Em Pulse

We’re in the midst of a global pandemic and, of course, everyone’s attention is focused on COVID-19. Other podcasts have excellent coverage of this situation. In this episode, we’ll be discussing other important infections that continue to affect our communities: HIV, hepatitis C, and syphilis. Over the past year, the UC Davis ED implemented a massive screening effort to identify patients who have become infected. Dr. Larissa May explains how the screening works and some of the surprising trends we’ve seen. Infection rates were higher than expected and many patients had no idea they were infected! One patient tells us how screening positive for HIV, and being connected to care, changed his life.  This topic, as with so many issues we cover, brings up the broader question: what is the role of the emergency department in the healthcare system? We will explore this further in an upcoming episode and we would love to hear from YOU.  What do YOU see as the role of the emergency department in the broader health s

This month’s Heartbeat is about something most of never get enough of: SLEEP. Dr. Katren Tyler, emergency physician and Vice Chair of Wellness for the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine, shares some important information about sleep and shift work. Katren recently spoke on this topic at the UC Davis EM Winter Conference in Lake Tahoe. She explains how our sleep patterns change throughout our lives, and how shift work affects our health and our ability to do our job as physicians. She also offers some suggestions for how we can minimize the negative effects of shift work at both the personal and health system levels.  How do you manage sleep and shift work? We’d love to hear from you! Connect with us on social media, @empulsepodcast, or on our website, ucdavisem.com.  Please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes - it helps us reach more people!  Host: Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guest: Dr. Katren Tyler, Professor of Emergency Medicine a

If you’ve ever watched a patient, friend, or family member have a seizure, you know how scary and stressful it can be for everyone involved. It’s even more stressful when you can’t get the seizure to stop - this is called status epilepticus. Usually, benzodiazepines are our first line medication. If benzos don’t work, we all have our favorite second, and even third line agents to try to break seizures. But how well do they really work? Is one better than another? Or safer?  This episode starts with a personal story told by parents of a child who suffers from epilepsy. Then we welcome guest host, Dr. Jason Woods of the Little Big Med podcast, to help us answer these questions. Dr. Jim Chamberlain is the pediatric principal investigator for the ESETT trial, in which he and his colleagues studied three common second line anti epileptic medications. He shares some of the novel statistical methods they used and the results that were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Then we speak with o

Happy National Women Physicians Day and National Wear Red Day, promoting awareness of heart disease in women! In this month’s Heartbeat, we have the privilege of speaking with the brilliant and visionary Dr. Alyson McGregor. Dr. McGregor is an emergency physician who specializes in sex and gender emergency medicine. She spoke with us about heart disease - the number one killer of women in the US - and how our current algorithms, diagnostic tests, and treatments are flawed. We’ll hear more from Alyson in an upcoming episode, so stay tuned! We’d love to hear from you! Connect with us on social media, @empulsepodcast, or on our website, ucdavisem.com.  *** Register now for the 43rd annual UC Davis Emergency Medicine Winter Conference, February 24th-29th at the Ritz Carlton in Lake Tahoe! *** Please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes - it helps others discover us!  Host: Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guest: Dr. Alyson McGregor, Associate Prof

Happy 2020! Well, that’s a wrap on another year of EM Pulse. Our podcast continues to grow, as does our audience. We published another 25 new episodes this year and now have listeners in 114 countries around the world! We also did our first live podcast from the Western Regional SAEM Conference. There are more exciting things to come this year! In 2020, we are kicking off our Advisory Panel, a group of diverse physicians, and some non-physicians, to keep EM Pulse fresh and focused, and also add an element of peer review. We’ve also partnered with Cal ACEP to create an in-depth mini series on medication assisted treatment of opioid use disorder. More on that soon! So what were our favorite highlights from the 2019 season? Take a listen to find out! What were your most memorable moments? We want to know! What topics would you like to see us tackle this year? Connect with us on social media, @empulsepodcast, or at ucdavisem.com.  *** Register now for the 43rd annual UC Davis Emergency Medicine Winter Co

