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Postpartum Hemorrhage in the House of the Dragons

In Case Series, Medical Concepts by Tessa LadnerLeave a Comment

Main Points: Case presentation: Surrounded by her husband King Viserys, midwives and maesters, Queen Aemma was due to give birth any minute. Longing for a male heir, the King was under considerable pressure to secure the succession to his throne. In her own words, the Queen set the scene by describing the “childbed” as a battlefield. Unfortunately, these words become truth as Aemma quickly starts to lose blood during the birth of her …

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Tiny Tips: BRADIE for Differential Causes of Bradycardia

In Tiny Tips by Isaac KimLeave a Comment

Bradycardia is a very common finding in patients presenting to the emergency department. In 2018, over 18,000 pacemakers were inserted in Canada alone for severe dysrhythmia management.​1​ However, there are many causes of bradycardia that exist. Knowing and identifying the underlying causes of bradycardias is critical to emergency department management and disposition. The following mnemonic, BRADIE, is a helpful tool for remembering various causes of bradycardia during the clinical assessment of these patients. …

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Clinical Question: How does the sensitivity/specificity of lung ultrasound compare to plain films in diagnosing acute decompensated heart failure?

In Clinical Questions by Neil SenguptaLeave a Comment

A 64 year old woman presents to the emergency department with dyspnea.  On exam she is mildly tachypneic, has an oxygen saturation of 94% on 2L nasal prongs, and bilateral crackles to auscultation.  You suspect acute heart failure and wonder about the role of lung ultrasound as you await her chest x-ray.   Clinical question: What is the sensitivity and specificity of lung PoCUS compared to chest radiograph for diagnosis of acute decompensated …