A 70 yo female s/p thyroidectomy 1 month ago on supplements presents to the ED complaining of intermittent nausea and vomiting for the past week with intermittent abdominal pain today. She reports that stools in her colostomy bag are now hard x 3 days. You get some labs and the basic metabolic panel shows...
We will continue our focus on thyroid emergencies. Thryoid storm is a life threatening decompensation of thyrotoxicosis with the classic presenting triad of hyperthermia, altered mental status and sympathetic surge. This is largely a clinical diagnosis and timely, accurate treatment is essential. Read ahead for the treatment regimen and pay particular attention to the ORDER of medications!
This week our Chairman, Dr. Chansky, talked about endocrine emergencies. Read ahead for a high yield summary on myxedema coma, a can't miss diagnosis!
Confused about thrombocytopenia? Here is a chart that helps break down common causes of increased platelet destruction...
Board Review: Myxedema Coma
Which of the following medications is most appropriate for the treatment of myxedema coma in the emergency department? (scroll down for the answer)
A) PO Levothyroxine
B) IV Thyroxine
This week's post wraps up our 2 parter on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the ED. Read on to discover all of the things that can go horribly wrong in this patient population!
Board Review: Thyroid Storm
Last week the Cooper EM residents received a primer on the approach to the patient with IBD in the ED from our own GI fellow Krysta Contino. This week will focus on the basic approach, and next week we will take a deeper dive into specific complications that every ED doc needs to know about!
The cancer population is at an increased risk for morbidity and mortality from common infections due to their impaired immunity. Knowledge on how to approach the febrile neutropenic patient can have a huge impact on an otherwise horrific mortality rate in this vulnerable population.
Read ahead for a quick quide to factor replacement for your next bleeding hemophiliac patient...
