Apr 22, 2024
Contributor: Travis Barlock MD
Educational Pearls:
Ketamine is an NMDA receptor antagonist with a wide variety of uses in the emergency department. To dose ketamine remember the numbers 0.3, 1, and 3.
Pain dose
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For acute pain relief administer 0.3 mg/kg of ketamine IV over 10-20 minutes (max of 30 mg).
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Note: There...
Apr 15, 2024
Contributor: Travis Barlock MD
Educational Pearls:
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Thrombolytic therapy (tPA or TNK) is often used in the ED for strokes
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Use of anticoagulants with INR > 1.7 or PT >15
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Warfarin will reliably increase the INR
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Current use of Direct thrombin inhibitor or Factor Xa inhibitor
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aPTT/PT/INR are insufficient...
Apr 10, 2024
Contributor: Ricky Dhaliwal, MD
Educational Pearls:
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Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also known as "broken heart syndrome,” is a temporary heart condition that can mimic the symptoms of a heart attack, including troponin elevations and mimic STEMI on ECG.
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The exact cause is not fully understood, but it is often triggered...
Apr 1, 2024
Contributor: Ricky Dhaliwal MD
Educational Pearls:
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Primary adrenal insufficiency (most common risk factor for adrenal crises)
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An autoimmune condition commonly known as Addison's Disease
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Defects in the cells of the adrenal glomerulosa and fasciculata result in deficient glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids
Mar 25, 2024
Contributor: Travis Barlock, MD
Educational Pearls:
Cancer-related emergencies can be sorted into a few buckets:
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Infection
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Cancer itself and the treatments (chemotherapy/radiation) can be immunosuppressive. Look out for conditions such as sepsis and neutropenic fever.
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Obstruction
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Cancer causes a...