Mythbuster: Glucose Levels Must be Below a “Safe” Threshold Before Discharge
December 1, 2016
Background: Anyone who works in the Emergency Department has seen patients brought in by EMS or sent from the clinic with a chief complaint of...
Marco Torres
Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) Myths
November 2, 2015
Recently, I was asked to give a lecture to both my residents and nurses at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) on...
More Dogma: Epinephrine in Digital Nerve Blocks
September 3, 2015
You are working as an EM resident and have just evaluated a patient with a right long finger DIP joint dislocation. You perform a digital...
Mythbuster: Administration of Vasopressors Through Peripheral Intravenous Access
May 28, 2015
Background: Vasopressors are frequently used in critically ill patients with hemodynamic instability both in the emergency department (ED) as well as intensive care units (ICUs)....
Beyond ACLS: Epinephrine in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Poll
March 15, 2015
Recently, I wrote a post on the use of epinephrine in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and this triggered some interesting discussion on twitter. Are we...
Beyond ACLS: Is It Time to Abandon Epinephrine in Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest?
March 11, 2015
Epinephrine is widely used and recommended by Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), but its effectiveness in neurologic outcomes has never...
Is Kayexalate Useful in the Treatment of Hyperkalemia in the Emergency Department?
February 2, 2015
Background: Hyperkalemia is the most common electrolyte disorder seen in the Emergency Department and treatment of hyperkalemia is core knowledge of EM training for interns and...
REBEL Cast Episode 4: Cephalosporin Abx in Patients with Penicillin Allergy
January 10, 2015
Welcome to the January 2015 REBELCast, where Swami and I are going to tackle a very important scenario that comes up in the daily practice...
Do Patients with Strep Throat Need to Be Treated with Antibiotics?
January 5, 2015
Background: Streptococcal pharyngitis is a common presentation to primary care and Emergency Department physicians. Every year, 10 million patients in the United States are treated with...
Intravenous Fluids and Alcohol Intoxication
May 1, 2014
Frequently, patients with acute alcohol intoxication are brought to the emergency department (ED) for evaluation and treatment. Although practice patterns vary, it is not an...
Topical Anesthetic Use on Corneal Abrasions
April 21, 2014
Patients with corneal abrasions typically come to the emergency department for eye pain. Most physicians treat these with topical antibiotics, oral analgesia, and for those...
Relationship of Radiocontrast, Iodine, and Seafood Allergies
February 4, 2014
Computed Tomography (CT) scan using radiocontrast is one of the most common imaging modalities used in emergency departments today. Several studies and my own anecdotal...