infectious disease

Welcome to Part 2 of the two-part series on surgical emergencies. This series discusses “cannot miss” diagnoses that require emergent surgical intervention. Today we discuss necrotizing fasciitis, testicular torsion, and ovarian torsion.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is an important complication of sexually transmitted diseases. Adequate treatment is important to prevent complications such as infertility and systemic disease. This is a brief overview of PID , its workup and management in the emergency department.

The purpose of this article is to present a discussion on Lyme using a case based format. The goal is to expand the reader’s differential to include Lyme disease in a multitude of cases, provide tips/tricks for diagnosis and treatment, discuss the role of prophylaxis, and address Chronic Lyme Disease.

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) is a serious complication of some critical illnesses. Patients are very ill and can present with a multitude of symptoms. While treatment of the underlying illness is key, there are some key interventions that can be initiated in the emergency department (ED). This is a brief review of the the underlying pathophysiology of DIC and the interventions that can be initiated in the ED.

Cellulitis is common, but treating with the appropriate antibiotic can be tricky. This post details management tips and tricks in choosing the right antibiotic for the job.

What do you think of with the patient presenting with fever, headache, and focal neurologic signs? Meningitis? Encephalitis? What about brain abscess? This post is filled with pearls and pitfalls on the pathogenesis, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of brain abscess.

Pneumonia is an illness frequently seen in our emergency departments. But, are all presentations actually pneumonia? Are we missing other illnesses that present similarly to pneumonia? Which ones pose significant morbidity and mortality risk to our patients? What clues are out there that will aid us in making an alternative and critical diagnosis?

Bacteremia affects 200,000 patients per year, with the potential of causing significant mortality. Blood cultures are considered the most sensitive method for detecting bacteremia and are commonly obtained in patients with fever, chills, leukocytosis, focal infections, sepsis, or suspected endocarditis. However, what is the literature behind obtaining cultures in the ED?

Acute mastoiditis is a common complication of acute otitis media. Diagnosis includes clinical evidence of mastoid inflammation and may necessitate further imaging to exclude other complications. IV antibiotics and a surgical consult are required.

The new, updated sepsis definitions have been released. What are the changes, and what should you know?