Emergency Medicine General
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Spinal Cord Compression
Diagnosis and management of acute spinal cord compression can be a challenge for the emergency physician. The clinical presentation can range from intermittent, subtle symptoms to acute loss of motor and/or sensory function. Prompt diagnosis and definitive intervention are crucial to preventing long-term neurologic deficit.
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Stroke in Young Adults
Although stroke once was considered primarily a disease of older adults, recent epidemiological data underscore a rising incidence in younger populations worldwide. This article will define the scope of young adult stroke, discuss its epidemiology and pathophysiology, highlight the wide etiological spectrum, delve into clinical diagnostic steps, offer a practical framework for management, and conclude with a summary that emphasizes the persistent practice gap.
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Evaluation and Management of Elbow Injuries in the Emergency Department
Elbow injuries continue to be a very common complaint that presents to the emergency department. These injuries involve a complex joint that includes many important structures, with injuries that vary greatly. It is important that emergency medicine clinicians remain prepared to evaluate, diagnose, and treat these various elbow injuries.
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Airway Management in Trauma
Rapid assessment and management of the airway in trauma patients is critical, and timely, decisive, and skillful intervention often can make the difference between life and death. Every emergency medicine physician must have an escalating stepwise approach to securing even the most difficult airway. The authors comprehensively review the initial airway assessment, basic and advanced methods and techniques for establishing a definitive airway through endotracheal intubation and surgical airways, airway adjuncts, medications selection, and strategies to address specific factors that complicate airway management in trauma.
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Burnout in the Emergency Department
This article examines the unique challenges of burnout in emergency department providers, exploring its impact on individuals, teams, and patient care. After an overview of the phenomenon, including historical trends and current statistics, this article will discuss actionable strategies to mitigate burnout and foster resilience, illustrated through real-world experiences of emergency medicine professionals.
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Drugs and Toxins that Produce Delayed Toxicities
Drug overdose is a common chief complaint in the emergency department. Overdose of certain medications or ingestions of toxins should prompt the emergency physician to carefully deliberate on the appropriate next steps and disposition. Furthermore, delayed toxicity may be under-recognized, and delayed management can lead to life-threatening complications, such as arrhythmias and seizures. Managing the poisoned patient can be challenging because clinical effects often are difficult to predict in circumstances that produce toxicity.
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Mechanical Thrombectomy for Stroke
Stroke remains a global health crisis, affecting up to one in five individuals in high-income countries and nearly one in two individuals in low-income regions, making it the second leading cause of death worldwide. Advances in endovascular thrombectomy, including mechanical thrombectomy (MT), have revolutionized the management of acute ischemic stroke, offering significant reductions in patient disability and mortality rates.
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Right Upper Quadrant Pain in the ED
Right upper quadrant abdominal pain is a frequently encountered chief complaint in the emergency department and requires methodical evaluation. Emergency physicians face the challenge of distinguishing between a broad range of potential etiologies, from benign conditions to life-threatening emergencies.
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Colonic Emergencies
Abdominal pain is one of the most frequent chief complaints an emergency clinician will evaluate. Some of the most frequently encountered colonic emergencies, including large bowel obstruction, acute colonic pseudo-obstruction, diverticulitis, toxic megacolon, scybala, volvulus, hemorrhoids, rectal prolapse, and constipation, will be reviewed in this article.
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Evaluation and Management of Anaphylaxis in the Emergency Department
This article will present the most current information for diagnosing allergic reactions and anaphylaxis and how to treat them properly.