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Small Kids and Squiggle Lines - An Introduction to Pediatric EKG Interpretation
It’s a typical shift in your community shop when you see a patient on the board that makes you nervous. 2 year old male with syncope. It’s been awhile since you have treated someone born in the 21st century and you know this child’s workup will likely involve an EKG. The closest pediatric hospital is 2 hours away. How comfortable do you feel interpreting the squiggle lines generated by this little heart?
Liver Function Tests Decoded
If the chief complaint of your patient is abdominal pain, altered mental status, overdose, generalized weakness chances are you at least considered ordering a hepatic panel. In fact, studies show that the hepatic panel is the third most common laboratory test ordered in the emergency department only behind the CBC and renal panel. If emergency medicine physicians are so quick to order this test, it is important to also know how to interpret all the little red arrows that often accompany your results. For this we will review each component and even (wait for it) … a little biochemistry!
What's in a Tap: CSF Analysis
Lumbar punctures are common procedures to the Emergency Medical provider. Obtaining the fluid is just part of the battle however with this procedure. With the flood of results often comes a fair bit of confusion as to how to interpret them. After reading this post, you'll be able to:
- Use cell counts, protein, and glucose to distinguish between various etiologies of meningitis and determine when to order further testing
- Understand markers of bleeding in CSF and methods of distinguishing SAH from traumatic tap