Nurses are responsible to realize that subtle changes in temperature instability can be the first signs of a life-threatening infection.

The most important factors predisposing to DVT are immobility of the extremity and the presence of a hypercoagulable condition.

When a patient’s dialysis access is clotted, a dialysis center is required to contact a surgical service to arrange for declotting. That said, clotting is a very common occurrence and not an emergency. 

If bowel ischemia is not recognized and treated, the muscle layer of the bowel between the mucosa and serosa starts to die.  Soon, the serosa becomes ischemic and starts to die. 

Acute thrombosis of the SMA and/or its branches is a catastrophic event that can lead to ischemia and death of most of the small intestine and the right colon if not recognized and surgically treated. 

Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction secondary to an infection. The clinical spectrum of sepsis includes SIRS (systemic inflammatory response syndrome)…

A CTA shows vasculature in detail and is the test of choice when the vasculature is what needs to be evaluated. If the intent is to evaluate for vessel occlusion or blockage…

Acute abdomen is a clinical scenario marked by severe abdominal pain of acute onset, typically within 24 hours. The differential diagnosis is broad and includes the following…

An elevated lactic acid level can be caused by several entities including select medications, intense exercise, recent seizures, decreased clearance by the liver, and any clinical state marked by hypoperfusion or a low flow state.

Risk factors for DVT include any problem that alters the clotting system or alters blood flow in the deep veins.  These are broadly classified between acquired risk factors that enhance clotting and inherited thrombophilias.

Incarceration makes a patient’s post op management more complex.  Care of an inmate must take into consideration limitations on postoperative care.

Hammertoes are the most common lesser toe deformity.  They make up nearly 50% of all forefoot surgeries.

Intravenous tPA is the only FDA-approved (since 1996) medication for the management of acute ischemic stroke. tPA is a thrombolytic agent that breaks down the fibrin that binds clots together. When administered to a patient having an acute ischemic stroke, tPA has been demonstrated to reduce long-term disability.

The hippocampus is the most oxygen-sensitive part of the brain. It is well-known that severe anoxia results in profound neuronal cell death.  Generalized and/or focal brain atrophy most frequently occurs in the hippocampus, the most oxygen-sensitive region of the brain.

A medication error is a preventable event that can cause patient harm. ED medication errors are derived from prescribing, transcribing, preparation, and dispensing.

Speaking generally, when chemical exposures cause medical sequelae, the duration of the claimed exposure is a factor (along with the quantitative extent of exposure and route of absorption) that may be determinative of whether a causal link exists.

Automated dispensing cabinets [ADCs], such as Pyxis systems, are the most widely used medication safety technology.

When patients are admitted to an inpatient service from the ED and no inpatient beds are immediately available for the patient, the patient may spend hours in the ED waiting for the inpatient bed. This is termed ED boarding.

In the ED, appropriate monitoring of seriously ill patients is of utmost importance.

Ketamine is a general anesthetic medication that is used both in the operating room for patients requiring general anesthesia to undergo surgery as well in the ED for sedation for painful procedures.