Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: What is thrombolysis? Thrombolysis is performed by administration of a medication that promotes the body’s natural ability to break up clots. These medications include Alteplase (tPA) and Tenecteplase (TNK). The main side effect of using such an agent is bleeding which typically occurs at puncture sites but can also…
Read MoreHappy Thanksgiving EMM listeners, Mason here wanting to extend a special thank you to all of you for tuning in to our show. Today we are featuring a special episode on health disparities in the opioid epidemic and their intersection with the ER that we produced for the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative’s Compass Opioid Stewardship Program,…
Read MoreContributor: Nick Hatch, MD Educational Pearls: In the setting of traumatic injury, tranexamic acid (TXA) is given to stabilize clots which minimizes bleeding and decreases risk of hemorrhagic shock Current TXA dose for trauma is 1 g bolus followed by a 1 g infusion; both doses should be given within 3 hours from time of…
Read MoreContributor: Don Stader, MD Educational Pearls: Home naloxone is traditionally given to those at high risk for opioid overdose such as those in the ED due to an opioid overdose, opioid intoxication, or admit to illicit opioid use There are a number of other patient populations that benefit from home naloxone including those on chronic…
Read MoreContributor: Don Stader, MD Educational Pearls: There are two major groups of local anesthetics: Amide and Esther To recall what group an anesthetic belongs to, use this memory trick: Amide has an ‘i’ in the name and Amide anesthetics have 2 ‘i’s e.g., Lidocaine. Ester has no ‘i’ and most common Ester anesthetics have only…
Read MoreContributor: Nick Tsipis, MD Educational Pearls: PO medications are less frequently used in the ED due to their longer onset of action The position the patient is in when given PO medications may affect how quickly the medication is absorbed The quicker the medication passes through the stomach into the small intestine, the quicker it…
Read MoreContributor: Lessen, Aaron MD Educational Pearls: Ketamine can be given at 0.2-0.3 mg/kg as subdissociative doses for pain control in the ED Ketamine coadministered with Haldol may reduce agitation A recent study in Iran compared subdissociative Ketamine given with 2.5 mg Haldol to 1 mg/kg Fentanyl for pain control in the ED Ketamine with Haldol…
Read MoreContributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Awareness with recall of paralysis can occur in intubated and ventilated patients receiving paralytic medications Patients who suffer from this effect are at high risk of developing severe PTSD, depression, and suicidal ideations Occurs in approximately 0.1-0.2% of patients undergoing general anesthesia in an OR setting 2021 study showed…
Read MoreContributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Intranasal medication administration is a convenient, quick, and relatively painless option for pediatric patients Often used as an initial medication to help control pain in children prior to establishing an IV Using an atomizer is preferred when administering intranasal medications The syringe should be angled towards the ipsilateral eye…
Read MoreContributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: There are two common options for push-dose vasopressor: phenylephrine and epinephrine. Both have been studied in the setting of the OR, but are lacking data in emergency room utilization. A recent retrospective study at one hospital compared the two options for effectiveness and safety. The data showed phenylephrine raised…
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