SplintER Series: Funny Looking Finger

right 5th digit xray mallet finger

Figure 1: Terminal extensor tendon avulsion at distal interphalangeal joint of 5th digit

A 17-year-old baseball player presents complaining of finger pain and difficulty straightening his finger after a baseball game. You obtain x-rays and see the following fracture (photo credit).

What is your diagnosis and emergency department management?

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Differentiating pericardial effusion from pericardial tamponade on ultrasound

Tamponade physiology, in which a pericardial effusion impedes cardiac output, is a medical emergency and requires prompt diagnosis and intervention before cardiovascular collapse ensues. However, not every fluid collection in the pericardial sac results in tamponade physiology. A clinical diagnosis of tamponade (Beck’s triad) has poor sensitivity and will occur only in the late stages of tamponade.​1​ In order to know whether or not an intervention is necessary for the setting of pericardial effusion, ultrasound diagnosis of tamponade is paramount. 

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By |2019-08-30T10:13:06-07:00Aug 28, 2019|Cardiovascular, Radiology, Ultrasound|

PEM Pearls: 5 Tips to Demystify Amoxicillin in Pediatric Infections

Amoxicillin is a penicillin derivative antibiotic against susceptible gram positive and gram negative bacteria. It has reasonable coverage for most upper respiratory infections and is used as prophylaxis for asplenia and bacterial endocarditis. This post aims to demystify amoxicillin treatment for common pediatric infections.

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Fascia iliaca nerve block: A hip fracture best-practice

fascia iliaca nerve block hip fracture

An 82-year-old woman presents with left hip pain after a mechanical fall while cleaning the kitchen floor. When EMS arrived, the left leg was foreshortened and externally rotated. The paramedics administered 10 mg of IV morphine, but she is still writhing in pain on arrival. The AP pelvic x-ray demonstrates a left femoral neck fracture (arrow). You consider performing a fascia iliaca nerve block for better pain control.

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By |2020-11-27T19:04:06-08:00Aug 21, 2019|Orthopedic, Ultrasound|

SAEM Clinical Image Series: Facial Swelling in a 2 Year Old

Facial swelling


[Click for larger view]

Chief complaint: Left-sided facial swelling

History of Present Illness: A 2-year-old male presents to the emergency department in January after waking up with left-sided facial swelling. Mother states her son has had cough and congestion for the past 4 days for which she has been giving Tylenol and a children’s cough medication. The patient went to bed, awoke the following morning with facial swelling, and was brought to the emergency department.

He has no allergies, history of trauma to the area, or bug bites. The patient is fully vaccinated including the influenza vaccine.

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ACMT Toxicology Visual Pearls: Mushroom Mania

mushroom poisoning amanita muscariaAfter eating the mushroom pictured, a 15-year-old patient arrives to the emergency department agitated, diaphoretic, and hallucinating, and then acutely becomes more somnolent and less responsive. Which neurotransmitter systems are affected by the toxins contained in this mushroom?

  1. Acetylcholine and histamine
  2. Dopamine and norepinephrine
  3. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)
  4. Glycine and serotonin

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