Perron's Airway Pearls from AAEM 2017

Perron's Airway Pearls from AAEM 2017

The following airway pearls were gleaned from Dr. Mike Winters' lecture "Critical Care Quickies - Pearls for the Moribund Patient." This was presented at the pre-conference workshop "Resuscitation for Emergency Physicians" (23rd Annual Scientific Assembly of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine in Orlando, Fl).

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Vision Loss in the Emergency Department Patient

Vision Loss in the Emergency Department Patient

Hi guys!  Sorry it has been so long since our last post.  We were busy preparing for our Winter Symposium Conference last week in Sugarloaf, Maine. We had a fantastic line up of speakers and hope to share them with you over the coming months.  Here is a sample from one of our guest speakers, Jacob Avila, MD.  He spoke to us about vision loss in the emergency department patient. 

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Fluoroquinolones, Your Lawyer and You

Fluoroquinolones, Your Lawyer and You

Fluoroquinolones are a widely used class of antibiotics that are effective in treating a wide variety of infections. Despite their popularity there is increasing concern regarding the potential complications associated with these agents. Here we discusses the current evidence regarding the risks associated with fluoroquinolone use.

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Liver Failure Patients - Ten Simple Tips for Complicated Patients

Liver Failure Patients - Ten Simple Tips for Complicated Patients

Whether it is from alcoholic cirrhosis, acetaminophen overdose, or chronic hepatitis, liver failure patients are complicated.  Their exams are difficult, multiple organ systems are affected and they have complex pathophysiology.  Here are ten simple tips for these complicated patients. 

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"It starts with a K . . . " - Low Dose Ketamine for Pain Control

"It starts with a K . . . " - Low Dose Ketamine for Pain Control

Pain control in the emergency department is an important part of patient care and a key reason patients seek our help. Current pharmacologic methods include opiates, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, and regional anesthesia. Opiates often produce inadequate pain control in both opiate tolerant and opiate naïve patients and have adverse effects such as over-sedation, respiratory depression, nausea, hypotension, tolerance, and dependence [1]. NSAID use can be complicated by nephrotoxicity, gastropathy, and cardiac toxicity and have been implicated in 11% of adverse drug reaction related hospital admissions [2]. 

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Three Reasons You Should Avoid Tramadol

Three Reasons You Should Avoid Tramadol

Your 76 year old patient is your first victim of the last night's Nor'easter, slipping on the sidewalk while trying to get the morning paper.  While splinting his wrist,  he tells you "Pain meds make me nauseous doc."  Tylenol may not be enough for this injury . . . what about tramadol?

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