Tamingthesru
ESR, CRP, & Procalcitonin: Acute Inflammatory Markers in the ED
Working in the ED one day you seem to hit a run of patients in whom consultants have asked you to order an ESR, CRP. First, podiatry asked for them for a patient with 1st metatarsal osteomyelitis. Spine surgery wanted the same for a patient with diskitis. And, ortho wanted them for a possible septic. You think to yourself, “what am I or my consultant going to do with these test results?” “What are these inflammatory markers anyhow?” And, “what patient’s should I be ordering them in.”
Ode to the FOOSH
Hand and wrist radiographs are some of the most common and most challenging x-rays to read. Take 10 minutes to watch a video and freshen up on both the anatomy and technical factors associated with wrist radiographs.
Clinical Approach to Knee Radiographs
Early in the morning, you begin your day in your local emergency department. After getting yourself situated, a slow trickle of patients begin to appear on the board. It appears to be a normal morning, all except for the fact that five patients appear, one after the other, who have the same chief complaint: “Knee pain”. It is a good thing you brushed up on reading knee x-rays recently!