Tactical Medicine News Blog

Child abuse is a common cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality. In 2015, over 650,000 children were found to be victims of maltreatment and over 1,500 child deaths occurred due to child abuse or neglect in the United States.1 Children under 1 year of age are at the highest risk of abuse with potential for lifelong sequelae. Emergency department providers are in a unique position to recognize child abuse and take appropriate steps to reduce further injury to children. An understanding of the motor development of young children can aid physicians in the identification of clinical red flags in the history.

Preeclampsia is on a spectrum of pregnancy related illness that includes eclampsia and HELLP syndrome (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, Low Platelets – debate exists about if this is a separate entity altogether). It carries a high mortality for both mom and baby, and can lead to a number of complications including pulmonary edema, hepatic rupture, placental abruption, and seizures (eclampsia). Created by Dr. Sam Ashoo, ALiEM Cards: Preeclampsia gives you a rapid review of its presentation, criteria, and management.

Background: Pulmonary embolism is the leading cause of death in pregnancy and the puerperium – accounting for nearly 20% of maternal deaths in the United States – making rapid and accurate diagnosis critically important for emergency physicians, OB/GYNs, and all who take care of these women on a regular basis. Unfortunately, typical diagnostic pathways and approaches may not apply in pregnancy, and are made more complicated by the frequency of concerning and suggestive signs and symptoms in this population, particularly dyspnea (a common symptom in pregnancy related to an increase in progesterone levels) and tachycardia (as resting heart rate is typically expected to increase by up to 25% in normal pregnancy).

A middle-aged man with a history of diabetes and hypertension presents with nausea, vomiting, and shortness of breath. His laboratory testing is remarkable for a leukocytosis, ketonemia, and an anion gap acidosis (pH of 7.13). The EM resident caring for this patient is surprised to find that the blood glucose is 121 mg/dL. Which home [+] The post A Can’t Miss ED Diagnosis: Euglycemic DKA appeared first on ALiEM.

We are set to wrap-up the 3rd Annual Emergency Medicine Wellness Week. The ALiEM Wellness Think Tank (WTT) collaborated with CanadiEM, ACEP, and the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) to encourage participation from EDs across North America and around the world. Many of you shared your individual and group successes, which have helped to build collective wellness across the specialty. We are proud to present some of the Wellness Week highlights, and remain hugely motivated to participate in this important movement! When you’re done reading, be sure to welcome today’s newly matched EM interns with the hashtag #WelcometoEM!