Posts - GW EM Blog

Blast Injuries: An Overview

Leave a Comment / Board Review, Resources, Reviews, Wilderness & Austere Environments / Kirra Paulus

Blast injuries can result from various scenarios, presenting complex mechanical trauma categorized into primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary types. Pediatric patients have unique vulnerabilities, and psychological impacts on victims and providers are significant. Effective trauma care must integrate mental health support while addressing specific injury mechanisms. These insights aid clinicians in managing blast incidents.

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Meckel Diverticula in Adults

Leave a Comment / Cases, Gastroenterology, Reviews / Amelia Bryan

Meckel diverticula are the most common congenital GI abnormality, affecting around 2% of the population. They can lead to complications such as rectal bleeding, ulcers, and intussusception. Imaging techniques like Techetium-99m scans and CT scans help in diagnosis. Risk factors include male sex, age over 50, and presence of heterotopic mucosa.

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What to Expect when you’re Expecting… a Patient: A guide to EMS Providers for Emergency Physicians

Leave a Comment / Prehospital & EMS, Resources, Reviews / Timothy Harmon

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) encompasses patient identification, response, treatment, and transport. There are three main provider levels: EMT, AEMT, and paramedic. Each level has distinct training, responsibilities, and capabilities, with paramedics being the most advanced. Understanding these roles is crucial for physicians to ensure effective prehospital care and communication.

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Setting Up for a Successful Intubation

Airway, Critical Care, Procedures / Karen Chung

Dr. Karen Chung and Dr. Arman Hussain discuss their distinct methods for preparing for intubations, aimed at junior learners. Chung emphasizes using a checklist, especially the SOAP ME mnemonic, for effective preparation. Hussain, a visual learner, prefers “disaster thinking” to prepare for potential complications during the procedure, enhancing his confidence.

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$Refractory Hypoxemia Treatment in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)$

Refractory Hypoxemia Treatment in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

Cases, Critical Care, Respiratory/Pulm / Neha Gupta

The article discusses treatment strategies for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and refractory hypoxemia. Key steps include optimizing mechanical ventilation, implementing prone positioning, considering neuromuscular blockade, and using inhaled vasodilators.

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Crowd Control Devices – Initial Evaluation and Management in the ED

Prehospital & EMS, Resources, Toxicology / Arman Hussain

The article emphasizes the crucial role emergency medical programs play in managing injuries from crowd control devices. Highlighting the necessity of appropriate PPE and stress on scene safety, it details treatment protocols involving the P-ABCD²E method for managing effects of pepper spray, tear gas, and kinetic impact projectiles like rubber bullets. The essence of management involves supportive care and vigilance for severe respiratory or cardiac symptoms, ensuring thorough evaluation and quick decontamination to mitigate complications.

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Hypothermia Recap and Resources

Resources, Reviews, Wilderness & Austere Environments / Arman Hussain

Take Home Points Michael West, one of my favorite senior residents (back when he was a PGY-4), wrote an incredible review article on the management of hypothermia with a particular focus on severe hypothermia with and without a pulse. I regularly find myself going back to this article in preparation for the Winter months, and

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Phenobarbital: The Sobering Truth

Cases, Toxicology / Kirsten Boone

Phenobarbital may be a viable option for treating alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) as both monotherapy and in combination with benzodiazepines. Studies suggest that phenobarbital may be superior to benzodiazepines in terms of adverse outcomes such as ICU admissions. However, more research is needed to make definitive recommendations.

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Picture This: Imaging in Renal Colic

Radiology, Reviews, Ultrasound, Urology / Arman Hussain

Take Home Points Case A 20 year old male with no past medical history comes back from the waiting room in excruciating pain in his right flank travelling into his groin that started abruptly while he was at work about an hour ago. He’s never had pain like this before, and he is nauseous from

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A Bone to Pick: Diagnosing Osteomyelitic Foot Infections

Infectious Disease / Taylor Peter-Bibb

Take Home Points Osteomyelitis is a diagnostic term used to describe the destruction of bone via inflammatory processes, often associated with pathogenic infection. Osteomyelitis exists on a wide chronicity spectrum, with variable treatment and prognosis. Acute osteomyelitis is generally used for symptoms < 2 weeks duration; chronic osteomyelitis is generally reserved for patients with symptom

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