MEdIC Series: The Case of the Orphaned Patient
Welcome to season 5, episode 7 of the ALiEM Medical Education in Cases (MEdIC) series! Our team (Drs. Tamara McColl, Teresa Chan, Eve Purdy, John Eicken, Sarah Luckett-Gatopoulos, Alkarim Velji, and Brent Thoma) is pleased to welcome you to our online community of practice where we discuss the practice of academic medicine! This month, we present a case that seems to have become a more common occurrence as patient flow has increased and hospitals must function beyond capacity. The case describes a junior resident tasked with transferring the care of a clinically deteriorating patient to another service. She unfortunately receives significant pushback resulting in no primary service [+]
WELCOME to the ALiEM Faculty Incubator 2018-2019 Class
We had an AMAZING kick-off this week at the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD) Academic Assembly, welcoming our NEW 2018-19 ALiEM Faculty Incubator Class of Educator-Scholars! We received applications from across the country and internationally from budding scholars with a broad range of background and experiences. We narrowed it down to the top 32 applicants, who we know are rising leaders in education scholarship. [+]
MEdIC Series: The Case of the Post-Paternity Leave Blues – Expert Review and Curated Community Commentary
Our sixth case of season 5, The Case of the Post-Paternity Leave Blues, presented the scenario of an early-career attending physician anxious to return to clinical work after taking a 6-month paternity leave. If you haven’t had a chance yet, we urge you to check out the case and share your thoughts on this important topic! The MEdIC team (Drs. Tamara McColl, Teresa Chan, Sarah Luckett-Gatopoulos, Eve Purdy, John Eicken, Alkarim Velji, and Brent Thoma), hosted an online discussion around the case over the last 2 weeks with insights from the ALiEM community. We are proud to present to you the curated [+]
ALiEM AIR Series: Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Module
Welcome to the Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) 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 ENT emergencies. 8 blog posts within the past 12 months (as of December 2017) met our standard of online excellence and were curated and approved for residency training by the AIR Series Board. We identified 1 AIR and 7 Honorable Mentions. We recommend programs give 3 hours (about 20 minutes per article) of III credit for this module. [+]
ACMT Toxicology Visual Pearls: Spider Bite
A patient presents to the ED for management of a spider bite. Which of the following statements is correct regarding a bite from the spider pictured? Laboratory studies can be helpful in management and predicting outcome. Antibiotics are recommended. The venom is cytotoxic and can cause red blood cell hemolysis. The venom is more potent on a volume-per-volume basis than the venom of a pit viper. [+]
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Podcast Follow-up: Interview with Dr. Debbie Yi Madhok, Co-Author of “Update on the ED Management of Intracranial Hemorrhage”
Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is associated with significant disability and mortality. Although evidence-based guidelines exist, many hospitals have their own institutional practice patterns, which can make it difficult to care for these patients in the ED. Dr. Debbie Yi Madhok, an emergency physician and neurointensivist, sat down with Dr. Derek Monette, the ALiEM Deputy Editor in Chief, to discuss updates in the management of ICH. This interview follows up her original popular 2017 ALiEM post on dilemmas in ICH management, and takes a deeper dive into the nuances of seizure prophylaxis, blood pressure control, and platelet transfusions. We present the podcast and [+]
Herbal Induced Delirium: The Toxicologist Mindset
The Toxicologist Mindset series features real-life cases from the San Francisco Division of the California Poison Control System. Case: A previously healthy 49-year-old woman presented to the emergency department (ED) with acute onset of confusion. Family members noticed her to have unsteady gait and she complained of blurry vision and difficulty urinating. She denied the use of any drugs or alcohol and took no medications. In the ED, her vital signs were: T 98.7, BP 95/59, P 130, RR 16, and O2 sat 100% on room air. Her pupils were 7 mm and reactive and her skin was dry. Bowel [+]
The 2018-19 Chief Resident Incubator enrollment opens TODAY
We are incredibly proud and excited to announce the launch of the 2018-19 ALiEM Chief Resident Incubator. Emergency medicine (EM) Chief Residents have recently been selected across North America to help shape and lead EM residency programs. The "CRincubator" will be enrolling its fourth class, building quickly on lessons learned and ongoing feedback from the membership. Led by Dr. Tanner Gronowski (Chief Operating Officer) and Dr. Robert Cooney (Chief Strategic Officer), this group will also feature legacy advisors, senior advisors, all-star cast of returning alumni champions, several surprise virtual mentors. Thanks to our exclusive sponsors EBSCO Health / DynaMed Plus. [+]
MEdIC Series: The Case of the Post-Paternity Leave Blues
Welcome to season 5, episode 6 of the ALiEM Medical Education in Cases (MEdIC) series! Our team (Drs. Tamara McColl, Teresa Chan, John Eicken, Sarah Luckett-Gatopoulos, Eve Purdy, Alkarim Velji, and Brent Thoma) is pleased to welcome you to our online community of practice where we discuss the practice of academic medicine! This month, we present a case of a young attending physician anxious to return to clinical work after taking a 6-month paternity leave. Check out the case and join the conversation in the comments section! We’d love to hear your thoughts on this important topic! [+]
10 Tips to Improve Patient Satisfaction in the Emergency Department
Exceptional communication is essential when providing care to patients in the ED. This is especially true given that we don’t have a preexisting relationship with our patients. They have never seen us before, have little or no information about us, and didn’t choose us. They are typically anxious, uncomfortable, and would probably rather be somewhere else. Exceptional communication allows patients to gain trust in us, in our skills, and in our recommendations. Strong communication skills not only allow physician and non-physician staff to gather relevant information and share important findings, but also help improve healthcare outcomes, reduce misunderstandings, and minimize [+]