Welcome back and happy new year! If you are an EM or peds provider you likely know the name PECARN (Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network).  This powerhouse was the first federally funded pediatric emergency medicine research network in the US and generates quality studies like nobody’s business.  We have reviewed three landmark PECARN studies: Hot off the Press infant fever rule, DKA it’s not about the fluids, A Cool Tool. And in the next few months we will discuss seizure management and talk about PERN.  So we thought this was a good time to really understand the machine of PECARN that is affecting us shift to shift. What is the history, why is it important, and what does the future look like?  In this podcast Dr. Nate Kuppermann tells it all. What is the best way investigators can get evidence into your hands?  How do you keep up with the onslaught of data being generated?  Lectures/conferences? Tweets? Podcasts? Friends? Let’s continue the conversation on social media @empulsepodcast or

Global health can be an amazing adventure or an unsettling disappointment. We can make a big difference in the lives of people around the world or drain local resources and have a feel good vacation. In this episode we hear meaningful international impact stories and from global health experts on how we can make a meaningful impact as well. Have you worked internationally? Send us your story - it might even be featured in our global health mini series! Connect with us on social media at @empulsepodcast, via email at empulsepodcast@gmail.com, or on our website, ucdavisem.com. Please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes - it helps us reach more people! *** Register now for the 43rd annual UC Davis Emergency Medicine Winter Conference. February 24th-29th at the Ritz Carlton in Lake Tahoe! *** Hosts: Dr. Julia Magaña, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis  Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guests: Dr. Nathan Kuppermann,

Last month we explored leveraging tech for life long learning. In this heartbeat we discuss tech as a teaching tool with Dr. Emily Andrada, an amazing teacher who has mastered using technology for teaching. Hear about the ups and downs of using technology for education, Emily’s favorite tools, and a new resource available on www.ucdavisem.com - Unschooling Time. What is your favorite tech teaching tool? How do you leverage tech as a teacher? Let’s continue the conversation on social media @empulsepodcast or at ucdavisem.com. Please subscribe and rate us on iTunes – it helps us reach more people!  Host: Dr. Julia Magaña, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guest: Dr. Emily Andrada, Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Resources: Tech savvy educators twitter handles mentioned: @cultofpedagogy, @jmattmiller, @ericcurts, @alicekeeler Unschooling Time - Resource page ***Save the date for the 43rd annual UC Davis Emergency Medicine Winter

The amount of information we are expected to learn in medical school, residency, and beyond can be overwhelming - like drinking from a firehose! In this episode, we explore some ways in which physicians can leverage technology to help manage all of this information and facilitate life long learning. Several residents and attendings discuss what works for them, including using apps and online resources, and listening to podcasts. We then talk with Dr. Ryan Ribeira and Dr. Adam Dougherty of SimX about how they are using augmented and virtual reality to revolutionize medical simulation. Next, we talk with with Dr. Dina Wallin, creator of the Leader’s Library, on how she uses Slack to create a learning community of physicians across the globe. Finally, we discuss with education researcher, Dr. Jeff Riddell, about how and why physicians are turning to podcasts for learning and staying up to date, including some of the benefits and potential caveats.  Do you use technology for lifelong learning? Tell us how you

In this heartbeat we do something a little different. We discuss the story behind EM Pulse and three lessons we learned in our creative pursuit. These three lessons can be applied to other creative pursuits as well. We would love to hear how you express your passion and what you have learned as well! Let’s continue the conversation on social media @empulsepodcast or at ucdavisem.com. Please subscribe and rate us on iTunes – it helps us reach more people!  Hosts: Dr. Julia Magaña, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Resources:  Citing Audio and Video Publications on Your CV ALiEM Blog, Jan 18, 2018. (https://www.aliem.com/author/jessica-mason/) Save the date for the 43rd Annual UC Davis Emergency Medicine Winter Conference February 24-28 at the Ritz Carlton, Lake Tahoe (https://ces.ucdavis.edu/confreg/?confid=1094) Thank you to the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine for supportin

