Emergency Tips

A foreign body in the airway should be suspected in a child with sudden onset of respiratory symptoms and lack of response to appropriate treatment.

In febrile patients, a white blood cell or band count is rarely useful in differentiating between bacterial and viral illnesses.

Consider HIV/AIDS in patients at risk who present with an illness or infection, particularly those with opportunistic infections or extreme presentations of common diseases.

When in doubt, remember that a p value less than 0.05 is generally considered significant, the difference found by chance alone being 1 in 20.

When evaluating results of a research paper, the smaller the number needed to treat, the more effective the intervention or treatment

Preoxygenation is a critical component of rapid sequence intubation because it will prevent significant hypoxia despite several minutes of apnea during the intubation process.

Familiarity with the indications and limitations of rescue airway devices is essential

When uncertain of the diagnosis, communicate this truthfully to the patient and indicate it in the final ED diagnosis

Before discharging a patient from the ED , ask " Why did the patient come, and have I made the patient feel better?"

In the treatment of hyperkalemia , calcium chloride should only be used for a wide QRS ; it narrows the QRS but does not lower the serum potassium.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm [ A A A ] can mimic renal colic.

When hyponatremia is treated, Serum sodium should never be raised by more than 10-12 mEq/day to prevent the development of central pontine myolysis

When formulating the differential diagnosis, ask " What is the most serious possible cause of this patient's presenting signs and symptoms?"

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