Neurovascular ultrasound in acute stroke: emergency department applications.

Acute stroke is one of the most common neurologic emergencies encountered by emergency clinicians. While point of care ultrasound has been a core part of emergency clinicians' training and practice for many years, the use of specialized ultrasound modalities in the care of acute ischemic stroke has not been as widely adopted. This review discusses the use of ultrasound in acute stroke, with a focus on applications of interest to emergency clinicians.

Iatrogenic Vertebral Artery Dissection with Posterior Fossa and Lateral Medullary Stroke After Uncomplicated Cervical Nerve Ablation.

Background: A cervical radiofrequency ablation is a procedure that can be performed to treat arthritis-related pain in the neck and upper back. There have been no large studies reporting complications after this procedure. We report a case of a 55-year-old woman with iatrogenic vertebral artery dissection of C3-C4 with segmental occlusion leading to a posterior fossa stroke and lateral medullary stroke after a high-grade cervical nerve ablation.

Emergency department antibiotic use for exacerbations of COPD.

Background: COPD is the third leading cause of death, with acute exacerbations accounting for 1.5 million emergency department (ED) visits annually. Guidelines include recommendations for antibiotic therapy, though evidence for benefit is limited, and little is known about ED prescribing patterns.

Contents of a Bug-Out Bag.

A large number of civilian agencies have published guides and recommendations on how to assemble personal and family emergency kits. However, the kits resulting from following these guidelines are impractical, particularly in the event evacuation becomes necessary. This report describes an alternative approach to assembling an emergency kit.

Medical issues in flight and updating the emergency medical kit.

Airline travel is more affordable than ever and likely safer than ever too. Within half a day, a passenger can be on the other side of the world. However, medical care in-flight has been an issue for those with medical conditions and for those who fall sick during a journey.