Lipid Rescue: Why Aren’t We Using It?

Though lipid rescue sounds like something from a junk food detox regimen, it’s one of the most exciting developments in emergency management of drug overdose in the last 20 years. Unlike charcoal which can lead to aspiration and has relatively little data showing improved outcomes, or dialysis which relies on convincing your nephrologist to come in at 3 am, lipid rescue is a readily available, cheap, safe therapeutic that we’ve been using in TPN for adults and children for decades. And it seems to work, but why aren’t we using it?

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By Matthew Zuckerman, MD|2026-06-16T16:07:02-07:00Apr 1, 2015|Tox & Medications|

Adenosine in reactive airway disease

Adenosine

A 44-year old woman presents via EMS with a chief complaint of a racing heartbeat. She is placed on a cardiac monitor, which displays a heart rate of 192, and a subsequent EKG reveals she is in SVT. She also complains of chest discomfort and shortness of breath. Her blood pressure is stable, and you decide to treat her with adenosine. As you take a more thorough past medical history, you learn your patient has a history of asthma. One of the EM residents mentions that he thought adenosine should not be given to patients with reactive airway disease.

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By Marian Gaviola, PharmD|2018-11-02T10:41:55-07:00Mar 30, 2015|Expert Peer Reviewed (Clinical), Pulmonary, Tox & Medications|

Diagnose on Sight: Swollen gums

Case: A 19 year old male with no past medical history presented with 4 days of painful oral lesions, swollen gums that bled easily, and fever. His temperature was 38.5C. Which of the following is true regarding this patient’s diagnosis?

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By Jeff Riddell, MD|2016-12-22T20:01:44-08:00Mar 26, 2015|Diagnose on Sight, ENT|

Author Insight: Ultrasonography versus CT for suspected nephrolithiasis | NEJM

Are you getting a CT or bedside ultrasound as your first-line diagnostic approach to patients with undifferentiated abdominal or flank pain in whom you suspect kidney stones? In a landmark 15-center, multidisciplinary study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in September 2014, Dr. Rebecca Smith-Bindman (UCSF Department of Radiology) and her research team looked at exactly this question for emergency department patients. In the paper, “Ultrasonography versus CT for suspected nephrolithiasis,” Dr. Smith-Bindman and Dr. Ralph Wang (UCSF Department of Emergency Medicine) kindly joined us on a quick discussion about her paper.

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By Michelle Lin, MD|2026-06-16T16:07:13-07:00Mar 24, 2015|Genitourinary, Radiology, Ultrasound|

AIR Series: Ob/Gyn Module 2015

Welcome to the seventh ALiEM Approved Instructional Resources (AIR) Module! In an effort to reward our residents for the reading and learning they are already doing online we have created an Individual Interactive Instruction (III) opportunity utilizing FOAM resources for U.S. Emergency Medicine residents. For each module, the AIR board curates and scores a list of blogs and podcasts. A quiz is available to complete after each module to obtain residency conference credit. Once completed, your name and institution will be logged into our private database, which participating residency program directors can access to provide proof of completion.

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By Andrew Grock, MD|2026-06-16T16:07:06-07:00Mar 18, 2015|Approved Instructional Resources (AIR series), Ob/Gyn|

The Art of Syringe Labeling in the ED

The ‘look-alike, sound-alike’ nature of many drug appearances and names is problematic. In high-stress environments such as the Emergency Department (ED), potential disasters can arise if “drug swap” or other medication errors occur. Drug swap is the accidental injection of the wrong drug.¹ The anesthesiology literature contains several published reports presenting various ideas on how to properly label syringes used in the operating room to reduce medication errors. Techniques include color-coding the labels,² labeling of the plunger,³ double-labeling,^4,5 and specific placement of the labels on the syringe.⁶

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By Bryan D. Hayes, PharmD, DABAT, FAACT, FASHP|2019-02-19T18:49:33-08:00Mar 16, 2015|Expert Peer Reviewed (Clinical), Tox & Medications|

PV Card: Focused Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Ultrasound

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is always a consideration when patients with asymmetric lower extremity swelling. Why is one leg. Two-point focused DVT ultrasonography of the femoral and popliteal veins can be incredibly useful in the Emergency Department when trying to narrow the differential diagnosis. Drs. Margaret Greenwood-Ericksen, Joshua Rempell, and Mike Stone provide a clear, image-based clinical reference tool on this ultrasound technique.

PV Card: Focused DVT Ultrasound Assessment

Adapted from [1, 2]

References

Kline J, O’Malley P, Tayal V, Snead G, Mitchell A. Emergency clinician-performed compression ultrasonography for deep venous thrombosis of the lower extremity. Ann Emerg Med. 2008;52(4):437-445. [PubMed]
Bernardi E, Camporese G, Büller H, et al. Serial 2-point ultrasonography plus D-dimer vs whole-leg color-coded Doppler ultrasonography for diagnosing suspected symptomatic deep vein thrombosis: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2008;300(14):1653-1659. [PubMed]

By Scott Kobner|2021-10-05T12:54:30-07:00Mar 11, 2015|ALiEM Cards, Cardiovascular, Ultrasound|