A Father's Day Tribute
​BY MARTHA ROBERTS, ACNP, CEN​This Father's Day, Emergency Medicine News would like to recognize a true leader in emergency medicine. James R. Roberts, MD, a distinguished professor and emergency physician, is one of the founding fathers of the specialty. Since 1972, he directly assisted in building the profession, paving the way for thousands of individuals who now call the ED their home.Dr. Roberts was one of the first emergency physicians in the country, and he has taught tens of thousands of students over the years including physicians, fellows, resid...
Source: The Procedural Pause - June 8, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs

Part 4 in a Series: Ultrasound-Guided IV Line Placement
It's time to be fearless and embrace the true utility — and maybe implement a new policy in your ED — of ultrasound-guided intravenous (IV) line insertion. Many physicians, NPs, and PAs already know how to place US-guided IVs, but we can help teach those who don't. Provider teaching can be in the form of real-time IV placement or a short 60-minute procedural training course open to all those who are interested. You can even use our procedural videos to help get you started! (http://emn.online/Mar16PP.)We all know our difficult patient population includes prior IV drug abusers, obese patients, patients with chr...
Source: The Procedural Pause - June 2, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs

Ultrasound: Eye Think It’s the Retina
Part 3 in a SeriesThe Problem: Unilateral, painless vision changes and floatersOcular ultrasound is a short and sweet procedure that could change your practice and greatly benefit your patients. It can actually be used to diagnose retinal detachment, which in the past required a referral to an ophthalmologist and often led to delayed therapy. Noninvasive and simple ultrasound techniques can be used on any patient of any age presenting with visual changes. The differential for visual changes with or without complete vision loss or blurry vision encompasses a daunting list. This is for you especially if retinal deta...
Source: The Procedural Pause - May 2, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs

BONUS VIDEO! Clinical Pearls: Coding and Reimbursement for Bedside Ultrasound
​James R. Roberts, MD, & Martha Roberts, CEN, ACNP, bring you pearls for how to code your use of ultrasound. Watch this video to learn how to make sure you document everything you do and use to receive full reimbursement.​​Published: 4/14/2016 11:53:00 AM (Source: The Procedural Pause)
Source: The Procedural Pause - April 14, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs

Ultrasound: Foreign Body Removal
Part 2 in a SeriesAre you ready for summer? That means more bare feet, flip-flops, and the potential for foreign bodies of the foot and toe. We will continue to highlight tools and tricks to help you master soft tissue foreign body removal in the emergency department. A refresher on the basics of ultrasound is available in our blog post from last month: http://emn.online/1UGtduz.Foreign bodies of the toe or foot are common presentations in emergency departments, and one way to determine the size and shape of retained superficial foreign bodies is to use ultrasound and the linear probe. This simple technique may hel...
Source: The Procedural Pause - April 1, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs

We Had You at Ultrasound, Part I
We know we don't need to remind you of the sheer power of ultrasound and its usefulness in the emergency department. Not a day goes by that the ultrasound isn't wheeled to the patient's bedside for a FAST exam, a quick gallstone check, or to rule out retinal detachment. The uses for ultrasound are endless.The first part of this series looks at the basic functionality of the machine and how to look for foreign bodies in the extremities. Even if you choose not to adopt this practice, it may inspire you to learn more about the uses of ultrasound.This is by no means a full online course! We don't intend for this blog to minimi...
Source: The Procedural Pause - March 1, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs

BONUS VIDEO! Clinical Pearls: Mallet Finger Splint
Dr. James R. Roberts & Martha Roberts, CEN, ACNP, bring you tips, tricks, and pearls for how to diagnose and treat a mallet finger. Everything you need to know is in this video. Click here to watch the video.​Tags: mallet finger splint, procedural pause, emergency medicinePublished: 2/4/2016 10:14:00 AM (Source: The Procedural Pause)
Source: The Procedural Pause - February 4, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs

A Nefarious Character with an Agenda
Every new advanced nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or resident gets his fair share of complex emergency department procedures during training. Seasoned providers, however, are just as excited to place a central line in a septic patient, LP a "rule-out meningitis," or swiftly fix a nursemaid's elbow.This month we hope to remind you of a few sweet and satisfying procedures that take only moments to do. Your skill in completing these procedures is imperative. Not only will you amaze your patient, but you'll shorten your door to dispo-time.The StyeThe stye is a nefarious character with an agenda. It starts o...
Source: The Procedural Pause - February 1, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs