PV Card: Skin and Soft Tissue Ultrasound
We know that ultrasonography can be used to identify soft tissue infections. But what exactly are the distinguishing features between cellulitis and abscess? Is that a foreign body? Should I put a scalpel to this soft tissue infection? This PV card, written by Drs. Alissa Genthon, Patricia Henwood, and Mike Stone, serves as a great reference card for you at the bedside. PV Card: Skin and Soft Tissue Ultrasound Go to ALiEM (PV) Cards for more resources.
Diagnose on Sight: Chronic Unilateral Lower Extremity Swelling
Case: A 55 year old female visiting the United States from southern Mexico presents with 6 months of chronic unilateral lower extremity swelling and 2 days of erythema. What is the most common cause of this chronic disease? Click on image for a larger view. [+]
I am Dr. Megan Ranney, Director of Brown’s Emergency Digital Health Innovation program: How I Work Smarter
If you at all are at all involved with public health or digital education, it is hard not to know of and admire Dr. Megan Ranney (@MeganRanney), who is the Director and Founder of Brown University’s Emergency Digital Health Innovation (EDHI) program. She also has written several fantastic ALiEM posts about the importance of public health and safety nets in the field of emergency medicine. In the How I Work Smarter post by Dr. Ryan Radecki (@EMLitOfNote), he tags Megan as someone from whom we should all learn as a role model in efficiency and … just getting things done. Megan [+]
MEdIC Series |The Case of the Late Letter – Expert Review and Curated Commentary
The Case of the Late Letter prompted some great discussion around how to properly ask for a letter of reference and what students and preceptors might do when things get down to the wire. As usual, I was extremely impressed by the rich discussion that evolved over the week. We are now proud to present to you the Curated Community Commentary and our two expert opinions. Thank-you again to all our experts and participants for contributing again this week to the ALiEM MEdIC series. [+]
2014 Annual Report | ALiEM
As this new year begins, we reflect back on a really incredible year of growth, diversification, and continued innovation. Thanks to the leadership and design expertise of Dr. Teresa Chan and Scott Kobner, the entire ALiEM team chipped in to add relevant content. We are proud to present our 2014 Annual Report, which highlights many projects and collaborations, as well as some behind the scenes insights. Here are the table of contents: [+]
PV Card: Focused Biliary Assessment Ultrasound
Have trouble finding the common bile duct? What's the normal thickness of the gallbladder wall? What are common pitfalls in imaging the gallbladder? This is a great Paucis Verbis (PV)/ALiEM card on focused biliary assessment using ultrasound, courtesy of Drs. John Eicken and Mike Stone. PV Card: Focused Biliary Assessment Ultrasound Adapted from [1, 2] Go to ALiEM (PV) Cards for more resources. References Blaivas M, Harwood R, Lambert M. Decreasing length of stay with emergency ultrasound examination of the gallbladder. Acad Emerg Med. 1999;6(10):1020-1023. [PubMed Summers S, Scruggs W, Menchine M, et al. A prospective evaluation of emergency department [+]
D50 vs D10 for Severe Hypoglycemia in the Emergency Department
Think back to your last severely hypoglycemic and lethargic patient presenting to the ED. What was the first treatment modality that came to mind? The initial knee-jerk reaction might be to reach for that big blue box of D50 if the patient has IV access. After all, top priority is to reverse hypoglycemia as fast as possible. But in the midst of stabilizing the patient, how often do we consider the potential aftermath of concentrated glucose? [+]
US4TW Case: 39F with Chest Pain
Welcome to another ultrasound-based case, part of the “Ultrasound For The Win!” (#US4TW) Case Series. In this peer-reviewed case series, we focus on a real clinical case where bedside ultrasound changed the management or aided in the diagnosis. In this case, a 39-year-old female with history of lupus presents with chest pain. [+]
I am Chris Nickson, co-creator of LITFL: How I Work Smarter
Unless you have been living under a rock, you undoubtedly have used a resource or participated in an event led by Chris Nickson. Chris is an emergency physician and intensivist, who has humbly amassed an impressive list of accomplishments in the community of FOAM, including co-creating Life in the Fast Lane, SMACC, iTeachEM, and The RAGE podcast to name a few. In fact, he wins the prize for the person tagged the most number of times by other How I Work Smarter contributors. Everyone certainly wants to know how he is able to get things done so efficiently. Here are Chris’ words of wisdom. [+]
MEdIC Series | The Case of the Late Letter
Programs across the country are in the midst of the residency selection process. Fourth years have submitted personal statements, CVs, and letters of reference and are starting on the interview circuit. Obtaining letters is a hot topic for students but it is also important topic for preceptors and educators to consider their role in this process too! This month’s ALiEM MEdIC series case hopes to elicit our community’s considerations about the best and worst practices for requesting and responding to reference letter requests. Join us for this discussion! [+]