Browsing: April 2014

Health Policy

A Solution to the SGR: Value-Based Medicare Payments

4/19/2014 Sarah Hoper, MD, JD, FACEP

A Solution to the SGR: Value-Based Medicare Payments You have probably heard of the SGR, or Sustainable Growth Rate. It is a formula that was put in place in 1997 as part of the Balanced Budget Act t

Advocacy , President's Message , Health Policy

Developing the Physician Advocate

4/19/2014 Jordan Celeste, MD

Developing the Physician Advocate While most of you will have graduated and moved into practice by the time all these changes take place, it is important to remain informed about the current challeng

Critical Care , Toxicology

Understanding Alcoholic Ketoacidosis

4/15/2014 Gabriel Wardi, MD, MPH , Charles O'Connell, MD

Understanding Alcoholic Ketoacidosis A 49-year-old male with a history of alcohol abuse presents to the ED with complaints of generalized abdominal pain and vomiting for the last 36 hours. The patien

Pediatric EM

Adult-Sized Problems

4/15/2014 Lt. Adam Forrest, DO

Adult-Sized Problems It was one of my first shifts of residency after spending a few years with the U.S. Marines. Until recently, I had not treated a patient under the age of 17 since my internship t

Mental Health , Pediatric EM , Clinical , Psychiatry

A Reflection on Mental Health and Emergency Medicine

4/15/2014 Kyra D. Reed, MD

A Reflection on Mental Health and Emergency Medicine After a knock on the door, I entered the hospital room to find Lisa, a 12-year-old patient who was seated on the exam table, eyes fixed on her sho

Diversity and Inclusion , Transgender , Editorial

A Different Perspective

4/15/2014 Trevor MacDonald

A Different Perspective Ian and I found out we were pregnant on the Sunday after Thanksgiving – one month along; everything seemed to be going right in life, and this just felt like it was meant to b

Infectious Disease , Neurology

A Temporal Problem: Diagnosing and Treating Viral Encephalitis in the ED

4/15/2014 Sajid Khan, MD , James Hall, MD

A Temporal Problem: Diagnosing and Treating Viral Encephalitis in the ED Case Report A 49-year-old male presents to the emergency department with two days of confusion, agitation, and speech abnormal

Editorial , Wellness , Career Planning

12 Ways to Prosper in Emergency Medicine

4/15/2014 Helmut Meisl, MD

12 Ways to Prosper in Emergency Medicine After 35 years in emergency medicine, you gain a little more than just medical knowledge. The day in and day out, grueling aspects of our chosen field can som

Prehospital Care

Backboards: Do They Really Have Your Back?

4/15/2014 Jose V. Nable, MD, NRP , Christina L. Tupe, MD

Backboards: Do They Really Have Your Back? Spinal immobilization has long been considered standard practice for pre-hospital trauma patients. Placing patients on long spinal boards is one of the most

Ultrasound , Pain Management , Clinical

Practical Tips: When and How to Use a Femoral Nerve Block

4/15/2014 Marsia Vermeulen, DO, FACEP , Kara Otterness, MD

Practical Tips: When and How to Use a Femoral Nerve Block An 82-year-old female shows up in your ED with severe hip pain after a fall at home. You already know what the x-ray is before you see it