Antacid Monotherapy vs GI Cocktail: Are You On or Off the Wagon?

by Anthony CatapanoJournal Club, Silk City BlogPosted on Comments are Disabled

This post first appeared on REBEl EM blog. Background: Dyspepsia and epigastric pain are common emergency department (ED) complaints affecting one in four adults annually. Twenty percent of these patients have an organic cause while 80% have functional dyspepsia (Moayyedi 2017). Antacids are often a first-line treatment in relieving the discomfort of dyspepsia and epigastric pain (Salisbury 2021). Antacids can be paired with other medications to create the “GI cocktail.”

Are You Pausing Too Long During CPR?

by Anthony CatapanoJournal Club, Silk City BlogPosted on Comments are Disabled

Outside of early defibrillation and high-quality CPR, little has been shown to improve outcomes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). In theory, rapid identification of the underlying cause of arrest can be beneficial. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has been adopted into cardiac arrest care by many emergency clinicians for this reason.

Retrospective Validation of High-Sensitivity Troponin with 5 Clinical Decision Instruments

by Anthony CatapanoJournal Club, Silk City BlogPosted on Comments are Disabled

This post first appeared on REBEl EM [Link is here] Background: Chest pain is the second most common reason for presentation to the emergency department (ED) and accounts for nearly 6.5 million visits each year. [1] Management often requires the utilization of clinical gestalt, laboratory analysis, diagnostic imaging, and clinical prediction rules.  Clinical decision instruments (CDIs) …

Read more “Retrospective Validation of High-Sensitivity Troponin with 5 Clinical Decision Instruments”

Pelvic Trauma

by Anthony CatapanoConference Cast, Silk City Blog, TraumaPosted on Comments are Disabled

Pelvic trauma is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Prompt recognition and treatment of pelvic injury in the trauma patient is key. Stabilization of both patient & pelvis are paramount.

Ultrasound-Guided Lumbar Puncture

by Anthony CatapanoProcedures, Silk City Blog, UltrasoundPosted on Comments are Disabled

A 68-year old obese female with a past medical history of osteoarthritis, diabetes, and cervical spinal fusion presents to the Emergency Department (ED) complaining of generalized weakness for the last week. In addition, she reports that she had cold symptoms approximately one week before the onset of her weakness. Upon further questioning, the patient also reports numbness and tingling of her bilateral lower extremities. The review of systems is otherwise negative.

Mycoplasma Pneumonia-Associated Mucositis

by Anthony CatapanoInfectious Disease, Silk City BlogPosted on Comments are Disabled

A 15-year-old female, with no past medical history, presented to the pediatric emergency department with cough and fever after being discharge with a diagnosis pneumonia two days prior. A chest x-ray on her first visit showed a single left lower lobe infiltrate and she was subsequently prescribed amoxicillin for suspected community acquired pneumonia (Figure 1). Upon return to emergency department, the patient complained of worsening symptoms, including dysphagia, secondary to sores in her mouth that developed after being discharge.

Congenital Pediatric Heart Disease

by Anthony CatapanoPediatrics, Silk City BlogPosted on Comments are Disabled

Congenital Pediatric Heart Disease – Board Review  (PDF with pictures) Basic Pathophysiology Fetal Circulation Have shunts to bypass liquid filled lungs Oxygenated blood from mom goes through placenta into baby via umbilical vein Half the blood goes to liver Half goes to ductus venosus to inferior vena cava where it mixes with deoxygenated blood returning …

Read more “Congenital Pediatric Heart Disease”