Medilex: The Experts on Medical Experts

View Original

Emergency Medicine Experts

Background & Scope

Emergency medicine is a medical specialty that deals with the immediate and urgent care of patients with acute illnesses or injuries. The goal of emergency medicine is to stabilize patients and provide the necessary treatment to prevent further deterioration of their condition. 

The scope of emergency medicine is broad, covering a wide range of medical conditions and injuries. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Trauma, such as injuries from car accidents, falls, and sports-related injuries

  • Cardiovascular emergencies, such as heart attacks, strokes, and arrhythmias

  • Respiratory emergencies, such as asthma, pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

  • Gastrointestinal/abdominal emergencies, such as appendicitis, stomach ulcers, and diverticulitis

  • Neurological emergencies, such as seizures, head injuries, and spinal cord injuries

  • Poisoning and overdose

  • Infectious diseases, such as sepsis and meningitis

  • Environmental emergencies, such as heat stroke and hypothermia

In addition to providing immediate medical care, emergency medicine physicians coordinate the care of patients with other medical specialists and responsible for the safe transfer patients to other practitioners and facilities for further treatment. They also have an important role in public health and disaster preparedness. 

Overall, emergency medicine is a challenging and rewarding field that plays a vital role in saving lives and improving the health of patients. It is a field that requires a high level of medical knowledge and expertise, as well as the ability to think quickly and make decisions under pressure. 

Qualifications, Training, and Certifications

Qualifications:

To qualify for a career in emergency medicine, a medical school graduate must complete a three-year residency in emergency medicine. During residency, trainees work in the emergency department under the supervision of experienced emergency medicine physicians learning to diagnose, stabilize, and manage a wide range of medical conditions and injuries, and gain experience in the use of advanced diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. The training covers topics including trauma, cardiology, pediatrics, toxicology, surgery, ophthalmology, and critical care.

After completing the residency, an individual can sit for the certification exam offered by the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) or the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine (AOBEM).

Conditions, Diseases, Treatments, and Procedures

Emergency medicine physicians are trained to diagnose and treat a wide range of medical conditions and injuries to stabilize patients and prevent further deterioration of their condition. They use a variety of diagnostic techniques, including physical examination, laboratory tests, imaging studies, and other diagnostic procedures to make a diagnosis.

Diagnoses include:

  • sinusitis

  • variceal hemorrhage

  • thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP)

  • aortic regurgitation

  • bacterial meningitis

  • bronchitis

  • cholecystitis

  • cholangitis

  • diverticulitis

  • heart failure

  • asthma

  • migraine

  • gout

  • HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets)

  • hyperkalemia

  • hyponatremia

  • intestinal ischemia

  • streptococcal infections

  • toxic shock syndrome

  • myocardial infarction

  • pancreatitis

  • gastroenteritis

  • adrenal insufficiency

  • (COPD)

  • hyponatremia

  • otitis media

  • hemophilia

  • gangrene

  • cognitive impairment

  • dementia

  • peripheral ischemia

  • rhinitis

  • thrombolysis

  • gastrointestinal infections

  • cardiogenic shock

  • hepatitis

  • cirrhosis

  • gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

  • pericarditis

  • pharyngitis

  • peptic ulcers

  • cardiac arrest

  • pericarditis

  • epilepsy

  • metabolic alkalosis

  • mitral valve prolapse

  • hypertensive encephalopathy

  • QRS-complex tachycardias

  • neuropathies

  • atrial fibrillation

  • pulmonary embolism

  • respiratory distress syndrome

  • myocardial infarction

  • cellulitis

  • skin abscess

  • osteonecrosis (avascular necrosis of bone)

  • pelvic inflammatory disease

  • perianal and perirectal abscess

  • peripheral nerve disease

  • acute tubular necrosis

  • pulmonary infections

  • necrolysis

  • Streptococcal pharyngitis

  • supraventricular arrhythmias

  • acute coronary syndrome

  • kidney stones

  • gall stones

  • unstable angina

  • retinal detachment

  • pneumothorax

  • diverticulosis

  • anal fissure

  • angioedema

  • meningitis

  • pneumonia

  • atrial fibrillation

  • ventricular tachycardia

  • mesenteric ischemia

  • non-ST elevation (non-STEMI) myocardial infarction

  • ST elevation (STEMI) myocardial infarction

  • upper gastrointestinal bleeding

  • urinary tract obstruction

  • rhabdomyolysis

  • Lyme disease

  • hemoptysis

  • pregnancy and its complications

  • sinus bradycardia

  • syncope

  • thoracic aortic aneurysm

  • thyroiditis

  • Transient ischemic attack (TIA)

