A 22 year-old male was playing football when he fell, landing on his outstretched left arm with his thumb flexed. He now has pain at the base of his thumb. This AP view of the hand best demonstrates the injury (photo credit).
What is this fracture, what additional imaging is needed, and what should be the management plan?
Welcome to the Neurology Module! After carefully reviewing all relevant posts from the top 50 sites of the Social Media Index, the ALiEM AIR Team is proud to present the highest quality online content related to neurological emergencies. 6 blog posts within the past 12 months (as of January 2019) met our standard of online excellence and were curated and approved for residency training by the AIR Series Board. We identified 1 AIR and 5 Honorable Mentions. We recommend programs give 3 hours (about 30 minutes per article) of III credit for this module. (more…)
As the use of point-of-care ultrasound expands in emergency medicine, phantoms offer an attractive training solution for new learners and continuing education. Unfortunately, commercially available products are expensive and likely cost-prohibitive for individual practitioners to purchase. Luckily, there are a number of quality, low cost do-it-yourself (DIY) models published in journals and on the Internet. To help you navigate your options, I have created a compendium of DIY ultrasound models relevant to emergency medicine. The models are divided by system or application with a cost estimate for each model, if provided, as well as a list of materials and a short description. Links are provided for further reading.
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The last American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) guideline recommendations regarding the use of propofol for ED procedural sedation was in 2007. Much research has since demonstrated its safety in adults and children. Furthermore, many clinicians are co-administering ketamine or fentanyl in conjunction. This 2018 ACEP update1 addresses these issues and much more. The following infographic summarizes the key points.
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Welcome to Leg Day #3 of the SplintER Series! Performing a fast and focused history and physical examination of a patient with an acute knee injury is an important skill that has the potential to be overlooked in our busy Emergency Departments. Our hope is that after reviewing this post and with enough practice you will be able to complete your exam within 2 minutes! These are can’t-miss points and expert tips on the knee exam for your next shift in the ED.
Read moreWelcome to the Stroke Module! After carefully reviewing all relevant posts from the top 50 sites of the Social Media Index, the AIR Team is proud to present the highest quality online content related to Stroke emergencies. 7 blog posts within the past 12 months (as of October 2018) met our standard of online excellence and were curated and approved for residency training by the AIR Series Board. We identified 0 AIR and 7 Honorable Mentions. We recommend programs give 3.5 hours (about 30 minutes per article) of III credit for this module.
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Blunt Cerebrovascular Injury (BCVI) can be difficult to diagnose and potentially devastating to miss because of the risk of a potential ischemic stroke. The most recent (2010) Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) guidelines reviewed 68 journal publications to create the following recommendations based on the best available evidence.1 We summarize the imaging and management recommendations most pertinent to the ED as an infographic for quick and easy reference.1,2 Of note: an isolated neck seat belt sign is NOT an indication for imaging!