Handheld Point-of-Care Ultrasound: Safety Considerations for Creating Guidelines.

Background: Compared to traditional ultrasound machines, emerging handheld point-of-care-ultrasound (HPOCUS) systems exhibit superior portability and affordability. Thus, they have been increasingly embraced in the intensive care setting. However, there is scarce data on patient safety and current regulatory body guidelines are lacking.

UME-to-GME PandEMonium in COVID-19: Large-Scale Implementation of a Virtual ACGME Milestone-Based Curriculum for Senior Medical Students Matched Into Emergency Medicine.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic displaced newly matched emergency medicine "pre-interns" from in-person educational experiences at the end of medical school. This called for novel remote teaching modalities.

Objective: This study assesses effectiveness of a multisite Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) sub-competency-based curricular implementation on Slack during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

Are emergency physicians satisfied? An analysis of operational/organization factors.

Objective: Professional satisfaction is associated with career longevity, individual well-being, and patient care and safety. Lack of physician engagement promotes the opposite. This study sought to identify important facets contributing to decreased career satisfaction using a large national data set of practicing emergency physicians.

Thymic cancer: A not-so-indolent cause of pericardial effusion.

The incidence of pericardial effusion in the U.S. is roughly 3.

Can't Dissolve Me Now: A COVID-19 Provoked Venous Thromboembolism Breaks Through Apixaban: Case Report.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a multisystem process with a growing evidence of its endotheliopathy effects, with subsequent hypercoagulability states.

Case Report: WWe present an emergency department case of a COVID-19-provoked deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism without a history of venous thromboembolism (VTE), with extension of the VTE despite adherence to apixaban.

Conclusion: This case demonstrates the importance of further research and protocols for optimal dosage and treatment to prevent worsening VTE in COVID-19 patients.

Using a Logic Model to Enable and Evaluate Long-Term Outcomes of a Mass Casualty Training Program: A Single Center Case Study.

Purpose: Global health disasters are on the rise and can occur at any time with little advance warning, necessitating preparation. The authors created a comprehensive evidence-based Emergency Preparedness Training Program focused on long-term retention and sustained learner engagement.

Method: A prospective observational study was conducted of a simulation-based mass casualty event training program designed using an outcomes-based logic model.

Radiopacity of sodium zirconium cyclosilicate on CT imaging.

A patient who post-operatively develops hyperkalemia is treated with sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (Lokelma), a novel agent used for the treatment of non-life-threatening hyperkalemia with reduced side effects as compared with its predecessors. On CT imaging of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, a radiopaque fluid is noticed despite the patient not having received any oral or intravenous contrast nor any medications or supplements that may appear radiopaque. Based on previous CT imaging of zirconium-based tooth implants and their radiopaque appearance on images, it is hypothesized that the sodium zirconium cyclosilicate that the patient was administered is the explanation of the radiopacity on CT imaging.

Interphysician weight bias: A cross-sectional observational survey study to guide implicit bias training in the medical workplace.

Objectives: Implicit bias contributes to both health care disparities and professional limitations, and it exists among physicians. Prior literature has described physician weight bias (WB) toward patients, but little research has investigated interphysician WB. This study describes the prevalence of interphysician implicit WB and investigates the relationships between implicit, explicit, and professional biases.

Social Media Bridges the Training Gap Between Match Day and Internship With ACGME Milestone-based Clinical Case Curriculum.

Objectives: The objective was to bridge the relative educational gap for newly matched emergency medicine preinterns between Match Day and the start of internship by implementing an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Milestone (ACGME)-based virtual case curriculum over the social media platform Slack.

Methods: We designed a Milestone-based curriculum of 10 emergency department clinical cases and used Slack to implement it. An instructor was appointed for each participating institution to lead the discussion and encourage collaboration among preinterns.

Abdominal Pain in the Elderly Patient: Point-of-care Ultrasound Diagnosis of Small Bowel Obstruction.

Case Presentation: A 67-year-old female presented to the emergency department (ED) complaining of generalized abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) demonstrated dilated bowel loops measuring up to 4.1 centimeters and localized free fluid, consistent with a small bowel obstruction (SBO).

Residency Leadership Lessons From the Epicenter of the COVID-19 Surge.

