Blood culture algorithm implementation in emergency department patients as a diagnostic stewardship intervention.

Objective: Blood cultures (BCx) are important for selecting appropriate antibiotic treatment. Ordering BCx for conditions with a low probability of bacteremia has limited utility, thus improved guidance for ordering BCx is needed. Inpatient studies have implemented BCx algorithms, but no studies examine the intervention in an Emergency Department (ED) setting.

Pain Management for Orthopedic Injuries.

Pain management in acute orthopedic injury needs to be tailored to the presentation and patient. Subjective and objective assessment, in conjunction with pathophysiology, should be used to provide symptom control. Ideally, treatment should be administered in an escalating fashion, attempting to manage pain with the lowest dose of the safest medication available.

Evaluation of a Standardized Cardiac Athletic Screening for National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Athletes.

Introduction: Sudden cardiac death is a rare cause of death in young athletes. Current screening techniques include history and physical exam (H and P), with or without an electrocardiogram (ECG). Adding point of care cardiac ultrasound has demonstrated benefits, but there is limited data about implementing this technology.

Methemoglobinemia Induced By Ingesting Lava Lamp Contents.

A patient presented after ingesting the contents of a lava lamp that he believed to contain alcohol. It was later discovered that this product was comprised of 76% calcium nitrate, leading to his subsequent development of methemoglobinemia. This disease is a medical emergency secondary to poor transportation of oxygen and resultant tissue hypoxic effects.