J Emerg Med
-
The Lifelong Learning and Self-assessment (LLSA) component of the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program is a self-assessment exercise for physicians. Beginning in 2011, an optional continuing medical education (CME) activity was added. ⋯ The LLSA component of the ABEM MOC program is relevant to the clinical practice of Emergency Medicine. Through this program, physicians gain new knowledge about the practice of Emergency Medicine, some of which is reported to change physicians' clinical practices.
-
Case Reports
Severe Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Associated with Cerebral Venous Thrombosis in Early Pregnancy: A Case Report.
Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) rarely induces subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). During late pregnancy and puerperium, CVT is an uncommon but important cause of stroke. However, severe SAH resulting from CVT is extremely rare during early pregnancy. ⋯ A rare case of severe SAH due to CVT is reported, with emphasis on the potential pitfalls of CVT diagnosis in early pregnancy.
-
Boarding of admitted patients in the emergency department (ED) is a major cause of crowding. One alternative to boarding in the ED, a full-capacity protocol where boarded patients are redeployed to inpatient units, can reduce crowding and improve overall flow. ⋯ Patients overwhelmingly preferred the inpatient hallway rather than the ED hallway when admitted to the hospital.
-
Seat belts uncommonly result in various injuries to the abdominal area, such as mesenteric tears, bowel perforations, and abdominal aortic ruptures. We describe a case of a massive subcutaneous hematoma causing hemorrhagic shock from significant lacerations to the inguinal region, related to the use of a seat belt. ⋯ Seat belts can cause serious injury to the inguinal region, mainly due to shearing forces. In addition to gauze packing, TAE was used effectively to control the hemorrhage in this patient.
-
A National Board of Medical Examiners examination does not exist for Emergency Medicine (EM) students. To fill this void, the Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine tasked a committee with development of an examination for 4th-year (M4) EM students, based on a published syllabus, and consisting of questions written according to published question-writing guidelines. ⋯ A national group of EM educators developed an examination to assess a published clerkship syllabus. The examination contains questions written according to published item-writing guidelines, and exhibits content validity, appropriate difficulty levels, and adequate question discriminatory ability.