REBELEM Blog

Bottom Line: Based on the limited available evidence, it’s unlikely orthostatic vital sign measurement can be used to determine which patients have volume loss and which do not. The baseline prevalence of orthostatic vital signs is common and patients will …

Background: The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been devastating. Given the novelty of the virus, only a few effective treatments have emerged to decrease mortality from SARS-CoV-2 infection. The morbidity and mortality of SARS-CoV-2 is thought to be due …

In this episode of the REBEL Cast Book Club, Swami, Marco, Steve, and Brandon discuss how the lessons learned from Col. Chris Hadfield’s “An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth” might apply to emergency medicine.

Take Home Points Classically, herpes zoster will present with rash and pain in a dermatomal distribution Immunocompromised patients are at greater risk for significant complications of zoster, including visceral dissemination and zoster ophthalmicus Appropriate therapy includes antiviral therapy within 72 …

Background: COVID-19 infection increases the risk of thrombosis due to multiple factors.(Rico-Mesa, 2020). Over the last 2 years, researchers have published 12 RCTs investigating various anticoagulation strategies among patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in multiple clinical settings. To date, only a multiplatform …

Background: COVID-19 became an international pandemic in March of 2020, claiming the lives of millions of people worldwide. To combat this deadly virus, an unprecedented global effort led to the development of many new vaccines against COVID-19 within a year. …

Take Home Points Think about flexor tenosynovitis in a patient with atraumatic finger pain.  They may have any combination of these signs: Tenderness along the course of the flexor tendon Symmetrical swelling of the finger – often called the sausage …

Background Information: Refractory out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is defined as prolonged cardiac arrest and cardiac arrest without return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). In addition to an already morbid condition, the chances of these patients surviving drops below 5% …

Background: The standard approach to treating pediatric community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a 10-day course of antibiotics. However, two high-quality randomized control trials challenged this standard within the last 12 months. The SAFER Trial [reviewed here] and CAP-IT Trial [reviewed here] found treatment for CAP in …

Background: In the past few years there has been a growing debate between  the use of balanced multielectrolyte solutions (BMES) and saline in the critically ill (See the “for more about this topic” section below). Recent research has yielded inconsistent …