Tactical Medicine News Blog
Trick of the trade: Endotracheal tube lubrication
Posted by Michelle Lin, MD on
Does your endotracheal tube get caught up on a swollen or floppy epiglottis during insertion? Trick of the Trade: Endotracheal tube lubrication Occasionally the endotracheal tube may become “caught up” along the epiglottis. Because it is difficult to predict when this may happen, pre-lubricate the endotracheal tube cuff and tip with a thin layer of [+] The post Trick of the trade: Endotracheal tube lubrication appeared first on ALiEM.
Paucis Verbis card: Ottawa knee, ankle, and foot rules
Posted by Michelle Lin, MD on
Often times, I get called to triage to help decide whether a patient should be sent to Radiology for an initial x-ray after injuring their knee, ankle, and/or foot. After teaching one of the nurses about the Ottawa rules, she taped a list of these rules on the triage wall. This installment of the Paucis Verbis (In a Few Words) e-card series reviews Ottawa Knee, Ankle, and Foot Rules.
Creating and delivering the stellar lecture
Posted by Michelle Lin, MD on
I recently re-read a book “Made to Stick” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath which discusses why some ideas stick and others are completely forgettable. The concepts discussed have helped me design lectures. Here’s something that I have incorporated into my talks: Memorable ideas share common attributes, which can be summarized by the acronym SUCCESs.
Trick of the trade: Percuss the spine in low back pain
Posted by Michelle Lin, MD on
Many patients present to the Emergency Department for low back pain. Determining whether these patients have a red-flag diagnosis can be difficult. Red flag diagnoses include: Fracture Cauda equina syndrome/ spinal cord compression Spinal infection Vertebral malignancy Almost all patients presenting with back pain, whether it be a muscle spasm or a spinal epidural abscess, will have back tenderness to some extent. So, how can you better differentiate benign from dangerous etiologies?
Poll: How do you recover from a night shift?
Posted by Michelle Lin, MD on
There are so many amazing things that we get to see and do as emergency physicians. We see sick, undifferentiated patients who need our help acutely. We have cool toys, such as ultrasounds. We get to do great procedures. We work on a shift-based schedule. We work in team-based fashion with fun nurses, technicians, and staff. However, one major down side is that almost all of us work some night shifts.