REBELEM Blog

Background: The recently published CODA trial (Link is HERE) comparing antibiotics vs laparoscopic appendectomy for acute uncomplicated appendicitis demonstrated  an antibiotic 1st strategy was non-inferior to laparoscopic appendectomy. However, there were nearly 3 in 10 patient who had undergone appendectomy …

Take Home Points Consider ruptured AAA in patients (especially those > 50 years of age) with unexplained hypotension, back or abdominal pain All ruptured AAAs should be considered unstable regardless of vital signs as rapid deterioration is common A ruptured …

Background: What if we lived in a world where we didn’t call “STEMI alerts”, but instead paged out “OMI alerts”? In the Reperfusion Era of the late 20th century, many large trials showed the benefits of emergent reperfusion therapy, with even …

What do Warren Buffet, Tim Cook, Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Jack Dorsey have in common? They are all highly successful people with a penchant for rising early. Two additional people I find incredibly motivating, Jocko Willink and Eric Thomas, …

Background: It has well been established that low tidal volume ventilation minimizes potentially iatrogenic harms of mechanical ventilation.  What is less clear is the use of higher positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) in patients without acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). …

Background: Anyone who has had a corneal abrasion knows how painful it can be.   Unfortunately, traditional analgesic agents (ibuprofen, acetaminophen, opiates etc) are ineffective in relieving pain. Topical anesthetic drops can be diagnostic of superficial eye pathology and are routinely …

Take Home Points Frostbite is a severe, localized cold-induced injury due to freezing and thawing of tissue. We usually see these injuries affecting the ears, nose, cheeks, chin, fingers, and toes. Patients will complain of cold, numb or stiff sensations …

res·o·lute /ˈrezəˌl(y)o͞ot/ adjective: resolute admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering. How do you find the time? How do you find the time to write that post? Or run the blog? Or prepare a lecture? How do you manage your professional and …

Background: One of the many massive challenges of the COVID19 pandemic has been the lack of targeted therapeutics. Extensive efforts have been invested into research with only glimmers of benefit for most drugs. The exception to this has been dexamethasone …

Background: Facilities around the world have seen surges of COVID-19 pneumonia  patients who have required protracted hospitalizations leading to overwhelmed hospital systems. Awake proning is a practice that was adopted early in the pandemic as a means to avoid, or …