Utility of Nebulized Naloxone
Background Naloxone can be administered via multiple routes, with nebulization gaining popularity in the past decade. A previous ALiEM Trick of the Trade presented this unique method of administration. In order for nebulized naloxone to be effective patients need to have some level of respiratory effort. It should not be used in patients in respiratory arrest or impending respiratory arrest. It may be a more gentle way to wake up patients to confirm the diagnosis of opioid toxicity and to gather a history. Theoretically, if the patient arouses enough to start experiencing mild withdrawal, they can ‘self-titrate’ and remove the [+]
SplintER Series: Open Fracture
A 65-year-old farmer presents to the ED after his ankle was run over by a piece of farm equipment in the field. His x-ray is shown above (Figure 1: Case courtesy of Dr. Oyedepo Victor Olufemi, radiopaedia.org) He also has an associated soft tissue injury overlying the area that is grossly contaminated with mud and manure. [+]
ACMT Toxicology Visual Pearl: Questions about green pee? Urine luck!
Which of the following medications is likely responsible for this urine discoloration in an intubated and sedated ICU patient? Fentanyl Ketamine Lorazepam Midazolam Propofol [+]
Clare Gunn, MD
Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC
Latest posts by Clare Gunn, MD (see all)
PEM POCUS Series: Pediatric Peripheral IV Access
Read this tutorial on the use of point of care ultrasonography (POCUS) for pediatric peripheral IV placement. Then test your skills on the ALiEMU course page to receive your PEM POCUS badge worth 2 hours of ALiEMU course credit. Take the ALiEMU PEM POCUS: Peripheral IV Quiz - test your skills PATIENT CASE: Child with Sickle Cell Pain Abigail is a 10-year-old girl with known sickle cell disease, who presents with severe atraumatic pain in her hips and back. She is afebrile, but tachycardic and tachypneic with 10/10 pain. Nurses have made several attempts but have been unsuccessful in establishing [+]
How I Work Smarter: Laryssa Patti, MD
One word that best describes how you work? Organized chaos (that's 2 words) Current mobile device iPhone XS Computer 2020 13" Macbook Air + iPad with keyboard as a second monitort What is something you are working on now? Incorporating FOAM into our EM clerkship How did you come up with this Idea/Project? COVID decided for me -- we’re working on a way to keep students engaged even though we’re still semi-distance learning. Additionally, I want to send my students into residency knowing that FOAM exists but needs to be assessed in the same way we think about peer reviewed [+]
PEM POCUS Series: Hip Effusion
Read this tutorial on the use of point of care ultrasonography (POCUS) for pediatric hip effusion. Then test your skills on the ALiEMU course page to receive your PEM POCUS badge worth 2 hours of ALiEMU course credit. Take the ALiEMU PEM POCUS: Hip Effusion Quiz - test your skills PATIENT CASE: Child with a Limp Sarah is a 4-year-old girl who comes into the emergency department complaining of a limp for the last day. She had an upper respiratory infection which started a week ago for which she had been taking acetaminophen and ibuprofen with her last dose of [+]
Caring for the Fasting Patient in the ED
Millions of Muslims around the world observe the holy month of Ramadan. Some may have mild or chronic medical conditions that can become exacerbated, requiring emergent medical attention. Emergency Physicians ought to have a working knowledge about the religious rules of Ramadan and their medical implications. In this article, we will provide an overview of the significance of Ramadan to Muslims, its practices, and discuss the important considerations for emergency physicians when providing care to Muslim patients in the Emergency Department (ED). Lastly, we will explore ways to mitigate the ethical dilemma when a fasting patient refuses a life-saving treatment [+]
SplintER Series: Diver’s Nightmare
A 27-year-old male presents with neck pain after diving headfirst into the shallow water of his pool. He has midline cervical spine tenderness and a normal neurological exam. CT of the cervical spine is shown below (Figure 1). Figure 1. Case courtesy of Dr Andrew Dixon, Radiopaedia.org, rID: 9601 [+]
BuMin Kong, MD
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PEM POCUS Series: Intussusception
Read this tutorial on the use of point of care ultrasonography (POCUS) for pediatric intussusception. Then test your skills on the ALiEMU course page to receive your PEM POCUS badge worth 2 hours of ALiEMU course credit. Take the ALiEMU PEM POCUS: Intussusception Quiz - test your skills PATIENT CASE Johnny is a 2-year-old boy who comes into the emergency department for abdominal pain for the last day. His parents are concerned that he has been having intermittent abdominal pain and has seemed very tired all day. Parents deny bloody stool. On arrival, his vital signs are: [+]
Bupropion Overdose: Factors Associated with Seizures
Background Bupropion ingestions are one of the scarier poisonings due to a relatively narrow therapeutic index and the numerous adverse effects that may occur. Medical toxicologist Dr. Dan Rusyniak details his hatred of this drug in overdose in a Tox & Hound blog post aptly-titled Illbutrin. When bupropion was first approved in the 1980s, the max dose was 600 mg/day [1]. However, reports of seizures, particularly in patients with bulimia, caused its temporary removal from the market [2]. It was reintroduced a few years later with a max dose of 450 mg/day [3]. Common signs and symptoms noted in overdose [+]