The definition of a transient ischemic attack (TIA) has evolved over the past decade from a clinical diagnosis to a tissue-based definition based on neuroimaging results. TIA shares the same…

Weakness is a common complaint in the emergency department, and a most challenging one, because before the emergency physician can proceed with an evaluation, the complaint of weakness must be…

Coma represents a true medical emergency. Drug intoxications are a leading cause of coma; however, other metabolic disturbances and traumatic brain injury are also common causes. The general emergency department…

The emergent evaluation and treatment of generalized convulsive status epilepticus presents challenges for emergency physicians. This disease is one of the few in which minutes can mean the difference between…

Acute back pain is a common presenting complaint in the emergency department that leads to a great deal of resource utilization. The differential diagnosis is long and most cases are…

Dizziness is a common chief complaint in emergency medicine. The differential diagnosis is broad and includes serious conditions, such as stroke, cardiac arrhythmia, hypovolemic states, and acute toxic and metabolic…

There are a number of dangerous secondary causes of headaches that are life, limb, brain, or vision threatening that emergency physicians must consider in patients presenting with acute headache. Careful…

Jonathan A. Edlow, MD, Editor Michael K. Abraham, MD, MS, Editor When Dr Amal Mattu asked us to consider organizing and editing this issue of Emergency Medicine Clinics of North…

Amal Mattu, MD, FAAEM, FACEP, Consulting Editor If you were to ask emergency physicians which organ system they feel least comfortable managing in times of emergency, the majority are likely…

EMERGENCY MEDICINE CLINICS OF NORTH AMERICA www.emed.theclinics.com Consulting Editor AMAL MATTU November 2016 • Volume 34 • Number 4