Tactical Medicine News Blog

Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico almost 3 months ago, destroying factories that manufacture and distribute medications and related supplies. Healthcare facilities across the nation are now experiencing a critical shortage of small-volume intravenous (IV) fluids, which impacts the supply of IV antimicrobials. With no end in sight, ED providers can protect the quality of patient care by considering 2 strategies: IV to PO conversion and first-dose antimicrobials via IV push.

Emergency Medicine has made significant contributions to the proliferation of Observation Medicine, an attractive alternative to admission for patients with low- and moderate-risk chest pain. Selecting the right patient, identifying appropriate interventions, and documenting appropriately are just some of the challenges discussed in the latest ACEP E-QUAL Network podcast, a partnership with ALiEM to promote clinical practice improvements. We review highlights from a podcast with experts Dr. Anwar Osborne (Emory University) and Dr. Michael Granovsky (LogixHealth).

Dr. Megan Stobart-Gallagher is an emergency physician from Philadelphia. She balances multiple roles outside the ED: Undergraduate Medical Director, Assistant Residency Director, and best of all, Mom. Staying active and spending time with family helps Dr. Stobart-Gallagher stay centered and appreciate why she pursued EM in the first place. Here’s how she stays healthy in EM!

Background: Epistaxis is a common Emergency Department (ED) complaint with over 450,000 visits per year and a lifetime incidence of 60% (Gifford 2008, Pallin 2005). Standard anterior epistaxis treatment consists of holding pressure, use of local vasoconstrictors, topical application of silver nitrate and placement of an anterior nasal pack. ED patients with epistaxis often fail conservative management and end up with anterior nasal packs which are uncomfortable. This is even more common in the group of patients who are taking antiplatelet agents like aspirin or clopidogrel. Recently, the use of topical tranexamic acid (TXA) has been described in patients with anterior epistaxis with shorter time to epistaxis control and shorter ED length of stay (Zahed 2013). However, prior studies have not focused specifically on patients taking antiplatelet agents.

In this EM Cases Best Case Ever Hans Rosenberg and Rajiv Thavanathan discuss recognition and management pearls and pitfalls in salicylate poisoning. They answer question such as: What are the most important diagnostic clues of salicylate poisoning in the patient who presents with undifferentiated fever and altered level of awareness? What is the best timing and ventilation strategy for intubation? Which electrolyte abnormalities do you need to be on the lookout for? and many more... The post BCE 64 Salicylate Poisoning appeared first on Emergency Medicine Cases.