“I’ve learned that life is hard and messy.”
via Ruined by Reality.
Emergency Medicine
Ultrasound of the Week | UOTW #36
Ultrasound of the Week | UOTW #36.
Emergency physicians can be trained to identify these lesions with good accuracy. A study by Kerwin et al found that after a brief, 30 minute training module, median percentages correct improved from 67% to 87% when reviewing pre-recorded clips.
I’m at a loss to explain why I like looking at ultrasounds. I guess I’m simply fascinated that some people can actually know and understand what they’ looking at. My physician in the family says it’s a matter of numbers. The more you look at, the better you get.
Underwriters will find the answer and pearl section more useful.
Identifying Patients With Problematic Drug Use in the ED
Among patients who reported using marijuana as their primary drug, more than 46% met the criteria for having a drug problem. “This is an important finding to highlight because marijuana use is often considered less dangerous than other illicit drug use,” Dr. Macias-Konstantopoulos says. According to the study, a subgroup of marijuana users was at higher risk for problematic drug use, including age younger than 30, smoking tobacco, binge drinking, using drugs daily, and reporting that their ED visit was related to their drug use
via Physician’s Weekly for Medical News, Opinions, Features Articles.
Emergency Medicine News – THC Dosing of Edible Marijuana in Colorado is Insane.
Avoid couchlock! Four things to know about cannabis pharmacology | The Poison Review.
Recently, the New York Times’ Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd got into trouble in Denver when she overdosed on a cannabis candy bar and experienced 8 hours of paranoia and couchlock.
Toxicology Rounds: Four Things Maureen Dowd Should Have Know… : Emergency Medicine News.
THC dosing of edible marijuana in Colorado is insane. Richard Zane, MD, the chairman of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado Medical Center in Denver, said on the National Public Radio talk show On Point that the amount of THC in some marijuana edibles is completely irrational. The usual recommended moderate starting dose is approximately 10 mg THC, and some cookies can contain six doses and some lollipops as many as 10. Dr. Zane said the university’s ED sees out-of-state marijuana tourists every day who present with bad reactions to THC, such as agitation, unremitting violent vomiting, hallucinations, and psychosis.
And finally, a link to Maureen Dowd’s column.
Don’t Harsh Our Mellow, Dude – NYTimes.com.
In March, a 19-year-old Wyoming college student jumped off a Denver hotel balcony after eating a pot cookie with 65 milligrams of THC. In April, a Denver man ate pot-infused Karma Kandy and began talking like it was the end of the world, scaring his wife and three kids. Then he retrieved a handgun from a safe and killed his wife while she was on the phone with an emergency dispatcher.
ED Visits for Drug-Related Suicide Attempts Double
Centipedes, Caterpillars, and Other Creepy Crawlers | EBM Gone Wild
Centipedes, Caterpillars, and Other Creepy Crawlers | EBM Gone Wild.
Governor declares emergency after drug overdoses – New Hampshire news – Boston.com.
The more I learn about Emergency Medicine the more I understand how much data EM physicians have to know about what can kill you so that they can save your life. Saturday mornings are my time to catch up on medical news. The overdose epidemic in NH was interesting but not completely surprising. The bug information was surprising to me.
I’m not going to Peru. Go to the website for a very good downloadable Slideshare presentation. Great pictures too.
Demystifying the Congenital Long QT Diagnosis
Demystifying the Congenital Long QT Diagnosis.
The incidence of the congenital long QT syndrome is about 1 in 2500 births. This is likely an underestimate as sudden death with a normal autopsy may be the first and only presentation. There are 12 genes responsible for 3 main types of c-LQTS. The presentation is one of aborted sudden death or brief arrhythmia. This usually manifests as sudden, without warning syncope, near syncope or prolonged syncope with seizures. Many are misdiagnosed with seizure disorder or vasovagal syncope.
Most Emergency Room Super Frequent Users Have Addiction Disorder – MedicalResearch.com
MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: We found that within our group of 255 known Emergency Department “super-frequent users,” 77% had with some type of addiction disorder, and 47 percent visited the Emergency Department seeking narcotics for pain. Women were more likely to be narcotic seeking. Using our individualized Electronic Medical Record care plan intervention, created and overseen by our multidisciplinary team (comprised of Emergency Department staff physicians, a psychologist, residents, nurses and support staff), we found that our plan significantly decreased annual rates of visits by these super-frequent users and those who sought pain-relief narcotics and other super-frequent users.
Dr. Eric J. Lee
Alpert Medical School News | Alpert Medical School.
Underwriting Solutions LLC has several physicians available for part-time consulting work. Email or call for more information.
Older Patients & Motor Vehicle Crashes | Physician’s Weekly
Older Patients & Motor Vehicle Crashes | Physician’s Weekly.
According to current estimates, there are about 30 million licensed drivers in the United States aged 65 and older, but this figure is expected to jump to 57 million by 2030. Studies indicate that drivers aged 65 and older have higher rates of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) per mile driven. Data also show that older motorists have higher rates of death and serious injury and incur greater costs for acute care and rehabilitation. “MVCs are the second leading cause of injury-related death among adults aged 65 and older,” says Jody A. Vogel, MD, MSc. “As the U.S. population ages, EDs will need to be prepared with appropriate resources and protocols to care for older adult MVC patients effectively.”
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