Serial Troponin for Atypical Symptoms? – PART III [spacer height=”20px”] In general, the literature suggests that elderly patients who present with atypical chest pain should receive at least two troponins for several reas…
This is part two of a three-part series to answer the question, “it is acceptable to order a single troponin in an elderly patient with dizziness, weakness, or a similarly vague anginal equivalent?” So far, we understand that tr…
You’re working in Geri and have 10 elderly patients with dizziness and/or SOB on your board. None of them can reliably recall when their symptoms started. You are about to order “just one trop” on all of them. After all, e…
Given the evolving definition of sepsis and the continual push to report sepsis measures to State Health Departments and CMS, I thought the time is ripe to revisit a popular topic: the significance of elevated lactate in the ED. After all,…
If you’re like me, you probably hook your chest tube up to a Pleur-Evac, put it on the ground, then back away slowly. Who knows what goes on in that mysterious bubbling white box? Hopefully this will post shed some light. [spacer heig…
If you’ve ever been confused about why cooling matters in post-cardiac arrest, when to do it, how to order it, or what temperature (34C? 36C?) is best, read on. [spacer height=”20px”] Why do we do this? To protect the brai…
When Should I Use It? For cases of profound beta blocker overdose with clinically significant cardiovascular depression (symptomatic bradycardia, hemodynamic instability). [spacer height=”20px”] Since many patients are on both b…
This Tuesday, the New York Times reported that 33 patients from the same Brooklyn neighborhood were transported to the ED due to a “bad batch” of K2. But what is a “bad batch,” and what does it mean in terms of treat…
Abdominal pain is the most common chief complaint in the emergency room, yet up to 40% of these patients are discharged without a definitive diagnosis. In cases of nonspecific abdominal pain, it is crucial to have a meaningful discussion ab…
On account of the holidays, we’re starting July off with a bang with a Triple Pearl. There is a significant increase in firework-related injuries this time of year, but the distribution of injuries may surprise you. If you’re expectin…
What is EMTALA? EMTALA stands for “Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act.” It is a federal law enacted by Congress in 1986 to prevent hospitals from sending away patients based on insurance status, race, gender, national origin, preex…
