Welcome to the new Tamingthesru

Same great content - new look - improved search

To Scan or Not to Scan? PECARN for Pediatric Head Trauma.
Grand Rounds, Diagnostics Jeffery Hill, MD M.Ed Grand Rounds, Diagnostics Jeffery Hill, MD M.Ed

To Scan or Not to Scan? PECARN for Pediatric Head Trauma.

When a child comes in to the emergency department for head trauma, it can be difficult to balance unwanted, and possibly unnecessary radiation, with the risk of missing clinically significant head trauma. CT scans of the head allow providers to rapidly identify, and subsequently address dangerous and potentially life-threatening intracranial trauma and hemorrhages. However, as with everything in medicine, a CT scan is not without risks, particularly in the pediatric patient. With over 500,000 ED visits per year dedicated to pediatric head traumas, this is a challenge that emergency medicine providers face frequently (1).  A study published in 2001 suggests that approximately 170 deaths were attributable to one year of CT head examinations in pediatric patients (2), and utilization of CT imaging has only increased since. Therefore, as with any radiation based imaging, careful consideration should be given to whether the test is truly necessary. As mechanism of injury and post-trauma symptoms can range drastically, it can be difficult to accurately assess the appropriateness of imaging in a child. As such, the pediatric emergency care applied research network (PECARN) worked to develop a clinical decision tool to guide clinicians in the need for head CT following pediatric head trauma.

Read More
Grand Rounds Recap 12/12/18
Grand Rounds Jessica Baez Grand Rounds Jessica Baez

Grand Rounds Recap 12/12/18

This was an exciting week of Grand Rounds discussions on a variety of topics. We began with a discussion of prehospital sepsis care and an update on EMS protocols in Southwest Ohio. The combined EM-Neuro conference provided a lively discussion on Guillain-Barre syndrome. The quarterly operations update was followed by a detailed discussion on esophagitis management in the ED. Finally, the pediatric fellows led a series of case discussions on a variety of devastating pediatric illness.

Read More
Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections and Foley Alternatives
Bread & Butter EM Guest User Bread & Butter EM Guest User

Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections and Foley Alternatives

Catheter associated urinary tract infection (“CAUTI”) is one of the most common nosocomial infections in hospitalized patients. The use of external urinary catheters, the male external catheter, colloquially known as the “condom catheter,” and the wicking catheter, most often used in females, may help prevent the occurrence of CAUTI. In the Emergency Department, we are poised in a position where what we do (or don't do, such as insert a foley) has the potential to reduce iatrogenic harm throughout the hospital.

Read More