Tactical Medicine News Blog

We at ALiEM are incredibly excited to publicly announce the 2015-16 ALiEM Chief Resident (CR) Incubator. Every single year, I have seen Chief Residents struggle with their new role as a near-peer leader in the residency program. Because Chief Residents are generally high-functioning individuals, they usually figure it out as the year progresses. Why is it that we can’t we do better and prepare them for what is to come?

The 2014 Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Skin and Soft Tissue Infections (SSTI) recommend sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SMX-TMP) for purulent infections where methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is a likely pathogen. 1 But, what dose of SMX-TMP should we be prescribing? Both the SSTI and MRSA guidelines say 1-2 double strength tablets twice a day. 1,2  So, which is it, 1 tablet or 2?

As the “How I Work Smarter” series matures, certain patterns emerge. One clear trend is that ultrasonographers have been present front and center. Today’s installment continue the course with Dr. John Bailitz (@AllInCoachMD) up at bat. Dr. Bailitz is an example to follow for future thinking EM clinician-academicians. While he has mastered the traditional avenues of academics via course leadership, publications, and national presentations, he has also embraced digital scholarship. He is the Chair of ACEP Online Education Subcommittee, blogs at How2TrainHeroes, and is on the organizing committee for SMACC 2015. He generously accepted Chris Nickson’s invitation to share his wisdom on how he works smarter.

The Emperor of All Maladies has become my touchstone for medicine. Siddhartha Mukherjee writes in a poignant and humanist voice as he beautifully captures the “Biography of Cancer.” Interweaving science, stories, and his experiences as an oncology fellow, Mukherjee begins his examination of cancer in the ancient Egyptian times with the story of Imhotep, and carries us through to the modern 21st century diagnosis and management of cancer. From laboratory to bedside, Mukherjee provides both a panoramic and microscopic view of the advances and setbacks of cancer discovery, definition, and understanding.

Welcome to another ultrasound-based case, part of the “Ultrasound For The Win” (#US4TW) Case Series. In this peer-reviewed case series, we focus on real clinical cases where bedside ultrasound changed management or aided in diagnoses. In this case, a 22-year-old man presents with acute scrotal pain.