Emergency Medicine

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,…

EFM Case Study #15: Critical Event Notification

The obstetric malpractice claim of “a delay in treatment of fetal distress” remains the number one factor In over 20% of claims from multiple PIAA resources. The key to avoiding delaying treatment to a fetus in distress is to recognize…