Episode 936: Etomidate vs. Ketamine for Rapid Sequence Intubation
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Ricky Dhaliwal MD Educational Pearls: Etomidate was previously the drug of choice for rapid sequence intubation (RSI) However, it carries a risk of adrenal insufficiency as an adverse effect through inhibition of mitochondrial 11-β-hydroxylase activity A recent meta-analysis analyzing etomidate as an induction agent showed the following: 11 randomized-controlled trials with 2704 patients Number needed to harm is 31; i.e. for every 31 patients that receive etomidate for induction, there is one death The probability of any mortality increase was 98.1% ...
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Episode 935: Pregnancy Extremis - TOLDD
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Aaron Lessen MD Educational Pearls: Pregnant patients at high risk of cardiac arrest, in cardiac arrest, or in extremis require special care A useful mnemonic to recall the appropriate management of critically ill pregnant patients is TOLDD T: Tilt the patient to the left lateral decubitus position This position relieves pressure exerted from the uterus onto the inferior vena cava, which reduces cardiac preload If the patient is receiving CPR, an assistant should displace the uterus manually from the IVC towards the patient’s left side O: Administer high-flow...
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Episode 934: Subendocardial Ischemia
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Travis Barlock MD Educational Pearls: What is the ST segment? The ST segment on an ECG represents the interval between the end of ventricular depolarization (QRS) and the beginning of ventricular repolarization (T-wave). It should appear isoelectric (flat) in a normal ECG. What if the ST segment is elevated? This is evidence that there is an injury that goes all the way through the muscular wall of the heart (transmural) This is very concerning for a heart attack (STEMI) but can be occasionally caused by other pathology, such as pericarditis What if the ST...
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Episode 933: Benign Convulsions with Gastroenteritis
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Alec Coston MD Educational Pearls: Causes of seizures in a fairly well-appearing child with diarrhea: Electrolyte abnormalities: hypocalcemia, hyponatremia Also hyperkalemia which causes arrhythmias and syncope - can appear like seizures Hypoglycemia If the child has diarrhea and appears very sick, differential diagnosis may include: Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS): simultaneous occurrence of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute kidney injury Typically caused by Shiga-like toxin producing Escherichia coli (also known as EHEC, or...
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Episode 932: Induction Agent Hypotension
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Aaron Lessen MD Educational Pearls: Induction agent selection during rapid sequence intubation involves accounting for hemodynamic stability in the post-intubation setting Many emergency departments use ketamine or etomidate A recent study sought to explore the rates of post-induction hypotension of ketamine compared with propofol Single center retrospective cohort study of patients between 2018-2021 Ketamine and propofol were both significantly associated with post-induction hypotension Ketamine adjusted odds ratio = 4.50 Propofol adjusted odds ratio = 4.88 50%...
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Episode 931: Naloxone in Cardiac Arrest
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Aaron Lessen MD Educational Pearls: Can opioids cause cardiac arrest? Opioids can cause respiratory suppression and the subsequent low oxygen levels can lead to arrhythmias and eventually cardiac arrest. In 2023, 17% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) were attributable to opioids. Given that this is a rising cause of cardiac arrest, should we just treat all cardiac arrest with naloxone (Narcan)? Naloxone is correlated with an increased chance of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) Additionally, a wide variety of individuals can be exposed to opioids and...
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Episode 930: Holding Costs
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Aaron Lessen MD Educational Pearls: A study evaluated the patient-care impact and financial costs of holding patients in the ED, a nationwide issue Prospective, observational study of acute stroke management Conducted at a large urban, comprehensive stroke center The study evaluated patients in multiple categories: admitted to med/surg admitted to med/surg but held in the ED admitted to the ICU Admitted to ICU but held in the ED Examined the amount of time nurses and providers spent with each patient This was analyzed in conjunction with the...
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Episode 929: Traumatic Aortic Injury
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Aaron Lessen MD Educational Pearls: Aortic injury occurs in 1.5-2% of patients who sustain blunt thoracic trauma Majority are caused by automobile collisions or motorcycle accidents Due to sudden deceleration mechanism accidents Clinical manifestations Signs of hypovolemic shock including tachycardia and hypotension, though not always present Patients may have altered mental status Imaging Widened mediastinum on chest x-ray, though not highly sensitive CT is more sensitive and specific, and signs of thoracic injury include an intimal flap, aortic wall...
