Catchphrases in Emergency Medicine: Part 1, by Mike Heller, MD.

Let’s face it: we’re in a repetitive business. We face the same problems over and over again. Not surprisingly, some of these situations are difficult but the good news is that they are (almost) never unique. The sagacious and/or experienced ED doc will have learned a number of phrases that can help in such situations. I hereby share some of these with the bloggership with the proviso that you send in your favorites...by Mike Heller, MD

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Underappreciated ER Drugs (Part 1) by Michael Heller, M.D.

Some things just take time. Learning what techniques, phrases and drugs work best (and worst) in Emergency practice is one of those things that take time and by that I mean years. The 3 drugs listed below (actually only one this month, the others will come next month) will surprise many readers but I urge you to give them a try, despite the bad things you may have heard about them from Emergency Medical Abstracts and elsewhere...by Michael Heller, M.D.

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More Lies About Pain Management In The ED by Michael Heller, M.D.

I ordered 40 mg of Demerol IV the other day for a patient with abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. The 3rd year resident had never used this exotic drug and the nurse thought that maybe it couldn’t be given IV (I told her I’d be delighted to administer it). Another, older nurse, had given it many times in the early part of the century but had never given it without Phenergan (I am not making this up) and since IV Phenergan is now verboten (especially since some idiot accidentally gave it intrarterially and a jury of Einsteins thought that this should make the manufacturer liable: I am not making this up, either), the nurse thought that it would not be possible to use the drug any more!

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Lies you were told in Med School (and Residency) Part 1 (of many) by Michael Heller, M.D.

Let’s talk about “compliance”. Now, I’m not talking about following the mandates of some dumb-ass agency (that’s another day) but the idea that we should try to maximize patient compliance with their medication regimens. The dogma is that by giving them a regimen they can easily do, they will feel better sooner and maybe get better more often...By Michael Heller, M.D.

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