Emergency medicine clinics of North America
-
Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. · Feb 2020
ReviewRisk Management and Avoiding Legal Pitfalls in the Emergency Treatment of High-Risk Orthopedic Injuries.
Many orthopedic injuries can have hidden risks that result in increased liability for the emergency medicine practitioner. It is imperative that emergency medicine practitioners consider the diagnoses of compartment syndrome, high-pressure injury, spinal epidural abscess, and tendon lacerations in the right patient. Consideration of the diagnosis and prompt referrals can help to minimize the complications these patients often develop.
-
Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. · Feb 2020
ReviewEmergency Orthogeriatrics: Concepts and Therapeutic Considerations for the Geriatric Patient.
Appropriate recognition of the physiologic, psychological, and clinical differences among geriatric patients, with respect to orthopedic injury and disease, is paramount for all emergency medicine providers to ensure they are providing high-value care for this vulnerable population.
-
Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. · Feb 2020
ReviewThe Emergent Evaluation and Treatment of Shoulder, Clavicle, and Humerus Injuries.
Shoulder pain is a common presentation in the emergency department. The list of differential diagnoses is broad. This article summarizes common diagnoses of shoulder pain, including bony, infectious, and connective tissue pathologies and their proper treatment. It also reviews which shoulder pain conditions are emergency diagnoses and need immediate treatment and which diagnoses need conservative management and outpatient follow-up.
-
Pain management in acute orthopedic injury needs to be tailored to the presentation and patient. Subjective and objective assessment, in conjunction with pathophysiology, should be used to provide symptom control. Ideally, treatment should be administered in an escalating fashion, attempting to manage pain with the lowest dose of the safest medication available. There are also adjunctive therapies, including those that are nonpharmacologic, that can provide additional relief.
-
Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. · Feb 2020
ReviewThe Emergent Evaluation and Treatment of Hand and Wrist Injuries: An Update.
Injury patterns of the hand and wrist can be complex and challenging for the emergency physician to diagnose and treat. The ability of the hand to perform delicate maneuvers requires a very intricate interplay of bones, ligaments, and tendons. ⋯ These injuries can be debilitating if not treated correctly and can be both time-consuming and fraught with medicolegal risk. This article provides the necessary knowledge to diagnose and treat common hand and wrist injuries encountered in the emergency department.