At the request of department leadership, we will be revisiting methods of gastric decontamination for today’s pearl.  Two methods in particular. Ipecac-induced emesis and gastric lavage are two procedures that we read about in medical school and in textbooks but never utilize in practice.  They are both considered techniques of “gastric emptying” (GE) as opposed […]

Today we will review complications associated w/ implanted pacemakers that you may encounter in the ED and thus ought to be familiar with. Generally, complications can be divided into two categories: early vs. late Early complications typically occur in the first 6 weeks and are related to the implantation procedure itself: venous access, lead positioning, tissue […]

Cardiac pacing as an intervention can be conceptualized as addressing problems in electrophysiological conduction and/or.  So, for example, if there is a disruption in the electrical continuity between the atrium and the ventricle, a pacer maybe function by detecting a normal sinus impulse in the atrium (there is typically a right atrial lead connected to […]

The pursuit of mastery over cardiovascular emergencies demands a rough familiarity with implanted devices which includes why they get implanted in the first place (indications), how they work, how they malfunction, and how they affect the EKG., among other features. Today we’ll we’ll start with the basics of implanted pacemakers including indications, anatomy, and radiography. […]

In honor of a rosh review question that I got wrong, lets review Lyme disease!   Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete Boriella burgdorferi, transmitted to humans through tick bites from ixodes ticks. Location: US, endemic in NE coast, midatlantic region, and north central states. Transmission: transmission of the spirochete occurs during feeding which […]