  • thrombocytopenia

  • hydronephrosis

  • ventricular arrhythmias

  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

  • spinal epidural abscess

  • bacterial peritonitis

  • toxic shock syndrome

  • osteomyelitis

  • aortic stenosis

  • lactic acidosis

  • lower gastrointestinal bleeding

  • metabolic acidosis

  • diabetic ketoacidosis

  • small-bowel obstruction

  • mesenteric venous thrombosis

  • pneumothorax

  • Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal

  • endocarditis

  • atrioventricular blocks

  • vertigo

  • viral encephalitis

  • tachycardia

  • corneal abrasions

  • Cushing's syndrome

  • Crohn's disease

  • hypovolemia or hypovolemic shock

  • ulcerative colitis

  • sickle cell disease

  • hyperosmolar hyperglycemia

  • dysphagia

Treatments:

Once a diagnosis is made, emergency medicine physicians provide the necessary treatment to stabilize the patient, provide medication, perform some procedures and refer for others, and coordinate the timely care transfer to specialists.

Diseases and conditions:

The scope of emergency medicine is broad, covering a wide range of medical conditions and injuries. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Trauma, such as injuries from car accidents, falls, and sports-related injuries

  • Cardiovascular emergencies, such as heart attacks, strokes, and arrhythmias

  • Respiratory emergencies, such as asthma, pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

  • Gastrointestinal emergencies, such as appendicitis, stomach ulcers, and diverticulitis

  • Neurological emergencies, such as seizures, head injuries, and spinal cord injuries

  • Poisoning and overdose

  • Infectious diseases, such as sepsis and meningitis

  • Environmental emergencies, such as heat stroke and hypothermia 

Injuries:

Emergency medicine physicians also manage a wide range of injuries, from simple lacerations and fractures to complex traumatic injuries such as head injuries and multiple fractures. They are also trained to manage injuries related to burns, drowning, and electrical injuries.

Procedures:

Emergency medicine physicians may be trained in or to perform a wide range of procedures, including but not limited to:

  • Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)

  • Trauma Life Support (ATLS)

  • Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS)

  • Basic Life Support (BLS)

  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)

  • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)

  • Advanced Trauma Operative Management (ATOM)

  • Ultrasound-guided procedures

  • Intubation, cricothyrotomy, and tracheostomy

  • Lumbar puncture

  • Thoracentesis

  • Paracentesis

  • Arthrocentesis

  • Incision and drainage of abscesses

  • Removal of foreign bodies

  • Wound suturing and wound care

Related Medical Specialties

Emergency medicine is a medical specialty that deals with the immediate and urgent care of patients with acute illnesses or injuries. While emergency medicine physicians are trained to handle a wide range of medical conditions, there are several other medical specialties that are closely related to emergency medicine and that work closely with emergency medicine physicians to provide comprehensive care to patients.

One of the most closely related specialties to emergency medicine is critical care medicine. Critical care medicine focuses on the management of critically ill or injured patients. Beyond the immediate goals of emergency medicine, these patients often require close monitoring, invasive procedures, and life support to survive. Critical care medicine specialists are trained to manage patients in an intensive care unit (ICU), including those with respiratory failure, sepsis, organ failure, and traumatic injuries.

Anesthesiology is another closely related specialty to emergency medicine. Anesthesiologists are responsible for managing pain and providing sedation during surgical and other procedures. They also provide critical care services, such as managing patients on ventilators and other life support systems. In the emergency department, anesthesiologists are responsible for providing pain management, procedural sedation, and airway management.

Surgery is also closely related to emergency medicine, as emergency medicine physicians often manage patients with surgical emergencies, such as appendicitis, diverticulitis, and traumatic injuries. Surgeons are responsible for performing surgical procedures to treat these conditions and injuries.

Other closely related specialties include pediatrics, radiology, OB/GYN, burn medicine/surgery, and ophthalmology.

Medical-Legal Cases Involving Emergency Medicine

Due to the high-stress and high-stakes nature of emergency medicine, medical-legal cases involving emergency medicine are not uncommon. Some involve a claim of failing to consult, e.g., with surgery, ophthalmology, or OB/GYN.

Medical-legal cases involving emergency medicine can include allegations of diagnostic failures/misdiagnoses, treatment errors/failure to treat, and failure to obtain informed consent.

Examples include alleged failures to diagnose a heart attack in a patient who presents with chest pain, to refer abdominal pain for surgical consult, to diagnose testicular torsion, or to diagnose ectopic pregnancy.

Emergency medicine physicians may need to perform procedures or administer treatment without the patient's consent. However, there may be a claim that the physician failed to obtain required informed consent.

IF YOU NEED An Emergency Medicine MEDICAL EXPERT, CALL MEDILEX AT (212) 234-1999.