatitis.
Summer is fast approaching (woohoo)! For many of us living in endemic areas, that means we need to consider tick borne illnesses in many of our differentials of patients with flu-like illnesses and possibly a rash. Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are often the diseases that we remember easily. Below are some pearls to help clinch the diagnosis of some of the lesser known tick borne illnesses or, in some cases, answer a test question correctly!
It is understood that chronic conditions such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and valvular disease (just to name a few) are risk factors for the development of atrial fibrillation. However, in the ED it is important that we are aware of the acute triggers of atrial fibrillation, some of which are associated with significant morbidity and mortality.
Master placement of surgical chest tubes with these simple tips and tricks.
These are the need-to-know EKG findings found in tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) toxicity.
While both ocular herpes simplex and herpes zoster ophthalmicus can cause a red, painful eye, there are some important distinctions to make when diagnosing and treating each of these entities.
This post is not intended to be a comprehensive review of skull fracture types and management, but rather a discussion of two subtypes of skull fracture – open and depressed fractures. I chose this topic because it’s something I saw frequently during my recent elective working in an emergency department in Kumasi, Ghana. In the United States at trauma centers these patients are frequently managed immediately by neurosurgery; however, with few consultants available, I was able to be more involved in the prolonged care of these patients. If faced with these types of severe head/skull injuries in a community hospital, it is important to feel comfortable with the initial management.
Any chemical exposure to the eyes is a true emergency until proven otherwise.
A high-yield review of ECG findings in myocardial infarction and tips on determining the culprit vessel!
Ever wonder where the the current American Heart Association and American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) guidelines for thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke come from? Included is a summary of the landmark studies that have contributed to these recommendations (NINDS& ECASS III) as well as a review of IST-3.
