Emergency Medicine

Ischemic Stroke Fundamentals

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the US and the leading cause of long-term disability. Ischemic stroke constitutes about 87% of all strokes. This activity gives fundamental information to aid in stroke diagnosis and treatment to healthcare…

Ischemic Stroke: Risk Issues for the Emergency Physician

Analyses of ischemic stroke medical malpractice cases indicate that failure to diagnose, failure to treat, and improper informed consent are common allegations in professional liability claims associated with strokes. This activity examines reasons for these allegations and suggests steps emergency…

Patient Priorities Care – Helping Your Patients Identify their Health Priorities

In 2014, clinicians, patients, caregivers, health system leaders, payers, and funders from across the country came together to identify the key problems facing older adults with multiple chronic conditions. Their charge was to propose feasible and effective strategies for improving…

Sepsis: Early Recognition and Treatment

Sepsis remains a time-critical emergency. As with stroke, trauma and heart attack, the identification and response to sepsis should be urgent and protocol-based. This course discusses how mortality has been reduced where multidisciplinary hospital teams have implemented screening tools, standardized…

Acute Chest Pain: Evaluating Patients and Stratifying Risks

Chest pain is the second most common presenting complaint in the ED accounting for 6 million visits in the US annually and about 2 million of them are discharged to home from the Emergency Department. Of those patients discharged to…

EFM Case Study Series #18: Hypertensive Crisis & Stroke

Hypertensive crisis and stroke are on the rise in the pregnant population. Over the past 20 years, the incidence of preeclampsia has increased by approximately 25% in the US and is the leading cause of maternal and infant illness and…

Statins: What to Recommend When Guidelines Conflict?

More than 21% of US adults take lipid-lowering statin medications; however, the CDC states that many more people should be doing so. But who is eligible? The guidelines of the USPSTF, the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and the…

EFM Case Study #17: Oxytocin Truths and Myths

Exogenous oxytocin (Pitocin) may be the most commonly used drug in obstetrics but it is not benign. Its use in clinical practice is riddled with myths, unsubstantiated by science, that perpetuate poor practice habits. Misuse, overuse, and sometimes abuse in…

EFM Case Study #16: Equipment Failure

Medical error is the third leading cause of death in the US and technology failure is to blame 44% of the time. Perinatal clinicians are frequently unaware of the equipment limitations they use routinely. Non-invasive blood pressure machines, pulse oximeters,…