We are in the midst of a mental health crisis that impacts our patients, our hospitals, the health care system, and our daily work in the emergency department. It is easy to be caught up in own experience, or the problems of our own department. But when we look beyond our hospital, we see that this is a huge crisis at county, state, and national levels. To help us understand why we are in this situation, and how we can work to improve things, we spoke with UC Davis’ Director of Emergency Psychiatry, Dr. Lorin Scher, and Emergency Physician and ED Director of Behavioral Health, Dr. Aimee Moulin. Here of some of their suggestions: The ED is often the only place patients in a mental health crisis have to go. These patients are suffering from serious, life threatening illness, and it is our job to care for them. Embrace it. Focus on patient centered care, including placing patients in an area where stimulation is minimized, away from doors, with mental health techs nearby, and employ early de-escalation strate

High sensitivity troponins are taking over the nation are you ready? Dr. Bryn Mumma is ready and in this heartbeat she shares what we need to know to be ready!  Are you using high sensitivity troponins? How is it going? Let’s continue the conversation on social media @empulsepodcast or at ucdavisem.com. Please subscribe and rate us on iTunes – it helps us reach more people!  Host: Dr. Julia Magaña, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guest: Dr. Bryn Mumma (bemumma@ucdavis.edu [bemumma@ucdavis.edu], Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Resources:  Twerenbold, R, Boeddinghaus J. Clinical Use of High-Sensitivity Cardia Troponin in with Suspected Myocardial Infarction.  JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY. VOL. 70, NO. 8, 2017  (http://www.onlinejacc.org/content/accj/70/8/996.full.pdf) Email Dr. Bryn Mumma to get our protocol (bemumma@ucdavis.edu) Boeddinghaus J, Twerenbold R, et al. Clinical Use of a New High-Sensitivity Cardiac Tr

There is an epidemic of poverty in America, and we see it firsthand in the ED. Dr. Donna Beegle has dedicated her life to studying this epidemic, and training others to help break the cycle of poverty. She shares her own personal story of growing up in generational poverty, then helps us understand the scope of poverty in the U.S., and how it affects health. UC Davis Emergency Medicine NP, Danise Seaters, joins us to discuss some strategies for medical providers to help recognize patients who may be struggling with poverty, and how to optimize their care in the ED. This starts with recognizing our own biases and making a conscious effort to avoid letting our biases affect how we interact with patients. Communication is also key - connect and identify with your patients, avoid medical jargon, and offer resources.  What strategies do you use to identify and care for patients struggling with poverty? Connect with us on social media at @empulsepodcast, or on our website, ucdavisem.com.  Please subscribe and

Physician wellness is not JUST about going to a yoga class or two. In this episode we explore physician wellness from the perspective of the EM Chair of Stanford University.  On the personal level we should jump in and check on each other, help each other out! Make sure your leadership knows physician wellness is crucial to providing care 24/7/365. Let’s continue the conversation on social media @empulsepodcast or at ucdavisem.com. Please subscribe and rate us on iTunes – it helps us reach more people!  Host: Dr. Julia Magaña, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guest: Dr. Andra Blomkalns, Professor and Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Stanford University Resources: ACEP Wellness Resources  (https://www.acep.org/life-as-a-physician/wellness/) SAEM Wellness Resources (https://www.acep.org/life-as-a-physician/wellness/) UC Davis Physician Health and Well-being Program (https://health.ucdavis.edu/psychiatry/education/fellowships/phwb/index.html)

In Emergency Medicine, we are all too familiar with death and dying, but how equipped are we really to provide compassionate end of life care? Dr. Conor Mcwade shares his experience caring for a patient with end stage cancer, and the challenges of respecting the patient’s wishes, even when the family wanted to pursue aggressive measures. Then, palliative care trained physicians, Dr. Rupi Chima and Dr. Cherie Ginwalla, help define some terms and offer advice on how to best care for our dying patients - from pediatric to geriatric - and their families, as well as ourselves.  How do you think we can improve care for the dying? Share your thoughts on social media at @empulsepodcast, or on our website, ucdavisem.com.  Please subscribe and rate us on iTunes - it helps us reach more people!  ***Registration is now open for UC Davis Emergency Medicine Update: Hot topics 2019! November 5-9 at the Kahala Hotel and Resort in Honolulu, Hawaii*** Hosts: Dr. Julia Magaña, Assistant Professor of Pediatric

