In this special episode of MHM, we feature Dr. Nadia Haddad, a Colorado psychiatrist, and Dr. Ricky Dhaliwal, an emergency medicine physician, as they discuss the implications of OUD in Colorado. As a substance use disorder specialist, Dr. Haddad provides an invaluable perspective on various treatment modalities for OUD in the outpatient and inpatient settings….
Read MoreContributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Traditionally, blood cultures are drawn from two separate sites despite no data to suggest this is better than drawing blood from one site Recent study evaluated multi-site versus single-site blood cultures to determine if there was a difference in accuracy or contamination Positive yield was 20% in the single-site…
Read MoreContributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Olecranon bursitis refers to inflammation in the bursa of the elbow and can be due to infection or trauma Recent study examined treating suspected septic olecranon bursitis with antibiotics versus drainage About 90% of the patients treated with antibiotic therapy for this issue did not require subsequent drainage or…
Read MoreOn this episode of On the Streets, our host, Jordan Ourada, talks with cardiologist, Dr. Chirag Chauhan, about all things cardiac. Highlighted topics: Wrist versus femoral access in the cath lab The most important prehospital interventions for an MI Nitroglycerin: Who gets it and what are the precautions Lidocaine and amiodarone in a heart attack…
Read MoreContributor: Chris Holmes, MD Educational Pearls: Maggots were discovered as a therapy to help wound healing in WWI, but this fell out of favor after the discovery of penicillin One study from Israel used maggots in treating diabetic foot wound with positive results but notable patient discomfort Maggots debride tissue, kill MRSA, promote angiogenesis, and…
Read MoreContributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heart rhythm that sometimes requires rate control in setting of rapid ventricular response (RVR) Calcium channel blocker and beta blockers are the most frequently used medications to block the AV node and slow down the heart rate in atrial fibrillation with RVR If a…
Read MoreContributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Firearms are a dangerous potential method of committing suicide Death occurs in about 5-15% of suicide attempts overall, but death in suicide attempts using firearms occurs in 85-90% of cases In some states, families can petition a judge to remove firearms from a house although healthcare providers cannot do…
Read MoreContributor: Don Stader, MD Educational Pearls: In a secondary analysis of the PART trial, the mortality effect of timing of airway management for patients in cardiac arrest was examined Study looked at whether timing played a part in both laryngeal tube placement or endotracheal intubation during cardiac arrest Did not find any association of timing…
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A SUPERIOR COCKTAIL Chief Complaint: Seizures HPI: 26-year-old male presents to the emergency department by EMS after he reportedly had 2 witnessed seizures by friends, who then called EMS. Described as tonic-clonic. EMS notes that he was postictal on arrival. Patient notes that he has not had seizures before in the past. He reports that…
Read MoreContributor: Don Stader, MD Educational Pearls: Xylazine, referred to as tranq dope colloquially, is an FDA approved animal tranquilizer that is circulating in the illicit drug markets of the northeastern United states It is a powerful alpha-2 agonist, similar to clonidine, and patients with xylazine overdose may present similarly to opioid overdose Naloxone will not…
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