How I Educate Series: Mark Ramzy, DO
This week’s How I Educate post features Dr. Mark Ramzy, an EM attending and Intensivist at RWJBH Community Medical Center in New Jersey. Dr. Ramzy spends approximately 90% of his shifts with learners which include emergency medicine residents, internal medicine residents, and medical students. He describes his practice environment as a split time between the ED and ICU. ED time includes a scanning shift as part of his ultrasound faculty requirements and his ICU time is split across several different units including a MICU, SICU, and CTICU. Below he shares with us his approach to teaching learners on shift. [+]
SAEM Clinical Images Series: Facial Swelling
A 5-year-old male with a history of recent frontal sinusitis associated with preseptal cellulitis requiring surgery presented with facial swelling. Swelling developed in the 24 hours prior to presentation without facial pain, nausea, or emesis. Denied facial trauma as well as any neurologic deficits, loss of consciousness, headaches, or fever/chills. At the time of his prior surgery, he presented with swelling localized to the left eye along with worsening [+]
SplintER Series: Hip, Hip, Hooray!
A 67-year-old male with a history of bilateral total hip arthroplasties (THA) several years ago presents with left hip pain after a fall. He was walking downstairs and slipped, twisting his leg internally and with adduction and flexion of the hip to catch himself. He denies falling but felt an immediate pop in his left hip and could no longer bear weight. AP and lateral radiographs of the pelvis and left hip were obtained and are shown above (Image 1. Case courtesy of Dr Andrew Taylor, Radiopaedia.org, rID: 67457). [+]
Free Comprehensive Curriculum: Climate Change and Emergency Medicine
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a few of us interested in climate change science met through the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), and our group slowly expanded with the virtual world. We discussed the ever-growing number of climate publications and scholarship opportunities available. Some of us did research, education, or policy work, and all of us practiced clinically. Negative climate-related impacts that we see in the Emergency Department We discussed how climate-related impacts negatively affected our patients, and brainstormed how we could tackle the problem now. For us in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Colorado, and California, the climate crisis [+]
SAEM Clinical Images Series: Finger Pain
A 57-year-old male presents after accidentally firing his son’s expired epinephrine autoinjector containing 0.3 mg of epinephrine into his left thumb two hours prior to arrival. He endorses mild pain and numbness at the tip of his thumb. The patient had spoken to poison control who had instructed him to present to the Emergency Department if his symptoms did not improve after two hours. He denied any palpitations or other systemic symptoms. Vitals: HR 81; BP 128/81; RR 18; SpO2 99% Extremities: Pallor noted at the distal tip of his left [+]
IDEA Series: LUDO game to teach residents about urogenital diseases
The Problem: Urogenital diseases are commonly encountered in the emergency department [1]. Both the WHO and CDC recommend early identification and timely management of such diseases, to prevent morbidity and mortality [2, 3]. Additionally, the sensitive nature of this topic as well as cultural factors can limit the exposure and bedside teaching by emergency physicians (EPs). Novel learning methods are needed to prepare EPs to manage urogenital diseases effectively and efficiently. The Innovation The Learning Urogenital Diseases in Oddity (LUDO) gamification-based, timed activity teaches and assesses clinical practice essentials in the management of urogenital diseases among emergency medicine (EM) [+]
How I Educate Series: Michael Galuska, MD
This week’s How I Educate post features Dr. Michael Galuska, the Program Director at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center. Dr. Galuska spends all of his shifts with learners which include emergency medicine residents and medical students. He describes his practice environment as a rural community-based residency program. Below he shares with us his approach to teaching learners on shift. Name 3 words that describe a teaching shift with you. Sarcasm, Autonomy, and Coffee. What is one thing (if nothing else) that you hope to instill in those you teach? How learning truly is a lifelong skill that you should continue [+]
SplintER Series: The Hidden Post
A 23-year-old male presents to the emergency department with right ankle pain after he rolled his ankle while walking down the stairs. An ankle exam reveals ecchymosis over the posterior ankle and tenderness of the distal tibia. His neurovascular exam is intact. The radiograph above was obtained (Image 1. X-ray right ankle. Original image provided by Justine Ko, MD). [+]
EM Match Advice Podcast: Mid-Interview Season Check-In | We want to hear from you
We are at the mid-point of the academic year and smack in the middle of residency interview season for EM-bound medical students. Look at how far you've come since your first interview! As you stare down the finish line of the interview season, the questions you now have are likely different than those in September. We are just checking in with you and want to hear from YOU. This is the first time we are hosting a Q&A episode. What questions do you have about the EM residency match process? Dr. Sara Krzyzaniak (EM Match Advice host and Stanford [+]
SAEM Clinical Images Series: A Rash You Don’t Want to Miss
A 54-year-old female with a past medical history of diabetes presented to the Emergency Department (ED) for evaluation of unresponsiveness. The patient was found unresponsive by her spouse, who notes she had missed several doses of insulin over the past few days. EMS notes the glucometer read ‘HIGH’ on fingerstick. The patient remains unresponsive on presentation and is unable to contribute further history. Vital Signs: BP 148/105; HR 120; RR 24; Pulse Oximetry 98% on room air; Temperature 97.7°F Constitutional: Patient is morbidly obese, unresponsive, and toxic-appearing. Cardiovascular: Regular rhythm with tachycardia. [+]