MEdIC Series: The Case of the M&M Shame Game
Welcome to season 5, episode 3 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 junior faculty member who is apprehensive about presenting at M&M Rounds after a recent “public shaming” of one of his fellow colleagues. [+]
IDEA Series: Using Gamification to Reinforce Toxicology
The Problem Early recognition of a patient presenting with a toxidrome is essential to providing high-quality emergency care. Learners are often first exposed to this topic, however, in one comprehensive grouping, which makes it challenging to learn the nuances that distinguish one toxidrome from another. Both learners and experienced clinicians alike often employ rote memorization (and sometimes suboptimal mnemonics) to differentiate these presentations. This can make it difficult to convert the details into long-term memory. [+]
10 Tips to Minimize Error at ED Sign-Out Rounds
Patient handoff at sign-out rounds is a high-risk period for clinical oversights and errors. The key to minimize this is to have a clear strategy. This means being precise yet concise, methodical, and forward-thinking in your presentation to the oncoming clinician and team. There are various tools like I-PASS1 to frame your script, but the following are 10 additional key tips to consider. [+]
SplintER Series: Splint Application Principles 102
The SplintER Series is back with its second installment! In the first post, Splint 101, we discussed the indications and relative contraindications to splinting. In this post, we focus on the materials used in splinting and some key steps in splint application. Learning Objectives List the materials that are required to place a splint. Be able to discuss some basic principles about the application of a splint. The Bottom Line A splint consists of 3 layers:1 Deep layer = padding Middle layer = splint material Outer layer = compressive dressing There are 2 types of traditional splinting material – [+]
Trick of the Trade: Topical Treatment of Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome
A 23-year-old female with no past medical history presents to the ED for the 4th time this month complaining of severe “10-out-of-10” abdominal pain, nausea, and intractable vomiting. She denies alcohol use, but reports she has smoked at least 1 marijuana “bud” daily for the last 3 years. In an attempt to relieve her symptoms, she has increased her marijuana use, however she has found that her pain is actually increasing, and the only thing that appears to help is taking a hot shower or bath. With this statement, the provider immediately considers cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). [+]
Pediatric Trick of the Trade: Finger Immobilization Technique
A 3 year-old boy presents with a deep laceration of the distal phalanx, through the nail bed, after slamming his fingers in a car door. He is crying, anxious, and uncooperative. How do you make this situation easier to evaluate and repair? Nail bed and finger laceration repairs can be challenging, and even more challenging in young patients. Preparation is key to getting a good outcome. Here we present a pediatric trick of the trade on immobilizing a finger for digit or nail bed procedures. [+]
MEdIC Series: The Case of the Difficult Debrief – Expert Review and Curated Community Commentary
Our second case of season 5, The Case of the Difficult Debrief, presented the scenario of a budding simulation educator who had a difficult experience debriefing a cohort of learners. This month’s case was developed in collaboration with the team at Simulcast, an excellent simulation website operated by a team of emergency providers in Australia, whose work includes a online Journal Club based loosely on the MEdIC discussion concept. After reviewing this commentary, we encourage readers to check out their podcast that delves into some of the issues that arose from this month’s MEdIC case. The MEdIC team (Drs. Tamara McColl, [+]
AIR-Pro: Neurology
Welcome to the Neurology AIR-Pro Module. Below we have listed our selection of the 7 highest quality blog posts related to 4 advanced level questions on neurology topics posed, curated, and approved for residency training by the AIR-Pro Series Board. The blogs relate to the following questions: Intracranial hemorrhage Diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhages Management of subarachnoid hemorrhages Vertigo [+]
Template for Writing a Successful Journal Manuscript
Across the health professions, it is often assumed that medical students, residents, and faculty inherently absorb the knowledge on how to construct a successful journal manuscript. That is a fallacy. Crafting a clear and logical message that presents one’s data and conclusions can be incredibly challenging. Dr. Craig Newgard, Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU), shares his recipe for success in an itemized fashion. He also reviews this template in a recent podcast with the SAEM Research Learning Series. [+]
IDEA Series: Intern Olympics, a Capstone Competition
The Problem Emergency medicine (EM) interns begin residency with variable clinical, procedural, and interprofessional skills. Residency leadership can find it challenging to ensure that a new class cohesively transitions into a program and community. Following a 4-week “Intern Boot Camp,” a capstone competition, “Intern Olympics,” was held to emphasize key knowledge and skills for interns. [+]
