September 2013 Update: Expert Peer Reviewed posts

It’s been a month since we started adding expert peer reviews to our blog posts, and we have had a flurry of engaging conversation surrounding the new process. During this time we have worked to develop a sustainable peer review process. In fact there are two ongoing expert peer-review processes:

Clinical articles: There have been 10 clinical articles thus far expert peer reviewed on a post-publication basis. See list below.
MEdIC series: Dr. Teresa Chan and Dr. Brent Thoma host this monthly series on challenging educational cases with initial posited questions, followed by a summary review which includes expert input (added on a pre-publication basis) one week later.

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By Natalie Desouza, MD|2017-01-20T12:30:39-08:00Oct 2, 2013|Expert Peer Reviewed (Clinical)|

10 Tips for Approaching Abdominal Pain in the Elderly

After seeing your fifth young patient of the day with chronic pelvic pain, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome, it is easy to be lulled into the mindset that abdominal pain is nothing to worry about. Not so with the elderly. These 10 tips will help focus your approach to atraumatic abdominal pain in older adults and explain why presentations are frequently subtle and diagnoses challenging.

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By Christina Shenvi, MD, PhD, MBA|2021-03-07T22:03:56-08:00Oct 1, 2013|Expert Peer Reviewed (Clinical), Geriatrics|

Patwari Academy videos: Evidence Based Medicine (part 1)

Across the medical profession, an essential skill is to be able to understand and interpret original research publications to guide your evidence-based practices. Dr. Rahul Patwari reviews the basics of statistics, specifically sensitivity and specificity, predictive values, probability, and the tradeoff between sensitivity and specificity.

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By Michelle Lin, MD|2019-01-28T21:54:48-08:00Sep 29, 2013|Patwari Videos|

Trick of the Trade: EMLA for Lumbar Punctures

A 9 year-old patient presents with a headache and fever after swimming, along with subjective neck stiffness. Meningitis was of concern especially because the serum WBC count was 25,000 and other inflammatory markers were elevated. Because the patient’s mother had an unpleasant experience with an epidural during childbirth, she adamantly opposed the idea of a lumbar puncture (LP).

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By Jeff Wiswell, MD|2016-11-11T19:03:55-08:00Sep 26, 2013|Tricks of the Trade|

Patwari Academy videos: LVADs

Complications from left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) increasingly account for Emergency Department visits. What are LVADs? They are a short-term, artificial, circulatory device which performs the function of a very poorly functioning heart. It is important to understand the myriad of complications that can arise and the general approach to patients with an LVAD. These two short videos by Dr. Rahul Patwari summarize these in a nutshell.

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By Michelle Lin, MD|2019-01-28T21:55:07-08:00Sep 22, 2013|Cardiovascular, Patwari Videos|

Simulation Trick of the Trade: Paper Mache

Money doesn’t grow on trees, and neither do simulation manikins, not even on simulated trees. So what to do when you are looking for a cheaper, more easily replicated solution to simulation dilemmas? This is the perfect time to fall back on skills developed in childhood during Arts & Crafts hour. Consider paper mache! So easy to use, and guaranteed to bring back childhood memories!

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By Nikita Joshi, MD|2016-11-11T19:03:49-08:00Sep 20, 2013|Simulation, Tricks of the Trade|

Quick clinical tip: Rotational angulation of metacarpal fracture

Metacarpal fractures are commonly present to the Emergency Department for care. The plain film shown here shows metacarpal neck fractures of the middle and ring finger shown. There are specific criteria requiring closed reduction in the ED (PV Card). Generally ANY rotational angulation requires reduction. Detection of such angulation depends on the clinical exam rather than the plain film. How does one diagnose it?

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By Michelle Lin, MD|2016-11-11T19:03:49-08:00Sep 19, 2013|Orthopedic|