Inhalational injuries occur as a complication of approximately one-third of burns and may lead to significant morbidity and mortality if not correctly managed.1 Inhalational injury to the upper airway can occur as a result of direct thermal injury, leading to airway swelling and necessitating the need for early intubation for airway protection.2 Inhalational injuries can also damage the lower airways due to exposure to smoke and other chemicals. Respiratory distress may be further …
Common ED Presentations: Clerk Flashcards
Are you a medical student ready to excel in your first ever emergency medicine shift and impress your mentors in the ED? We introduce to you a set of flashcards with common differential diagnoses so you can confidently tackle common ED presentations! This post was reviewed by Daniel Ting and copy-edited by @aafia-maqsood
Tiny Tips: Hematuria: IS THIS PP RED?
Mnemonics to remember differential diagnoses are usually cumbersome, difficult to remember, and unnecessary. However, sometimes one stands above the crowd. Sometimes, one is so perfect that the world around you seems brighter… the greens greener… the sky bluer… your lunch tastier… Feel your mental status exam improve as I present to you “IS THIS PP RED?” for hematuria. The best part about the mnemonic? – The two most important etiologies are first! This …
Tiny Tips: Infective Endocarditis FROM JANE
View PostTiny Tips: The 6 S’s Mnemonic for Mitigating Cognitive Bias in the Emergency Department
The chaos and rapidity associated with the ED make it an environment much more prone to diagnostic error.1 96% of these incidents involving missed diagnoses can be attributed to various cognitive biases/factors.2 The consequence of these biases ultimately lead to incomplete H/P’s (20-42% of errors),2,3 failure to consider competing diagnoses (32% of errors),3 or failure to order or follow-up on investigations (44-58% of errors).2,3 So what can be done? Presented below are 6 …
Tiny Tips: BRADIE for Differential Causes of Bradycardia
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. …