Diagnostics and Therapeutics: Tumor Lysis Syndrome

Diagnostics and Therapeutics: Tumor Lysis Syndrome

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is rare disease presentation in the emergency department that is very important to learn to diagnose and treat due to the high associated mortality, often quoted at 20% or more. This post discussed the pathophysiology of the disease process, as well as how to appropriate identify and treat TLS in a timely manner to prevent complications such as cardiac dysrhythmias and acute renal failure.

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But Can You Just PO?

But Can You Just PO?

Fluid management in the Emergency Department (ED) is crucial in the adequate resuscitation of the acutely ill and decompensating patient. Patients present to the ED with hypovolemia secondary to a plethora of causes—some requiring IV fluid resuscitation and others requiring none. Considering the nationwide IV fluid shortage, judicious use of fluids is imperative. Thus, this begs the question, who really needs IV fluids, and can the patient simply hydrate orally? This article serves to briefly discuss IV fluids administration in the ED and the instances where they are not indicated. 

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Diagnostics and Therapeutics: Pneumomediastinum

Diagnostics and Therapeutics: Pneumomediastinum

Pneumomediastinum is defined as the infiltration of air into the mediastinum and its structures. This disease process can be benign, but also requires careful evaluation and management, and in severe cases may require surgical intervention. This post helps the emergency physician learn to both identify and treat this rare but important clinical entity.

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Diagnostics: Thromboembolic Disease in Pregnancy

Diagnostics: Thromboembolic Disease in Pregnancy

Venous thromboembolisms (VTE) are difficult enough to diagnose and treat in the standard patient. However, this becomes even more of a challenge in the pregnant patient. In this post, we will discuss in depth the work up of VTE in the pregnant patient, which often requires slightly different risk stratification tools. We will also discuss various treatment options for VTE in pregnancy and the post partum period.

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The Approach to Neuromuscular Weakness

The Approach to Neuromuscular Weakness

Weakness is a common, though sometimes vague, presenting symptom in the ED. Neuromuscular (NM) weakness can have various causes, ranging from common and relatively easy to diagnose conditions (such as strokes and trauma) to less common and more difficult to diagnose ones (such as vascular pathologies, infections, autoimmune diseases, and neoplasms). This post focuses on how to localize weakness to differentiate types of NM weakness and presents classic cases of diffuse weakness caused by three diseases.

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Diagnostics and Therapeutics: Paracentesis in the Emergency Department

Diagnostics and Therapeutics: Paracentesis in the Emergency Department

In this post we examine one of the etiologies behind a frequent ER chief complaint (abdominal pain). Specifically, we take a look at abdominal pain and distention due to ascites, and how to manage ascites in the emergency department with paracentesis procedure.

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