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Laboring Under Pressure Episode 4: Obstetric Emergency in South Africa with Dr. Meghan Hurley
Emergency Medical Minute
Laboring Under Pressure Episode 4: Obstetric Emergency in South Africa with Dr. Meghan Hurley Contributors: Meghan Hurley MD, Travis Barlock MD, Jeffrey Olson MS3 Show Pearls Map of South Africa Referenced South Africa Geography Lesson There is a big disparity between Cape Town and its neighbor Khayelitsha. Cape Town is the legislative capital and economic hub of South Africa, known for its infrastructure, tourist attractions, and developed urban areas. Khayelitsha Township is a large informal settlement on the outskirts of Cape Town, with limited infrastructure and services compared to...
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Episode 928: Neutropenic Fever
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Taylor Lynch, MD Educational Pearls: What is neutropenic fever? Specific type of fever that is seen in cancer patients and other patients with impaired immune systems These patients are highly susceptible to infection Typically occurs 7-10 days after the last chemotherapy dose, this is when the immune system is the weakest It is useful to know the specific type of malignancy. For example, heme malignancies (ALL, AML, etc.) have more intense chemo and are at higher risk of neutropenic fever To qualify as a neutropenic fever, a patient must have one recorded temperature...
info_outlineContributor: Meghan Hurley MD
Educational Pearls:
Pearls about labor:
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Labor is split into 3 stages.
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Stage 1 starts when the first persistent contractions are felt and goes up until the cervix is fully dilated and the mother starts pushing. Stage 1 is split into two phases: the latent phase (cervix is dilated from 0-4 cm), and the active phase (cervix dilates from 4-10 cm). The latent phase can take between 6 and 12 hours with contractions happening every 5 to 15 minutes. The active phase usually lasts 4-8 hours with contractions occurring as close as every 3 minutes.
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Stage 2 is the birth itself, lasting between 20 minutes and 2 hours.
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Stage 3 is the delivery of the placenta and typically takes 30 minutes.
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37 weeks gestational age is the cutoff for preterm.
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Placenta previa: Condition when the placenta overlies the cervix. Classically presents as painless vaginal bleeding in the 3rd trimester. If suspected placenta previa, avoid a speculum exam. Placenta previa can be confirmed on ultrasound.
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If the baby is crowning in the ER then the baby should be delivered in the ER. The ideal presentation on crowning is head first (Vertex), specifically ‘left occiput anterior’. In this position, the baby is head first and the head is facing towards the gurney at a slight angle. If the baby is coming out in a breech position then the provider should “elevate the presenting part” by maintaining pressure on the baby as the mother is wheeled to the OR for an emergency C-section.
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If a vertex-presenting baby is being delivered vaginally, after the head has been delivered an event called ‘restitution’ must occur to align the baby’s shoulders properly. During this event, the baby goes from facing down towards the gurney to facing sideways.
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After restitution, the anterior shoulder should be delivered, followed by the posterior.
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After complete delivery, the cord should be clamped (after a 1-3 minute delay), with something sterile.
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Gentle downward traction on the cord helps to deliver the placenta. You can place pressure above the pubic bone to prevent the uterus from involuting during this process. This is not the same as a fundal massage which happens after the delivery of the placenta to help the uterus clamp down and prevent postpartum hemorrhage.
References
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Hutchison J, Mahdy H, Hutchison J. Stages of Labor. 2023 Jan 30. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan–. PMID: 31335010.
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Lavery JP. Placenta previa. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1990 Sep;33(3):414-21. doi: 10.1097/00003081-199009000-00005. PMID: 2225572.
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Qian Y, Ying X, Wang P, Lu Z, Hua Y. Early versus delayed umbilical cord clamping on maternal and neonatal outcomes. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2019 Sep;300(3):531-543. doi: 10.1007/s00404-019-05215-8. Epub 2019 Jun 15. PMID: 31203386; PMCID: PMC6694086.
Summarized by Jeffrey Olson MS2 | Edited by Meg Joyce & Jorge Chalit, OMSII