The Backup That Led to a Blackout: Syncope and Severe Constipation.

Syncope is a common presentation in the emergency department (ED); however, it is rarely due to stercoral proctocolitis causing inferior vena cava (IVC) compression. We describe the case of a young male patient who presented to the ED after having a syncopal episode. Through obtaining a detailed history and physical exam, he was found to have abdominal distention and endorsed constipation.

Pulmonary Embolism Presenting as ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Report of Two Cases.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is often underrecognized due to its ability to mimic other conditions; however, ultrasound can provide diagnostic clues to aid in the diagnosis of PE. We describe two patients who presented with symptoms suggestive of cardiac ischemia and had electrocardiograms (EKGs) indicative of anteroseptal myocardial infarction. In both cases, cardiac point-of-care ultrasonography showed signs of large pulmonary emboli, which were then confirmed on computed tomography angiography of the chest.

Infective Endocarditis Presenting With Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Case Report.

Infectious endocarditis (IE) is a rare disease characterized by infection of the endocardial surface of the heart. IE predominately involves the left-sided valves; however, right-sided valvular IE has increased in incidence with intravenous drug use. Treatment of IE is centered on targeted antibiotic therapy and management of complications, including septic embolization, which can affect all of the major arterial beds.

Emergency department management of methamphetamine toxicity.

Management of patients who are acutely intoxicated with methamphetamine (a member of the substituted amphetamine class of drugs) can be resource-intensive for most emergency departments. Clinical presentations of the methamphetamine sympathomimetic toxidrome range from mild agitation to rhabdomyolysis, acute kidney injury, seizures, and intracranial hemorrhage. High-quality evidence on how to best manage these patients is lacking, and most research focuses on symptomatic interventions to control patients' agitation and hemodynamics.

Feasibility of a Multifaceted Social Emergency Medicine Curriculum for Emergency Medicine Residents.

Introduction: Emergency physicians are in a unique position to impact both individual and population health needs. Despite this, emergency medicine (EM) residency training lacks formalized education n the social determinants of health (SDoH) and integration of patient social risk and need, which are core components of social EM (SEM). The need for such a SEM-based residency curriculum has been previously recognized; however, there is a gap in the literature related to demonstration and feasibility.