CAD and ACS: Both HIV and anti-retroviral medications increase patients’ risk of cardiovascular disease HIV-infected patients tend to have a first episode of ACS at age 48 yrs, 10 years earlier than HIV negative patients Reasons for i…
Abducens (CN VI) Nerve Palsy CN VI causes contraction of the lateral rectus muscle, allowing the eye to abduct. An abducens palsy will present with impairment of lateral gaze of the affected eye. Causes of an Abducens palsy include:…
A recent systematic review in Pediatric Emergency Care attempted to identify the most reliable clinical, biological, and radiological signs of ovarian torsion in the pediatric population. Ovarian torsion is a rare but serious cause of abdom…
A 42 yr old male is BIBEMS by his friend after reportedly ingesting an unknown amount of metoprolol 5 hours prior to arrival. In the ED he is hypotensive to 80s, bradycardic to 40s, with decreased mental status. The patient is intubated, a…
An uncommon fracture can be easy to miss, and if you do not look for it, you might not see it. Scapula fractures – Typically seen in association with other injuries in setting of major trauma, but may be missed in the patient with sho…
In patients with not immediately life-threatening blunt chest wall trauma, it can be difficult to decide which patients may require hospitalization and which patients can safely return home. A systematic review assessing risk factors for mo…
The terminal R in AVR can be seen with any significant ingestion of a sodium channel blocking agent (including TCAs). Sodium channel blocking agents work by delaying phase 0 (upward stroke) of the myocardial action potential. This leads to…
Cervical artery dissections include carotid or vertebral artery dissections and can be seen in patients of all ages, although they are a more common cause of stroke in young patients Symptoms may be somewhat non-specific (headache, n…
A 19 yr old male with a history of depression presents to the ED with diffuse, worsening rash, arthralgias and fever for the past 2 days. The patient recently started taking bupropion over the past 3 weeks and also started venlafaxine last…
Patients with connective tissue diseases and vasculitides can present to the ED with vague or seemingly innocuous complaints but may actually have a life threatening condition. Key conditions to assess for include: 1. Septic arthritis in th…