Emergency medicine residency program directors (PDs) in areas hit hardest by the initial U.S. COVID-19 pandemic surge faced novel and rapidly evolving organizational, educational, and resident wellness challenges.

Rapid Rectal Polyposis Development in a Patient With Familial Adenomatous Polyposis.

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is a well-described genetic condition that results in the development of multiple benign and malignant lesions throughout the gastrointestinal tract. The development of colorectal cancer is nearly universal in classic FAP, and total proctocolectomy after polyp development is recommended. We present a patient with FAP who was unable to undergo proctectomy.

Pulmonary Kaposi Sarcoma: an uncommon presentation in HIV heterosexual female on antiretroviral therpay.

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is caused by Human Herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), and it affects 15 times more common in men than women. It has varied clinical presentation from classic, endemic, organ transplant-related, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related. Clinical features of pulmonary KS might be challenging to distinguish from pneumonia in immunocompromised patients and could lead to diagnostic challenges.

Treatment of Esophageal Stricture After Lye Ingestion.

Caustic ingestions represent a well-known public health concern. Ingestion of highly alkali agents (lye ingestion) from the consumption of cleaning products is common, with an estimated 200,000 cases reported annually in the United States. Long-term complications of lye ingestion include esophageal strictures, gastric stenosis, and cancer.

Maintenance of Skill Proficiency for Emergency Skills With and Without Adjuncts Despite the Use of Level C Personal Protective Equipment.

Objective To determine the impact of Level C personal protective equipment (PPE) on the time to perform intravenous (IV) cannulation and endotracheal intubation, both with and without the use of adjuncts. Methods This prospective, case-control study of emergency medicine resident physicians was designed to assess the time taken by each subject to perform endotracheal intubation using both direct laryngoscopy (DL) and video laryngoscopy (VL), as well as peripheral IV cannulation both with and without ultrasound guidance and with and without PPE. Results While median times were higher using VL as compared to DL, there was no significant difference between intubation with either DL or VL in subjects with and without Level C PPE.

Applying Educational Theory and Best Practices to Solve Common Challenges of Simulation-based Procedural Training in Emergency Medicine.

Objectives: Procedural competency is an essential prerequisite for the independent practice of emergency medicine. Multiple studies demonstrate that simulation-based procedural training (SBPT) is an effective method for acquiring and maintaining procedural competency and preferred over traditional paradigms ("see one, do one, teach one"). Although newer paradigms informing SBPT have emerged, educators often face circumstances that challenge and undermine their implementation.

Fitting a Square Peg in a Round Hole: A Simple Case of Chest Pain.

A 39-year-old female presents to the emergency department with chest pain and shortness of breath. Her electrocardiogram suggests ST-elevation myocardial infarction, but she has no atherosclerotic risk factors. She is gravida 4, para 4, and four weeks postpartum from uncomplicated vaginal delivery.

Simulation-based Remediation in Emergency Medicine Residency Training: A Consensus Study.

Introduction: Resident remediation is a pressing topic in emergency medicine (EM) training programs. Simulation has become a prominent educational tool in EM training and been recommended for identification of learning gaps and resident remediation. Despite the ubiquitous need for formalized remediation, there is a dearth of literature regarding best practices for simulation-based remediation (SBR).

Integration of Entrustable Professional Activities with the Milestones for Emergency Medicine Residents.

Introduction: Medical education is moving toward a competency-based framework with a focus on assessment using the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Milestones. Assessment of individual competencies through milestones can be challenging. While competencies describe characteristics of the person, the entrustable professional activities (EPAs) concept refers to work-related activities.

The Spiraling Case of a Yellow Chef: Isolated Hyperbilirubinemia.

Leptospirosis is a common bacterial disease in tropical regions of the world due to greater exposure to rodents and domestic animals; however, this condition can also occur in US urban areas, though it often goes unrecognized. Gastrointestinal symptoms are very commonly seen, and icteric leptospirosis is often confused for other conditions resulting in delayed diagnosis and worse outcomes. As mortality increases with more extensive hepatic involvement, gastroenterologists should be aware of the constellation of gastrointestinal symptoms related to leptospirosis, as it can occur in the absence of classic exposure history.