What is military emergency medicine all about? Many of us know physicians who are in the US Armed Forces, but few of us really know what that really entails. Dr. Rod Fontenette is an Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Physician at UC Davis and a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force. He joins us to talk about Military EM, including training, emergency and critical care on the front lines (and at 30,000 feet!), and some of the challenges and rewards of choosing this career path. We have so much respect for what Rod and his colleagues do! Would you (or have you) considered a career in military EM? Do the advantages and rewards outweigh the challenges and sacrifices? We’d love to hear what you think. Connect with us on social media at @empulsepodcast, or on our website, ucdavisem.com.  If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes - it helps others discover us!  Hosts: Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guests: Dr. Roderick

Hafa adai! Or "Hello" in Chamorro, the native language of Guam. I just got back from the US territory of Guam and loved working in such a beautiful place with it’s own set of unique challenges. We spoke with local emergency medicine physician Gabriel David to hear about practicing in an isolated island where many can’t or don’t seek medical care until really ill, and start chewing betel nut at 7-8 years old.   What atypical places have you  practiced in?  Share your experiences with us on social media, @empulsepodcast, or online at ucdavisem.com/em-pulse. Please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes! It help more people discover us. Host: Dr. Julia Magana, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guest: Dr. Gabriel David, Emergency Medicine Physician Guam Regional Medical City and Guam SDA Urgent Care Clinic Resources: Areca Nut (Betel nut) *** Thank you to the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine for supporting this podcast and to Orlando Magaña at OM Audio

If you work in Emergency Medicine, you know that social and environmental factors greatly impact our patients’ health. This may not be a novel concept, but it is a relatively new field of study. Social Emergency Medicine is a growing branch of EM focused on identifying and studying how social factors affect health. We are especially interested in this topic as many of our episodes explore social issues, such as housing instability, substance use, firearm violence, and human trafficking. In this Heartbeat, we hear from Social EM expert, Dr. Harrison Altar, on what Social EM is all about. You might recognize Dr. Alter from a short segment on our WR SAEM Day 2 Wrap-up episode - now we’re back with his expended interview! What social factors most impact your patients? How do these issues affect you as a physician or provider? Send us your comments and feedback on social media at @empulsepodcast, or on our website, ucdavisem.com.  Please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes - it helps others discover us

How do we teach our medical students and residents to be doctors? Surprisingly, there is no agreed upon, standard approach. Dr. Aaron Danielson, fellowship trained medical educator at UC Davis, takes us through some of the common strategies that medical schools employ. He explains that, although many aspects of medical education have evolved over the past several decades, some things haven’t changed in the over one hundred years since the “Flexner Report”. Dr. Mike Gisondi, Vice Chair of Education for the Department of Emergency Medicine at Stanford, takes us through his vision of how medicine is likely to change over the next several decades, and how medical education will need to adapt to train the doctors of the future. How do you see medical education changing over the next 30 years? What new methods and concepts should we embrace, and what should be done away with? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Send us your comments and feedback on social media at @empulsepodcast, or on our website, ucdavisem.com. 

What’s the craziest place you’ve ever worked? Few of us can top Dr. John Rose’s answer: the South Pole! John worked as the physician at Amundsen-Scott Station in Antarctica for four months during the austral summer of 2018-19. Taking care of a large crew of scientists and visitors in -70 degree weather at over 10,000 ft elevation is no easy feat! John tells us about his deployment, some of the common cases he saw, and the challenges of austere medicine.  Do you have a question for Dr. Rose? Or want to share your experience working in austere medicine? Send us your comments and feedback on social media at @empulsepodcast, or on our website, ucdavisem.com.  Please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes - it helps us reach more people!  Hosts: Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guests: Dr. John Rose, Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis,  Resources: Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station ******************************** Registration is now