Intraosseous Line Insertion in Emergency Healthcare: A Guide

Intraosseous line insertion
Dr. Rick Rutherford, M.D., FAAFP
More Articles – Emergency Procedures, Featured
More Tags – Intraosseous line insertion in healthcare
Early and rapid administration of life-saving medications and fluids is critical in emergency situations, but gaining vascular access can be challenging. Moreover, central line placement brings the risk of pneumothorax and arterial injury and requires full and certified competence, which…
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Emergency Cricothyrotomy: Enabling Airway Access in Emergency Situations

emergency cricothyrotomy
Dr. Rick Rutherford, M.D., FAAFP
More Articles – Emergency Procedures, Featured, Hospital Procedures
More Tags – emergency cricothyrotomy in adults, emergency cricothyrotomy kit, what is an emergency cricothyrotomy
During life-threatening situations, the airway of a patient may be severely compromised. The condition requires critical and timely intervention by establishing a front-of-neck access (FONA) emergency airway, otherwise known as emergency cricothyrotomy or cricothyroidotomy. Cricothyroidotomy is performed as a final…
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Peudoexudative Pleural Effusions: Correctly Reclassifying Transudate Effusions

Pseudoexudative pleural effusion
Joseph Esherick, M.D., FAAFP, FHM
More Articles – Emergency Procedures, Featured, Hospital Procedures
More Tags – exudative effusion, exudative pleural effusion, pleural effusion, pleural effusion criteria, transudate pleural fluid, transudative pleural effusion, transudative vs exudative pleural effusion
Pleural effusions occur when excessive fluid such as blood or pus accumulates between the visceral pleura and parietal pleura of the pleural cavity. Evaluating patients for pleural effusions involves certain challenges. However, prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential to reduce…
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Emergency Airway: Definition, Risks, and Techniques

Dr. Rick Rutherford, M.D., FAAFP
More Articles – Emergency Procedures, Featured
More Tags – Emergency Airway Procedure, emergency FONA, emergency surgical airway, FONA
If a patient’s airway is compromised during a life-threatening situation, prompt and effective intervention is crucial. This includes front-of-neck access (FONA) emergency airway, or cricothyroidotomy. Also known as cricothyrotomy, it is a specialized procedure that creates emergency access to the…
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Clinical Uses of POCUS for Emergency and Hospital Clinicians

clinical uses of pocus
Dr. Rick Rutherford, M.D., FAAFP
More Articles – Emergency Procedures, Featured, Hospital Procedures, medical procedures, Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral IV
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a revolutionary diagnostic method that helps enhance physical examination at the point of care, that is, the patient’s bedside. Clinicians can use this tool to quickly diagnose medical conditions and guide treatment or bedside procedures, including…
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Retention of Simulation-Based Training for Emergency Procedures

Simulation-Based Training
Joseph Esherick, M.D., FAAFP, FHM
More Articles – Central line, Emergency Procedures, Endotracheal Intubation, Featured, King Tube, Lumbar Puncture, Paracentesis, Pericardiocentesis, Thoracentesis
More Tags – emergency Simulation, Simulation training, Simulation Training for Lumbar Puncture
Critical emergency skills are an important tool in a healthcare provider’s arsenal. They must be able to safely perform emergency procedures to save lives when faced with a critical situation.  However, once they finish their studies and training, many physicians…
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Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Emergency Department

Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Emergency Department
Dr. Rick Rutherford, M.D., FAAFP
More Articles – Emergency Procedures, FAST Exam, Featured, medical procedures, RUSH Exam
More Tags – POCUS, pocus in emergency, pocus training, Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Emergency Department
Ultrasound technology has revolutionized the medical industry and provided physicians with the ability to visualize internal tissue and organs in real time. Advancements and changing trends in medical technology have also seen smaller and more affordable ultrasound machines cropping up…
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eFAST Exam: An Evaluative Tool for Trauma

efast exam
Dr. Rick Rutherford, M.D., FAAFP
More Articles – Chest Tube, Emergency Procedures, FAST Exam, Featured, King Tube, Medical General, RUSH Exam
More Tags – Diagnostic Accuracy of eFAST, eFAST Exam, eFAST in Trauma
Injury causes over 150,000 deaths per year in the U.S. and over 5 million worldwide.  Around 80% of these traumatic injuries are blunt, with incidences of fatality secondary to hypovolemic shock and intraperitoneal bleeds. Fatalities can be prevented if professionals…
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How Hospitals Can Tap into the Power of Emergency Medicine PAs

emergency medicine PA
Dr. Rick Rutherford, M.D., FAAFP
More Articles – Arterial line, Central line, Emergency Procedures, Endotracheal Intubation, FAST Exam, Featured, Lumbar Puncture, Medical General, Paracentesis, Procedural Sedation, Thoracentesis
More Tags – emergency medicine PA
Delays to hospital inpatient admission in excess of five hours from arrival at an Emergency Department (ED) lead to a mortality rate of 8.71%. This increases by another 8% in cases where admission is delayed beyond six to eight hours. …
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Evaluation and Management of Infants With Fever

Infants With Fever
Dr. Rick Rutherford, M.D., FAAFP
More Articles – Emergency Procedures, Featured, Lumbar Puncture, Medical General
More Tags – AAP’s guide, lumbar punctures in childrens, lumbar punctures in kids
Fever can be a serious complication in infants aged three months or younger.  Immediate medical intervention is necessary to treat the possible infection, although clinical evaluation can be quite a conundrum. This is because there’s no way of knowing what…
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Intraosseous Lines: Decreased ROSC Rates and Survival Compared to Peripheral IV Access

Intraosseous Lines
Joseph Esherick, M.D., FAAFP, FHM
More Articles – Emergency Procedures, Featured, Intraosseous line, medical procedures
More Tags – intraosseous line placement, intraosseous line vs Peripheral IV Access, intraosseous lines
Intraosseous lines are commonly associated with decreased return of spontaneous circulation or ROSC rates compared to peripheral IV access. Intraosseous lines have also been linked to decreased survival after out-of-hospital and in-hospital cases of cardiac arrest in comparison to IV…
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Pigtail Catheters vs Large-Bore Chest Tubes for Traumatic Hemothorax

Pigtail Catheters
Joseph Esherick, M.D., FAAFP, FHM
More Articles – Chest Tube, Emergency Procedures, Featured, medical procedures
More Tags – Large-Bore Chest Tubes vs pigtail cathethers, pigtail catheters, pigtail catheters for Traumatic Hemothorax, pigtail catheters pros
Traditionally, traumatic hemothorax treatment called for the insertion of a 36-French (36F) to 40F large-bore chest tube (CT). In this article, we’ll delve into a study that shows how 14F percutaneous catheters (P-CATs or PCs) or pigtail catheters have equal…
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