Category Name: practice updates

practice updates

FOAMed Resources Part VII: Medical Education and Simulation

All physicians are teachers. However, becoming a great teacher does not occur overnight, and in the stressful setting of the ED, it can be difficult to educate those around you. This part of the FOAMed series looks at resources geared towards education and simulation.

practice updates

Chronic Liver Disease and Hemostasis

Patients with chronic liver disease typically have elevated INRs and thromocytopenia. Thus, clinicians may believe that blood clots are not possible in this patient group. This is a brief review of hemostasis in liver disease and why blood clots can occur even with low platelet counts and elevated INRs.

practice updates

Suprapubic Catheter Complications: Tips and Tricks

Suprapubic catheters are a more invasive type of catheter that have specific indications. Patients typically have these long-term and may present to the emergency department with complications related to their catheters. This is a brief overview of some complications of suprapubic catheters and how to manage them.

practice updates

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Common Complications and Emergency Medicine Pearls

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown cause with multi-organ involvement. The disease causes uncontrolled activation of the immune system with widespread inflammation manifested by vague and varied symptoms. A variety of organ systems are affected. This post evaluates the evaluation and management of the lupus patient in the ED.

practice updates

Post-intubation analgesia/sedation regimens in ED: Pearls & Pitfalls

Intubation is an important intervention in the ED. We see a critical or impending airway problem and we secure the airway with intubation--very satisfying! Yet our job does not stop there. In addition to maintaining an appropriate ventilation strategy after intubation, it is crucial that we use appr...

practice updates

Hemoptysis: Key principles and management

Hemoptysis is defined as expectoration of blood originating from the tracheobronchial tree or lung parenchyma. It may be massive or non-massive, but the majority of patients with hemoptysis will have non-massive hemoptysis. This is a brief overview of the causes, evaluation and management of hemoptysis in the emergency department.

practice updates

The Controversies of Corticosteroids in Sepsis

Sepsis is a condition emergency providers manage daily and has the potential for high morbidity and mortality. Sepsis management requires rapid diagnosis, early administration of intravenous (IV) fluids with broad-spectrum antimicrobials, and source control. But what is the role for steroids in seps...

practice updates

FOAMed Resources Part VI: The Fundamentals

Today we cover Part VI of the FOAMed series. This post provides resources on core, fundamental knowledge for EM to get you started. A strong foundation allows growth and development, and these resources provide that and so much more.