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Dental Infections: To Treat or Not to Treat?
Remember as a kid when you would come downstairs only to find your parent devouring your hard-earned Halloween candy? Consider it a favor. Though delicious, those globs of sticky sugar are a common culprit of toothaches for kids & adults alike, as well as headaches for emergency room providers. Whether in the emergency department itself, or while being cornered by a neighbor as you head out your front door, we are commonly confronted by someone holding the side of their face in agony, slowly mumbling ‘can you help me doc?’, as they wince in pain in between each word. Though our medical curriculum may not have prepared us for these moments, medicine is all about lifelong learning, so it is up to us to fill the knowledge gaps about those 32 pearly whites that are often the cause of much trouble.
Treating Pregnancy Related Pain in the ED
Treating pain in pregnancy can be… well… a pain. With limited non-teratogenic options in the prepartum patient, Dr. Finney takes a dive into the evidence behind what you can use the next time you have a gravid patient who needs your help.
A Fix for a Stinging Heart - Pericarditis Treatment in the ED
Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardial sac. Classically, pericarditis presents with sharp and pleuritic chest pain which is relieved by sitting up and forward. Pericarditis has multiple etiologies, but is most commonly idiopathic, assumed to be viral, in developed countries (1). Treatment of pericarditis should be targeted to the underlying etiology if possible (1). For presumed viral, idiopathic causes, most patients are treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and colchicine (1).