The History of Pain Medicine
History is a distillation of rumor. THOMAS CARLYLE (1795-1881) Management of pain, like management of disease, is as old as the human race. In the view of Christians, the fall…
Advances in Point-of-Care Thoracic Ultrasound
Key points • Pulmonary ultrasound allows for rapid diagnosis of pneumothorax, pulmonary edema, pneumonia, and intrathoracic free fluid. • Pulmonary ultrasound is more sensitive and specific than chest radiograph for…
Approach to Adult Patients with Acute Dyspnea
Undifferentiated patients in respiratory distress require immediate attention in the emergency department. Using a thorough history and clinical examination, clinicians can determine the most likely causes of dyspnea. Understanding the…
Airway Management of Respiratory Failure
Patients in respiratory distress often require airway management, including endotracheal intubation. It takes a methodical approach to transition from an unstable patient in distress with an unsecured airway, to a…
Emergency Department Treatment of the Mechanically Ventilated Patient
Mechanical ventilation has a long and storied history, but until recently the process required little from the emergency physician. In the modern emergency department, critically ill patients spend a longer…
Noninvasive Ventilation for the Emergency Physician
Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) improves oxygenation and ventilation, prevents endotracheal intubation, and decreases the mortality rate in select patients with acute respiratory failure. Although NIV is used commonly for acute exacerbations…
Respiratory Emergencies in Geriatric Patients
Acute dyspnea in older patients is a common presentation to the emergency department. Acute dyspnea in older adults is often the consequence of multiple overlapping disorders, such as pneumonia precipitating…
Management of Acute Exacerbation of Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the Emergency Department
Acute asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations are the most common respiratory diseases requiring emergent medical evaluation and treatment. Asthma and COPD are chronic, debilitating disease processes that…
Early Treatment of Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is defined by acute diffuse inflammatory lung injury invoked by a variety of systemic or pulmonary insults. Despite medical progress in management, mortality remains 27%…
The Opioid Epidemic in the United States
There is an epidemic of opioid abuse. This article discusses the history of opioid use. Abusers of opioids are at great risk of harm. There have been increasing legislative efforts…
