Acute asthma presentations account for more than 2.1 million Emergency Department (ED) visits annually. In the US, 8.4% of the population is affected by the disease. Current guidelines from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommend a minimum of 5 days of oral prednisone to treat moderate to severe asthma exacerbations (NHLBI Guidelines 2007).
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Journal Review
Single Dose Dexamethasone in Adult Asthma Exacerbations
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Hemodynamically Unstable Pulmonary Embolism
This posts delves into diagnosis + management of HD unstable (Massive) PE with a focus on thrombolytics.
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Journal Review
Ketamine for Rescue Sedation in Severe Behavioral Disturbance
Sedation of the agitated and aggressive patient is a frequently encountered problem in the Emergency Department (ED). Whether the etiology of the agitation is intoxication, psychiatric, or organic, these patients require quick and efficient chemical sedation because they are both a danger to themselves and others in the ED. The majority of these patients are successfully sedated with antipsychotics or benzodiazepines (Downes 2009).
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Angioedema
This post reviews the multiple etiologies of angioedema and focuses on tailored management based on the underlying cause.
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Journal Review
Low-Dose tPA in Ischemic Stroke – The ENCHANTED Trial
Thanks to Salim Rezaie for providing pre-publication peer review for this post. This post is cross-posted on REBEL EM here.
Despite continued debate on the efficacy of alteplase (tPA), it currently remains one of the major interventions directed at patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke. The current standard dose of the drug is 0.9 mg/kg given over 1 hour.
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Ureteral Colic
This post delves into the diagnosis and management of patients presenting with ureteral colic.
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Thoughts to EM Graduates 2016 – Dr. Goldfrank
On Monday, June 20th, Dr. Goldfrank delivered his graduation remarks to the 22nd graduating class from the NYU/Bellevue EM Residency program. As graduation always is, it was an emotional night. Dr. Goldfrank’s words resonated deeply with all of the residents and their families. Below are his thoughts:
I learned that
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Journal Review
Optimal Oral Rehydration Solutions in Kids with Mild Dehydration
Every year in the United States there are an estimated 178.8 million episodes of acute gastroenteritis resulting in 473,832 hospitalizations. Most of the evidence surrounding oral rehydration centers around Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) studies in low-income countries where children suffer from more extensive gastrointestinal losses. Theoretically, electrolyte maintenance solutions are recommended in order to prevent increasing diarrheal losses through the osmotic diuresis that can occur with glucose-rich drinks like juice.
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