PEM Pearls: Intranasal Medications in the Pediatric ER

Fiona is a 6 year old female who presents to your emergency department after falling onto her left hand while racing on the playground. X-ray of the left upper extremity reveals a distal radius fracture with minimal displacement and angulation. You plan to place her arm in a splint and arrange for close orthopedic follow-up. The only problem: Fiona is in a lot of pain, especially with any manipulation of her arm, and Dad is worried that she will not be able to tolerate having a splint placed. You consider reaching for an intranasal medication to help Fiona feel more comfortable and to place the splint in a quick, efficient manner.

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By Alia Church, MD|2026-07-03T10:58:38-07:00Jul 20, 2020|PEM Pearls, Tox & Medications|

IDEA Series: Toxicology Virtual Escape Room during COVID-19

In order to enhance emergency medicine (EM) residents’ knowledge of toxicology core content, we previously created an immersive escape room experience complete with team-based puzzle solving in a geographical maze to find an antidote. The subsequent COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing guidelines resulted in canceled in-person EM conferences, thereby requiring a rapid adaptation to virtual formats [1-4]. Our toxicology division sought a novel method of engaging learners with toxicology core content remotely.

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By Alexis Cates, DO|2026-06-16T16:16:09-07:00Jul 15, 2020|IDEA series, Medical Education, Tox & Medications|

ACMT Toxicology Visual Pearls: Caterpillar Envenomation

What is the correct management of dermatitis after handling the creature pictured?

Hot water immersion
Intramuscular epinephrine
Topical application of liquid antacid
Transparent tape application and removal over the area of dermatitis

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By Nicholas Titelbaum, MD|2020-09-18T00:30:48-07:00Jul 13, 2020|ACMT Visual Pearls, Tox & Medications|

Little Big Med Podcast: Gender Equity in Medicine

It’s time to talk about gender equity in medicine. Significant gender disparities exist in both healthcare institutions and professional societies. These disparities persist even in fields that are predominantly female, such as pediatrics. In fact, although women comprise 72.3% of active pediatricians, only 27.5% of pediatric department chairs across US medical schools are women. Why does this disparity exist? What can we do to address it? In this episode of the Little Big Med podcast, host Dr. Jason Woods discusses these questions with Dr. Nancy Spector, Professor of Pediatrics at Drexel University College of Medicine and Executive Director of the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program.

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By Kellen Vu|2026-06-16T16:16:03-07:00Jul 10, 2020|Pediatrics, Podcasts, Professional Development, Social Media & Tech|

SplintER: Persistent Left Groin Pain

A 24-year-old male presents with progressively worsening left groin pain for six weeks after he began training for a marathon. He states he had x-rays done by his PCP that were negative four weeks ago and was diagnosed with a groin strain. X-rays were obtained and featured to the right.

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By Aimee Monahan, DO|2020-07-08T10:40:11-07:00Jul 8, 2020|Expert Peer Reviewed (Clinical), Orthopedic, SplintER|

IDEA Series: Homemade Escharotomy Kit

Although escharotomy is rarely performed by emergency physicians during the initial management of burns, it is a life and limb-sparing skill important to know as a trainee and provider in emergency medicine [1,2]. There are few models made to accommodate procedural training, and the ones available are often cost-prohibitive. It is critical to have a method for learning and practicing this important procedure [3,4].

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By Davin Barnett, DO|2020-07-03T15:50:13-07:00Jul 6, 2020|IDEA series, Trauma|

IDEA Series: An asynchronous EMS curriculum implemented during COVID-19

The novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) resulted in the cancellation of educational experiences for emergency medicine (EM) residents at many institutions, including emergency medical services (EMS) ambulance ride alongs. The Accreditation for the Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires that residents have educational experiences related to EMS, emergency preparedness, and disaster medicine. EMS experiences must include ground unit runs, direct medical oversight, and participation in multi-casualty incident drills [1]. There are few dedicated EMS curricula published in the literature, and those in existence incorporate physical ride-alongs [2].

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By Megan Stobart-Gallagher, DO|2026-06-16T16:16:07-07:00Jul 1, 2020|COVID19, EMS, IDEA series, Medical Education|