recent articles

em@3am

EM@3AM: Sacral fractures

A 75-year-old male with a history of hypertension, osteoarthritis, and diabetes mellitus presents to the ED with a chief complaint of lower back pain.  He states that he fell a few days ago and the pain is getting worse, particularly when he is sitting down. His vitals include blood pressure 150/95, heart rate 95, SPO2 99%, temperature 36.6C, and a glucose of 143. On examination, the pelvis is stable, but he endorses tenderness midline along his sacrum. He has a normal neurologic exam in all extremities. What’s the diagnosis?

em@3am

EM@3AM: Finger Amputation

A 28-year-old male presents as a transfer from an urgent care with report of left-hand injury. He is a construction worker and was using a table saw when he injured his left hand. The amputated part is wrapped in a plastic bag. He is right-handed. He has extensive injuries to the left hand, including amputation. What’s the next step in your evaluation and treatment?