ALiEM AIR Non-ACS Cardiovascular Module
Welcome to the Non-ACS Cardiovascular 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 non-acs cardiovascular emergencies. 5 blog posts within the past 12 months (as of September 2018) met our standard of online excellence and were curated and approved for residency training by the AIR Series Board. We identified 2 AIR and 3 Honorable Mentions. We recommend programs give 2.5 hours (about 30 minutes per article) of III credit for this module. [+]
IDEA Series: A Low-fidelity Simulation Workshop for Teaching Cricothyroidotomy
The Problem Cricothyroidotomy is an emergency life-saving procedure that involves surgical placement of a tube through the cricothyroid membrane in order to establish a patent airway for oxygenation and ventilation. The indications for this procedure are when traditional means, such as orotracheal or nasotracheal intubation, are contraindicated or have failed during attempts to establish an emergency airway.1,2 It is a critical skill for emergency physicians but the declining rate of this procedure has resulted in decreased exposure during training.3,4 [+]
Winner of the 2019 ALiEM-EEM Fellowship Contest: Dr. Tim Montrief
After receiving numerous high-quality submissions, we are proud to announce the winners of the 2019 Essentials of Emergency Medicine (EEM) Education Fellowship contest! Dr. Tim Montrief from the Jackson Memorial/University of Miami Emergency Medicine residency program has won the blog post competition. A blinded EEM voting panel with input from ALiEM selected his winning post: Trick of the Trade: Bubble Study for Confirmation of Central Line Placement. We are thrilled to feature it today on the blog and look forward to meeting him in Las Vegas in May at the 3-day event. This weekend, we will also feature 2 other excellent [+]
Trick of the Trade: Bubble Study for Confirmation of Central Line Placement
The safe placement a central venous catheter (CVC) remains an important part of caring for critically ill patients.1 Over 5 million CVCs are placed each year in the United States. It is crucial to confirm that the central line is placed in the correct position in order to rule out potential complications of the procedure (e.g. pneumothorax) and begin administration of life-saving medications. Post-procedure chest radiographs (CXR) are the standard of care for CVC placements above the diaphragm. However, the annual cost to the U.S. healthcare system for CXRs after CVC placement is estimated to be over $500 million.2 Further, in [+]
Influenza Update: IDSA 2018 Guidelines Detailed Review
Symptomatic influenza A and B infections cause worldwide morbidity and mortality every year. Annual vaccination remains the greatest prophylactic measure, but the vaccine is not 100% effective due to mismatch between the circulating and vaccine virus strains. Although most individuals will recover from influenza without incident, some specific patient populations are at high risk for severe complications. The Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) recently updated their clinical practice guidelines.1 We review these key updates, including recommendations on who to test, treat, and provide chemoprophylaxis. [+]
Significance of a traumatic pneumothorax or hemothorax found only on CT imaging
A 32 year old woman arrives in your emergency department after being in a motor vehicle collision where she was the seat-belted driver. She undergoes chest CT imaging despite a negative chest x-ray because of her ongoing anterior chest wall diffuse tenderness. You discover a small 10% pneumothorax (PTX), but no other associated thoracic injuries. Should you place a tube thoracostomy (chest tube)? Should this patient be admitted to the hospital? A 2019 Annals of Emergency Medicine paper by the NEXUS Chest research group tackles these questions.1 [+]
ACMT Toxicology Visual Pearls: Abnormal Brain Imaging
An 85 year-old man presented with coma after ingestion of a household product. Two key axial views of his brain MRI are shown. Which of the following did he ingest? Apple cider vinegar Bleach Drain cleaner Ethylene glycol Hydrogen peroxide [+]
Laura Tormoehlen, MD, FACMT, FAAN
Indiana University School of Medicine
IDEA Series-JETem Innovation: A Low Cost Escharotomy Simulation Model for Residency Education
The Problem Emergency Medicine (EM) residents are expected to be familiar with and competent in performing a wide number of procedures, including rare ones such as performing an escharotomy in a patient with severe burns. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of readily available simulation models to facilitate practice of this rare yet potentially life-saving skill. [+]
SAEM Research Learning Series: How to Turn Your Interest into Research
In this podcast episode of the SAEM Research Learning Series, Drs. Mary and Nate Haas interview Zackary Meisel, MD, MPH, MSHP from University of Pennsylvania (research bio). In this episode, Zack shares practical advice, framed by his own personal path to building a successful research career. Listen to how he evolved from originally being a prehospital researcher to carving a unique niche in research on evidence-based narratives. [+]
Post It Pearls initiative is moving from Twitter to Instagram
My 2017 new year’s resolution was to create brief educational pearls on shift called Post It Pearls, which I published to Twitter. I have increasingly noticed that many of my target learners are not on Twitter. They are, however, on Instagram. So this year’s resolution is to test out how whether Post It Pearls would reach more learners and thus be more impactful on my Instagram account (@MichelleLinMD). [+]