Question – How safe is mechanical CPR compared to manual CPR? There are two devices used for mechanical CPR – the AutoPulse and LUCAS – neither of which has been demonstrated to show a survival benefit over manual CPR in r…
Question – How can you use ultrasound to figure out the etiology of a cardiac arrest? Much of the buzz surrounding ultrasound in cardiac arrest revolves around the intra-arrest echo and TEE. You can also use ultrasound to get some inf…
Question – STEMI criteria are insensitive for all cases of acute coronary artery occlusion. Among patients with chest pain, what are the other criteria for cath lab activation? Let’s talk more ACS. Patients that need emergent re…
Case – 70 year old male mhx of HTN, IDDM presents with 2 hours of exertional chest pain. His ECG in triage is unremarkable for any ischemic changes. He appears uncomfortable and over the next 30 minutes requires escalating doses of ni…
Case: 24yo male p/w abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. This is his 4th ED visit in the past two months. He has had multiple workups including labs, abdominal ultrasound and CT, all of which were normal. He even followed up with a gastroen…
It’s another busy afternoon in the peds ED when grandma comes in stating that her grandson broke his arm. He was jumping on the bed, and reached out to grab hold of a side rail before falling to the ground. It looks normal, but now th…
Clinical Question – What is the best way to intubate and provide post-intubation care for the critically ill asthmatic? Case: 54M mhx asthma (hx of 2 intubations, last 2 months ago) presents to the cardiac room in respiratory distress…
Clinical Question – Why use High Flow Nasal Cannula? When should you use it over BIPAP? HFNC offers several advantages compared to conventional oxygen therapy, including: Ability to deliver O2 at up to 60 LPMs at nearly 100% FiO2. Thi…
Case – 26M with no medical history presents with chest pain and palpitations. He states that he passed out while walking. He denies associated symptoms or family history of sudden cardiac death. ECG: Question – What are the ECG…
Clinical Question – What’s a systematic approach you can use to improve your Echo? Case – 66 M with IDDM, HTN, and obesity presents to Resus in septic shock. He is intubated for hypoxemic respiratory failure, and remains p…
LET gel, a combination of 4% lidocaine, 0.1% (1:1000) epinephrine, and 0.5% tetracaine in a methylcellulose gel, is commonly used as a topical anesthetic for the repair of skin lacerations, especially in children. It often eliminates the ne…
A patient presents 3 days after a lung biopsy with shortness of breath and chest pain. He has a normal HR and BP but SpO2 is 92% on non-rebreather at 15lpm. On bedside ultrasound, he has absent lung sliding on the right, and CXR confirms a…
A patient presents 30 minutes after intentional ingestion of 25 tabs of alprazolam. He is awake and talking, with normal vitals. This is a perfect situation in which to give activated charcoal, something that seems to be often discussed but…