Kelsey Bates, APRN One of my most absolute favorite parts about being a health care provider is learning about emerging treatments for various medical issues. The emerging treatment this blog post discusses is ketamine infusion therapy for depression. In general, the medical world seems to focus more heavily on physical health versus mental health. If ... Read more The post Ketamine Infusion Therapy for Depression appeared first on Provider Practice Essentials ..read more

Lindee Abe, APRN Fingertip avulsions and lacerations are common injuries in urgent care centers and emergency departments everywhere. Avulsions can happen any time of the year, but are most commonly seen in the warmer months. Lacerations that don’t involve muscle or tendon damage are straightforward. They can be treated easily in these settings. Mixed in ... Read more The post How to Manage Fingertip Avulsions appeared first on Provider Practice Essentials ..read more

Katherine Rodgers, PA-C I remember growing up listening to songs of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, the songs my mother would sing as she cleaned the kitchen or my father would sing as he drove me to soccer practice. I never knew how relevant some of those songs would one day be for me. ... Read more The post What Becomes of the Brokenhearted? appeared first on Provider Practice Essentials ..read more

Robert Beatty, MD FACEP Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when a blood clot travels to the lungs, obstructing blood flow. This article aims to discuss the signs, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of PE, including the application of the d-dimer, Wells score for risk stratification, and also PERC rules. Signs and Symptoms The signs and symptoms of PE can vary widely depending on the size of the blood clot and also the area of the lung affected. Common symptoms include sudden onset shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, and also hemopty ..read more

Bunnany Pekar, CRNA, ARNP Have you ever thought of where the needle and syringe you just used to perform a knee aspiration and injection end up?  What happens to the aspirated fluid that you send to lab for analysis?  How about the countless plastic gloves, face mask, and all the other PPEs that you donned and doffed each day for the last 2 years of the pandemic? Most of us have not thought beyond what we diligently do every day:  safely discarding the needle in the sharps bin or properly discarding the dirty gown we donned during central line placement in the proper biohazard b ..read more

Pediatric rashes are a common complaint, and knowing the difference between them can save time, stress, and agony. Here are a series of resources to help you differentiate between the rashes most commonly seen. DISEASE SEASON PROGRESSION MORPHOLOGY DISTRIBUTION ASSOCIATED FINDINGS TREATMENT Measles/Rubeola paramyxovirus Winter to Spring Incubation: 1-2 weeks Communicability: 4 days before and after the rash Rash appears 3 days after symptoms Erythematous, confluent, maculopapular Begins at the hairline and spreads inferiorly Koplik Spots High Fever Cough, Coryza, and Conjunc ..read more

Urgent Care Centers provide an alternative for good care! Imagine it’s Friday afternoon and you have a sore throat. It’s been bothering you for a few days now. As the morning went by today it has steadily gotten worse. You took some ibuprofen and had some hot soup for lunch, but it only helped a little. Obviously, nobody wants to be sick for the weekend, so you call your Primary Care Provider to see if they can squeeze you in this afternoon before they close. Of course, they are completely booked this afternoon but can get you in Monday morning if you are interested. And then comes the phrase ..read more

Lindee Abe, APRN Fluid resuscitation has been a staple of emergency medicine treatment for decades. Research has shown that more fluids does not always equal better outcomes for most patients. As practice has shifted over the years to favor using less fluids, it has become even more important for clinicians to select the right fluid for the right patient. Most practitioners have their own “fluid of choice” based on their routine practice. How often do we individualize the type of fluid selection for our patients? Likewise, Are we giving the right fluid? We should be approaching fluid selection ..read more

Rob Beatty, MD FACEP Sepsis is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that is unfortunately all too common in hospitals. Healthcare providers must recognize the signs and symptoms of sepsis early and initiate prompt treatment to improve patient outcomes. But what is the best therapy for sepsis? Is it the CLOVERS treatment, or is it something else entirely? The CLOVERS trial Let’s start with the CLOVERS trial, which investigated the use of vitamin C, thiamine, and hydrocortisone in sepsis management. The trial did not find a significant improvement in outcomes compared to usual t ..read more

Lindee Abe, APRN Hypersensitivity reactions can happen to anything in the environment. Likewise, there are many potential triggers. Hypersensitivity reactions are also a common chief complaint. With this being such a common chief complaint, it is essential to be able to quickly develop a treatment plan for these patients based on the type of hypersensitivity reaction and also the evidence for the use of specific treatments. Before discussing treatment options for a hypersensitivity reaction, let’s review the four types of hypersensitivity reactions. We can break these down into 4 types (I – I ..read more