Contributor: Travis Barlock, MD Educational Pearls: Normal Saline (NS) contains 154 mEq of both Sodium (Na) and Chloride (Cl), and has a pH of 5.5 Normal Na and Cl in adult humans are about 140 mEq/L and 103 mEq/L. respectively Excess negative charge resulting from hyperchloremia is managed via bicarbonate excretion leading to loss of…
Read MoreContributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: In urban settings, it is becoming more common for police to transport critical patients from scene to hospital A 2022 multicenter observational study compared mortality rates in patients with penetrating injury to torso and/or proximal extremity when transported by EMS versus police Approximately 18% of patients were transported by…
Read MoreContributor: Jared Scott, MD Educational Pearls: About 50% of those infected with SARS-CoV-2 will shed the virus in their feces Wastewater surveillance can be used to track COVID burden, which may be easier than collating test data from multiple hospitals across a region Viral shedding begins 5-7 days prior to symptom onset, so wastewater data…
Read MoreContributor: Chris Holmes, MD Educational Pearls: Antiemetics were used in ancient Rome to help with sea-sickness and included toxic substances such as wine and wormwood and white hellborn The first antihistamine used for nausea, dramamine, was introduced in 1947 for motion sickness After this chlorpromazine, prochlorperazine, and promethazine came about in the 1950s and 1960s…
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: 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: Chris Holmes, MD Educational Pearls: Dr. Carl Reinhold August Wunderlich, of the mid-1800s, was the first physician to suggest temperature was related to disease processes and his measurements set the 37˚C (98.6˚F) as the baseline temperature Thermometers were adapted to be sold to the public with guidelines for temperature measurement interpretation Taller and thinner…
Read MoreACEP survey was done in 2018 looking at violence towards staff in the ED with only 10% of those solicited responding Survey found 47% of respondents were assaulted and 71% had witnessed violence towards staff Regarding what was done about the violence, 28% said patients were flagged by the hospital, 21% said patient was arrested…
Read MoreContributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Techniques regarding ring removal in the ED were evaluated in a recent study which looked at using trauma shears versus the motorized ring cutters A certain type of trauma shear has a ring-cutter attached to it, 7 seconds to remove vs. about 70 seconds for motorized ring cutters Both…
Read MoreContributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Study examined patient perceptions of providers wearing traditional white coats, fleece coats and soft-shell jackets Found that white coats were seen as more professional than other types of dress Also found that female physicians were viewed as less professional than their male counterparts regardless of dress Older respondents thought…
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