Tactical Medicine News Blog

In this EM Cases episode Dr. Melanie Baimel and Dr. Ed Etchells discuss a simple and practical step-wise approach to the emergency management of hyponatremia: 1. Assess and treat neurologic emergencies related to hyponatremia with hypertonic saline 2. Defend the intravascular volume 3. Prevent further exacerbation of hyponatremia 4. Prevent rapid overcorrection 5. Ascertain a cause Dr. Etchells and Dr. Baimel answer questions such as: What are the indications for giving DDAVP in the emergency management of hyponatremia? What is a simple and practical approach to determining the cause of hyponatremia in the ED? How fast should we aim to correct hyponatremia? What is the best fluid for resuscitating the patient in shock who has a low serum sodium? Why is the management of the marathon runner with hyponatremia counter-intuitive? What strategies can we employ to minimize the risk of Osmotic Demyelination Syndrome (OSD) and cerebral edema in the emergency management of hyponatremia? and many more... The post Episode 60: Emergency Management of Hyponatremia appeared first on Emergency Medicine Cases.

In this EM Cases episode Dr. Melanie Baimel and Dr. Ed Etchells discuss a simple and practical step-wise approach to the emergency management of hyponatremia: 1. Assess and treat neurologic emergencies related to hyponatremia with hypertonic saline 2. Defend the intravascular volume 3. Prevent further exacerbation of hyponatremia 4. Prevent rapid overcorrection 5. Ascertain a cause Dr. Etchells and Dr. Baimel answer questions such as: What are the indications for giving DDAVP in the emergency management of hyponatremia? What is a simple and practical approach to determining the cause of hyponatremia in the ED? How fast should we aim to correct hyponatremia? What is the best fluid for resuscitating the patient in shock who has a low serum sodium? Why is the management of the marathon runner with hyponatremia counter-intuitive? What strategies can we employ to minimize the risk of Osmotic Demyelination Syndrome (OSD) and cerebral edema in the emergency management of hyponatremia? and many more... The post Episode 60: Emergency Management of Hyponatremia appeared first on Emergency Medicine Cases.

Cough from respiratory illness is one of the most common reasons that patients seek care in both the outpatient primary care setting and the emergency department (ED).  Cough due to respiratory illness is a self-limited condition in the majority of cases, but patients still seek care at clinics and EDs seeking relief or their symptoms. Maybe the reason for this is patients’ expectations of duration of cough and the actual natural history of cough from respiratory illness are mismatched. So how long does a cough from respiratory illness last?

In patients undergoing emergent tracheal intubation, there is currently no universally accepted gold-standard test to confirm the location of the endotracheal tube (ETT).1 End-tidal carbon dioxide (CO2) detection is the best of the tests that are routinely utilized to confirm ETT placement, however, it has been shown to have an error rate as high as 1/10 for proper determination of ETT location in emergency intubations.2 As a result, multiple modalities are necessary to confirm ETT location, which can delay mechanical ventilation and other treatments. The lack of a single, reliable test to confirm ETT placement can potentially lead to confusion regarding the location of the tube. This confusion can result in both unrecognized esophageal intubations (“false positive”), as well as successful tracheal intubations that are subsequently removed (“false negative”), subjecting the patient to further unnecessary attempts at airway management. Both scenarios can lead to disastrous consequences.

Dear productivity aficionados, today we have a special treat. Dr. Haney Mallemat (@CriticalCareNow) is our guest. However, he has decided to go rogue and approached ‘how to work smarter’ from a very different angle. We are thrilled he did. Dr. Mallemat is a rising star in the world of critical care and emergency medicine. He started off by securing board certifications in Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Critical Care, and Echocardiography. Now, only 5 years out of his Critical Care fellowship, Dr. Mallemat already has a place among the FOAM greats and a position as Assistant Professor at University of Maryland. Those who have listen to him talk will know he has the rare ability to take complex topics and break them down into understandable concepts. This has earned him the “Outstanding Teaching Award” two years in a row (2012-2013) at his home institution. You can hear his great talks on the RAGE Podcast, EMRAP, Ultrasound Podcast, PHARM Podcast, to name a few. However, it’s not all podcasting. Dr. Mallemat also lectures both nationally and internationally, and today he graciously shares his wisdom about how to get from point A to point B, with style.