Mar 30, 2026
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD
Educational Pearls:
- Burns range in complexity from minor first-degree burns to more severe full-thickness burns.
- Initial basic burn management:
- Run the burn under cool running water for 20 minutes.
- Do not scrub the skin.
- Do not use ice water.
- Ideally initiated as soon as possible, but no...
Mar 23, 2026
Contributor: Travis Barlock, MD
Educational Pearls:
What is an internal jugular catheter (IJ) and when do we use it?
- IJs are catheters that can be placed in either the left or the right internal jugular vein to provide central venous catheter (CVC) access. CVCs can be placed in other locations other than the internal...
Mar 16, 2026
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD
Educational Pearls:
How long do we need to watch patients with a presumed overdose who were treated with naloxone in the field?
- A 2025 study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine took a look at this question
- Methods
- Prospective, multi-institutional cohort study
- Included ED patients with...
Mar 9, 2026
Contributor: Travis Barlock, MD
Educational Pearls:
- D-dimer: fibrin degradation product used to evaluate for clot
formation and breakdown
- Threshold: <500ng/mL rules out venous thromboembolism in low risk patients
- Elevated D-dimer indicates recent or ongoing intravascular coagulation and fibrinolysis
- YEARS score:...
Mar 2, 2026
Contributor: Taylor Lynch MD
Educational Pearls:
- Melatonin is an endogenous hormone released primarily by the
pineal gland
- Also released by extrapineal regions in the retina, the GI tract, and some immune cells
- Peak secretion occurs at night and is suppressed during the day
- Secretion and production decrease with...