Tactical Medicine News Blog

Tricks of the Trade
Trick of the Trade: Minimizing abscess odor
Building on my theme of combating odors in the Emergency Department (see Toxic Sock Syndrome), foul-smelling pus from large abscesses has got to be one of the most nauseating smells...
Michelle Lin, MD | March 10, 2010
procedure, Tricks of the Trade
Trick of the trade: Irrigation scalp wound photos
I mentioned from an earlier post about building a "head basin" for collecting irrigation fluid prior to wound closure. This basin prevents a deluge of fluid from soaking the gurney...
Michelle Lin, MD | March 3, 2010
Medical Education, Tricks of the Trade
Trick of the trade: Spicing up your evidence-based lecture
Before I start creating a new talk, I ask myself 3 questions: Who will be in the audience? How can I make my talk more worthwhile to audience members, beyond...
Michelle Lin, MD | February 24, 2010
app, Social Media & Tech, Tricks of the Trade
iPhone uses in the Emergency Department
Occasionally, I get a rare – “Hey congrats on the article!” comment from residents or students. It’s usually in reference to my ACEP News column that comes out every 3...
Michelle Lin, MD | February 18, 2010
Tricks of the Trade
Trick of the Trade: My new penlight
On any given day in the ED, I use my super-bright penlight 2-5 times a day. It is amazing what things I’ve almost missed without a bright LED flashlight. Subtle...
Michelle Lin, MD | February 17, 2010
procedure, Tricks of the Trade
Trick of the trade: Minimizing post-LP headache
Have you ever performed a lumbar puncture (LP) in a patient, only to have them return the next day for new debilitating headaches? It’s worse when sitting up, and much...
Michelle Lin, MD | February 10, 2010
procedure, Tricks of the Trade
Trick of the Trade: Preventing tissue adhesive seepage
As great as tissue adhesives are in wound closure, they come with some risk. For instance, liquid adhesives, such as Dermabond, can "run" and contact undesired areas such as eyelid...
Michelle Lin, MD | February 3, 2010
procedure, Tricks of the Trade
Trick of the trade: Irrigating scalp lacerations
Thanks to my new-found Emergency Medicine friend in Turkey, Dr. John Fowler has some useful tips about scalp lacerations. Often patients with scalp lacerations have clotted blood in their hair....
Michelle Lin, MD | January 27, 2010
procedure, Trauma, Tricks of the Trade
Trick of the Trade: Modified hair apposition technique
I got a nice email from Dr. John Fowler from Turkey who recently published a modified version of the Hair Apposition Technique (HAT) trick in the American Journal of Emergency...
Michelle Lin, MD | January 20, 2010
Pediatrics, Tricks of the Trade
Trick of the Trade: Pediatric Distractors
Remember back in the day when we made simple toys for pediatric patients to focus on during the physical exam? Remember the inflated medical glove +/- a face drawn on...
Michelle Lin, MD | January 13, 2010
Orthopedic, procedure, Tricks of the Trade
Trick of the Trade: Finger nailbed laceration repair
Over the years, I have been frustrated by how inelegant finger nailbed closure is. Nailbed lacerations are often sustained by a major crush injury, resulting in a stellate and irregular...
Michelle Lin, MD | January 6, 2010
Tricks of the Trade
Trick of the Trade: Hip flexion strength testing
Testing lower extremity strength is a crucial part of the examination in patients with low back pain. In Emergency Departments, however, some patients provide a suboptimal effort because of general...
Michelle Lin, MD | December 30, 2009
procedure, Tricks of the Trade
Trick of the Trade: Laryngoscope lifting strength
You are about to endotracheally intubate a patient. As you struggle to elevate the laryngoscope more anteriorly, has your left hand ever trembled while trying to see the vocal cords?...
Michelle Lin, MD | December 16, 2009

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