I was talking to my PD about FOAM the other day and mentioned how crazy it was that we have the ability to produce and disseminate content so widely, easily and cheaply. How great it was that this, in some respects, allowed us to unhinge CME from the clutches of drug and device companies and potentially speed up knowledge translation. He agreed that it was awesome before adding a “but” of wisdom. “But …
Normal Saline: The Coke of Crystalloid Fluids
The nurse looked up from my orders with a quizzical expression on her face. “Why do you always order Ringer’s Lactate?” She asked. I immediately launched into an intense discussion… errr… one sided conversation… about the merits of various IV solutions and their respective electrolyte values and pH. As her eyes quickly glazed over and she glanced at the clock her expression shifted to one of regret. I sensed that I was losing …
Group A Strep: The Stray Dog of Bacterias (Addendum)
Well consider me embarrassed! Last week I made a post on Group A Strep. As with most of my posts, it was intended to be an overview of a common topic discussing primarily discussing its pathophysiology. However, I definitely should have taken a little more time to delve into the efficacy and necessity of treatment with antibiotics. A huge thank you to Dr. Lars Peterson (@LarsKristofer), an EM resident from Rochester, NY, who …
Top 10 Ways to Rock EM Clerkship
In our commitment to keeping posts up-to-date, this post was updated by Eve Purdy in December 2014. You’re a bright-eyed young medical student and you think you want to be an emergency doctor. You haven’t made life easy for yourself. While it may not be the case in other parts of the world, Emergency Medicine in Canada has become a highly sought-after specialty. The stats from our matching service indicated that last year …
Group A Strep: The Stray Dog of Bacterias
Sore throat. Group A Strep. It’s a presenting complaint we see almost daily that certainly doesn’t get anyone’s heart racing. I feel comfortable identifying the “sick” child, have a well-practiced “it’s a virus” speech, am adept in the art of the parent-facilitated tonsil swab, and generally think I diagnose and manage these patients fairly well. For a discussion of the Modified Centor Score and helpful PV card, see Academic Life in the EM. …
A Constipation Cocktail
Constipation, as defined succinctly by Urban Dictionary, is when you’ve gotta go, but your ass says “no!” It is a diagnosis that I can truly empathize with – who hasn’t been at least a bit bunged up before? The constipated patients that present to the ED take this everyday ailment to a whole new level. No one shows up a little constipated. Those that know they’re constipated come in as a last resort …