Preeclampsia is a common complication in pregnancy, affecting 3-5% of pregnant women in the general population, and up to 25% of pregnant patients with pre-existing chronic hypertension [1].
#TipsforEMexams: Exam Study Tips Series
As September arrives, my thoughts always turn towards memories of being in school. The fun, the initial excitement… but then… with memories of school comes memories of exams. Inspired by the “How I work smarter series” this series will outline study tips for EM exams. They may seem a bit targeted towards the Canadian RC emergency medicine exam (because that’s the exam I wrote), but I’m hoping that most of the tips from …
Boring Question: How useful are plain abdominal films for bowel obstruction?
Clinical Scenario An otherwise healthy 65 year old comes into the emergency department with an 8 hour history of abdominal pain. Her last bowel movement was 3 days ago and she’s not sure if she has passed gas. She endorses nausea but has not vomited. She has not taken her temperature but does not believe she has been febrile. She’s tried Tylenol for analgesia with little relief. She last ate 12 hours ago …
Ondansetron vs Placebo vs Metoclopramide: Normal saline as an antiemetic?
This week we review an article comparing ondasetron, metoclopramide and placebo (normal saline).
Boring Question: How does the sensitivity/specificity of lung ultrasound compare to plain films in diagnosing pneumothorax?
The Case A 74-year-old male with a history of COPD arrived in the emergency department in respiratory distress. On physical examination, the patient was mildly tachypneic and had an oxygen saturation of 93% on a non-rebreather mask. On auscultation, the patient had wheezing and diminished air movement bilaterally. A supine chest radiograph (CXR) was obtained. A short time later, a radiologist called to confirm the presence of a “moderate sized right pneumothorax” (Figure …
10 Tips from Nurses to Rock Your EM Clerkship
There are lots of ways to prepare for clerkship, like finding mentors, reading up, and making learning goals, as outlined in this past post. While those tips will help you maximize your skills building and demonstrate your professional competencies, it’s also important to use clerkship as an opportunity to learn how to work as part of an interdisciplinary team within a complex health care system. There is growing recognition that quality care and …