Tamingthesru
PERCs of the Wells Score
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is one of the big “can’t miss” diagnoses in the emergency department. Unfortunately, presenting symptoms are often vague, and definitive diagnostic testing is expensive and comes with risks of radiation and contrast to the patient. In order to avoid missing a PE while mitigating the risks associated with overtesting, some clinical decision tools have been created to aid in the diagnostic process. We will focus on two of these commonly used decision tools: the PERC rule and the WELLS score for PE.
Diagnostics: C-Spine Rules
Clearance of cervical spine is more within the house of Emergency Medicine than anywhere else, so it implores that when we clear a cervical spine using our rules, we take a second to consider the sensitivity, specificity and even more importantly the exclusions that were used in the derivation and validations in these studies. Dr. Gawron takes a look through these rules for our review
Diagnostics: TEG, you're it
Thromboelastography (TEG) may be less ordered than traditional coagulation studies, however gives much more specific and detailed information to your patient’s coagulopathy. Join Dr. Wolochatiuk as she explores the indications and interpretations of the TEG.