Intracranial hemorrhage is the second most common cause of stroke, accounting for 10 to 15% of all acute strokes. These patients can present with many different symptoms and can be life-threatening. This post details pearls and pitfalls in the differential, evaluation, and management of these patients.
Critical Intracranial Hemorrhage: Pearls and Pitfalls in Evaluation and Management Read More »
TIA is a brief neurologic deficit due to cerebral ischemia, with no permanent infarction. It affects over 200,000 U.S. patients per year and may precede 14% to 23% of strokes. Many have sought risk stratification tools to determine who may be appropriate for discharge with follow-up. This post evaluates the new ACEP guidelines for TIA and the controversies in the ED evaluation of TIA.
Current Controversies in TIA Evaluation Read More »
Diagnosing seizures in young children can be difficult and even more so in those under the age of one year. This is a brief review of the evaluation and treatment of both febrile and afebrile seizures in those under the age of one year in the emergency department.
Seizures in the First Year of Life Read More »
Dementia versus delirium is an age old question in emergency medicine. Many studies have been conducted seeking a means of differentiation. First, is there a way to differentiate, and second, is dementia always irreversible? Dementia is often thought to be due to a chronic disease, but studies suggest 20-30% of dementia cases are due to a reversible cause. This post looks at these questions and more.
“Dementia” in the emergency department: can you do anything about it? Read More »
Cerebral Venous Thrombosis (CVT) is a rare but emergent cause of headache. It is a difficult diagnosis to make due to a wide variety of symptoms. This article reviews the etiology, risk factors and symptoms of CVT. Imaging and treatment regimens are also discussed.
Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: Pearls and Pitfalls Read More »
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.
Brain Abscess: Pearls and Pitfalls Read More »
Every provider has their own twist on the standard “headache cocktail”, but what is the evidence behind the individual medications for headache management? What about treating headaches in the pregnant or pediatric patient? This post seeks to answer these questions and more.
Headache Management: Best Current Evidence for the ED Read More »
The transient ischemic attack (TIA) places patients at high risk for future stroke. This article reviews the current literature on the diagnosis, management and disposition of patients with TIA. The use of observation and TIA clinics is also discussed.
The pediatric patient with seizure, or is it really a seizure? A host of other conditions can look just like seizure. This Peds EM Morsel provides you with some answers.
Dizziness is a common chief complaint with a large differential ranging from benign to a life-threatening bleed. How should you approach the patient with dizziness, and what do you need to consider?
A Simplified Approach to the Patient with Dizziness Read More »
