Category Name: practice updates

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Recent Elective Abortion

Patients who undergo elective abortions may present to the emergency department for various symptoms and complications due to their recent procedures. This is a brief article of the complications of elective abortion. Workup and management of these complications are also reviewed.

practice updates

Ophthalmologic Medications: Pearls & Pitfalls for the ED

Ophthalmologic medications carry a wide variety of indications and effects. The caps of the bottles have thus been color-coded to reflect these differences. Read this primer for a thorough run-down of all these medications and their uses.

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Unstable Sepsis: Airway First? Not Always

Intubation, especially in the septic and critically ill patient, can, by itself, cause hemodynamic abnormalities and/or hypoxemia and hypercapnea. In some situations, it may be important to make sure that the patient is adequately prepared for intubation, both from hemodynamic and pre-oxygenation st...

practice updates

Tumor Lysis Syndrome – Diagnosis and Treatment

Tumor Lysis Syndrome: a condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality. These patients often present with vague symptoms. How do you make the diagnosis, and what are the keys in management? This post answers these questions and more.

practice updates

Preeclampsia and Eclampsia: Common Pitfalls in Diagnosis and Management

The pregnant patient can be challenging to manage in the ED, as we must manage two patients, not just one. Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy affect about 5% to 10% of all pregnancies in the USA. Conditions with hypertension include gestational hypertension, chronic hypertension, preeclampsia, and ...

In the Literature

Penetrating Trauma: What We Miss and How We Can Improve

The patient with penetrating trauma can present with many different injuries. The majority of injuries are easily diagnosed. What about the patient with pneumothorax, diaphragmatic injury, ureteral injury, and hollow viscus injury? These are not so easy to diagnose, and delay in management can cause significant morbidity and mortality. This post provides pearls and pitfalls for these conditions.