Grand Rounds Recap 6.6.18

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Grand Rounds Recap 6.6.18

This week we were led through the evaluation and management of the difficult pediatric airway with Dr. Carleton in our quarterly airway grand rounds, and discussed cranial nerve abnormalities with Dr. Neel in our recurring EM-neuro combined conference. Dr. Jarrell presented an interesting case of a child with a cough and weight loss, and Dr. Jensen walked us through the clinical utility of BNP. Finally, Dr. Miller presented an interesting case of a patient with multisystem organ failure and cecum perforation. 

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Grand Rounds Recap 5.30.18

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Grand Rounds Recap 5.30.18

This week’s Grand Rounds started with Dr. Gorder’s expertly delivered Morbidity and Mortality lecture. Dr. Gottula then went over drugs of abuse, including the gabapentinoids. Dr. Shaw then talked about a case of sympathetic acute crashing pulmonary edema (SCAPE). Finally, Dr. Edmunds spoke about pediatric renal emergencies.

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Whole Blood - More than the Sum of Its Components?

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Whole Blood - More than the Sum of Its Components?

Q: For a patient in hemorrhagic shock from acute blood loss, what is the best resuscitative fluid?  

A: If they've lost blood, give them blood.  

It's never quite that simple though right?  For a generation now, we have practiced primarily by transfusing patient's with acute blood loss varying ratios of blood product components.  Thanks to the PROPPR trial, we most recently arrived on a generally accepted ratio of 1:1:1 for Plasma, Platelets, and Red Blood Cells for severely injured bleeding trauma patients.  Recent military literature however, suggests that there may be another strategy (which is in and of itself a bit of a throwback) that could offer additional benefits over a component transfusion strategy.  If were are trying to recreate a whole blood with a 1:1:1 plasma:platetel:PRBC ratio, why not just give whole blood?

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Grand Rounds Recap 5.23.18

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Grand Rounds Recap 5.23.18

This week’s Grand Rounds opened with Dr. Koehler leading small group discussions on the applications and limitations of VBGs. Dr. Bonomo expertly identified the correct test of choice and diagnosis in Dr. Spigner’s CPC. Dr. Soria then gave an interesting talk on the history behind naloxone as well as common uses. Finally, the Air Care team led a great hands-on procedure workshop!

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What's in a Blood Gas? VBG vs ABG

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What's in a Blood Gas? VBG vs ABG

You’re deep into a busy shift. Pushing yourself to see more volume towards the end of the year, you find yourself actively managing 8 patients.  You have 2 patients with difficulty breathing you believe have COPD exacerbations and 1 patient with a history of T1DM who has a critical high finger stick blood sugar and ketones in their urine.  You send VBGs as part of the work up for all these patients finding hypercarbia for the patients who have COPD exacerbations and a significant metabolic acidosis in the patient with T1DM confirming your diagnosis of DKA. You are in the process of admitting these patients when you face questions from your colleagues in-house as to why you didn’t perform an ABG on these patients?

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Grand Rounds Recap 5.9.18

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Grand Rounds Recap 5.9.18

This week Drs. Harty & Gauger walked us through the literature surrounding the care of the patient in cardiac arrest as part of their Quality Improvement & Knowledge Translation project. Dr. Kristiana Kaufmann, a visiting professor from Wayne State, provided us a look at Global Health opportunities. Our Quarterly Simulation session, lead by Dr. Bryant, was a case of a 15 year old with new onset SOB and polyarthralgias. Lastly Drs. Stettler & LaFollette provided us with mock oral boards cases.

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Grand Rounds Recap 4.25.18

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Grand Rounds Recap 4.25.18

This week’s Grand Rounds was kicked off with our W. Brian Gibler visiting professor series with Dr. Ali Raja M.D., MBA, MPH, and Vice Chair of Emergency Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. He gave us his insights on how to help move our specialty towards evidence based practice, as well as his tips on leadership within the context of academic emergency medicine. This was followed by our monthly Morbidity and Mortality Conference with Dr. Titone. Dr. Shah then gave his R4 Clinical Soap Box on the utility of ultrasound in cardiac arrest, and the conference finished with Dr. Whitford giving his R3 Taming the SRU case follow up.

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Rhogam Redux

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Rhogam Redux

Hemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn (HDFN) is an alloimmune disease which develops in a fetus when a women’s immune system is sensitized, developing antibodies which cross the placenta and attack fetal RBCs. 

While there is a spectrum of the disease, in severe cases the fetus can ultimately develop hydrops fetalis which is often fatal.

As Emergency Physician’s we are classically taught that we can help to prevent HDFN by recognizing sensitizing events in Rh-negative women and subsequently providing RhoGAM. But which patients really need RhoGAM? The evidence seems to be lacking and recommendations are often inconsistent.

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Grand Rounds Recap 4.18.18

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Grand Rounds Recap 4.18.18

This week we got a refreshing look at soft tissue ultrasound from our US guru Dr. Stolz. We then moved to the opposite end of modern imaging with the rarely indicated but intermittently very useful KUB by Dr. Skrobut. Drs Kiser and Ventura battled it out in a CPC case of pyloric stenosis then the R4s ran a simulation and small group on global health pathologies.

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Grand Rounds Recap 3.28.18

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Grand Rounds Recap 3.28.18

This week's Grand Rounds opened with Dr. Ludmer giving Morbidity and Mortality conference. Sports Medicine Dr. Betz then took on the common chief complaint of ankle pain, and described the evidence-based management and common ankle sprain mimics. Dr. Shaw discussed basics on tracheostomies and Dr. Renne closed out Grand Rounds with his approach to the judicious use of IV fluids in septic shock. 

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Grand Rounds Recap 3.21.18

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Grand Rounds Recap 3.21.18

This week's Grand Rounds opened with year directives focused on residents as teachers for the junior residents and life as a junior faculty for the senior residents. Next Dr. Fermann discussed implementation of our PE response team (PERT). Dr. Li led a great group discussion on EKG toxicology, Dr. Golden then unsuccessfully tried to stump Dr. Hill with his CPC on phenytoin toxicity, and finally Dr. Gorder gave a fantastic discussion on NSTEMIs.

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