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Looks like you are in residency? Do you guys have admitting privileges? I remember when I was in residency, the ER could admit anyone. Now...obviously that led to nonsense admissions, but we certainly didn't have to deal with that crap above.

At least you guys can order/demand a consult from medicine. They have to come per EMTALA. The question to them is "Does this patient need admission?" They have to put in a note and you can tell the patient "It's not me denying you admission, it's them" and if you guys get dragged to court you can say "I tried as hard as I could to admit that patient"
Yea we do, there’s just certain medicine residents who at night will work very hard not to admit. And there’s no in house attending at night to set them straight.

The way our program is set up it’s a hybrid with some time at a big academic county hospital where people will try to get away with all sorts of shenanigans, and then the rest of the time at a smaller community hospital where admitting to medicine gets you an IM attending who at worst may say “hey I’ll happily admit but just so you know there’s not much role for an inpatient work up here.”

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I keep reading about EMS shocking patients for "SVT" and I have to ask...why the urgency to shock? Were these patients hypotensive, or is your guys' EMS crews that trigger-happy?
We have a couple rigs that very much like to “stay and play.” They’ll do all sorts of weird stuff like shock people, run codes in the field for extended periods while trying to pace PEA or running dopamine drips in cardiac arrest. It’s really strange and always the same 1-2 rigs, with the same 1-2 really old captains who’ve been around since Miami rose from the sea but haven’t touched a textbook in decades.
 
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Not an entire shift, but this case was pretty wack. Urgent care affiliated with my shop's hospital system calls about a transfer to the ED for a stroke workup. 35 year old lady, obese and pre-diabetic, presented with about an hour of "right arm numbness." No other deficits. A very cursory glance at the EMR that the UC doc and I both had access to shows that this lady presented to the ED a week ago with the same complaint. Whatever though. That obviously doesn't rule out CVA on its own. I see her 20 minutes later. On further questioning, she reveals it's really paresthesias, and only affecting a dermatolomal distribution. Also revealed that the symptoms have been subacute in duration and intermittent. Only went to UC because she's frustrated that she hasn't had an answer yet. NIHSS: goose egg. I told her she didn't need a CT or really any ED workup. Very understanding and pretty pleasant. We obs'ed her for 2 hours and her symptoms improved. Discharge with PCP followup instructions and peripheral neuropathy diagnosis. Recommended outpatient MRI.

I try really hard to be understanding of referrals to the ED since I'm a very conservative physician and pretty anxious of bad outcomes. But damn if this didn't get me real annoyed. A 5-minute history and physical effectively rules out an acute central process in this lady. It just reeked of laziness and/or punting the ball to the ED.
 
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Not an entire shift, but this case was pretty wack. Urgent care affiliated with my shop's hospital system calls about a transfer to the ED for a stroke workup. 35 year old lady, obese and pre-diabetic, presented with about an hour of "right arm numbness." No other deficits. A very cursory glance at the EMR that the UC doc and I both had access to shows that this lady presented to the ED a week ago with the same complaint. Whatever though. That obviously doesn't rule out CVA on its own. I see her 20 minutes later. On further questioning, she reveals it's really paresthesias, and only affecting a dermatolomal distribution. Also revealed that the symptoms have been subacute in duration and intermittent. Only went to UC because she's frustrated that she hasn't had an answer yet. NIHSS: goose egg. I told her she didn't need a CT or really any ED workup. Very understanding and pretty pleasant. We obs'ed her for 2 hours and her symptoms improved. Discharge with PCP followup instructions and peripheral neuropathy diagnosis. Recommended outpatient MRI.

I try really hard to be understanding of referrals to the ED since I'm a very conservative physician and pretty anxious of bad outcomes. But damn if this didn't get me real annoyed. A 5-minute history and physical effectively rules out an acute central process in this lady. It just reeked of laziness and/or punting the ball to the ED.

I wish our urgent cares would be that reasonable… we get people sent over for an LP due to fever and headache…. With sore throat, rhinorrhea, cough, body aches, and literally every URI symptom. NO YOU DONT NEED A TAP FOR A COLD!!! “But their swabs were negative!” Yeah, for the three viruses you can test for, when there are literally thousands out there…
 
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If I'm giving more than like 1 units of PRBCs I'm admitting someone, either to ED OBS or inpatient. Move on with your life.

Even 2 units of PRBCs is like a minimum of 4-5 hours right there by the time they type and cross, send it over, the nurse has to hang it...it takes like 2 hours for each unit to go in on the pump. Most of the order sets want stupid stuff like post-transfusion hemoglobin checks, etc. Admit and move on. Our ED OBS team eats this stuff up.

Same thing with intractable pain, admitting some elderly obese grandma for PT/OT because meemaw can't (read: won't attempt to) walk after a fall with negative imaging, etc.

"Looks bad" septic workup without a source is a reasonable ED OBS as well if they are older, esp if persistently tachycardic. Follow cultures, give additional fluids and fever meds, control symptoms, consider additional imaging, likely DC in the morning.

I don't DC home older people or people with significant comorbidities (transplants, immunosuppressed) if they come in with any variation of fever + tachycardia, elevated lactate, leukocytosis (not trivial like 12.2), etc and I don't have an obvious explanation like a URI (assuming their vitals get fixed easily with APAP and some fluids). I like to OBS those people. I have seen more than a few have bacteremia, or end up getting a CT abdomen that shows some wonky thing with NO abdominal/GI symptoms, also had a septic hip caught on CT with no hip pain or swelling or external signs......just weird stuff.
I've had more than a few shifts in the past two years in which I could transfuse 4 units and discharge faster than I could admit.
 
I wish our urgent cares would be that reasonable… we get people sent over for an LP due to fever and headache…. With sore throat, rhinorrhea, cough, body aches, and literally every URI symptom. NO YOU DONT NEED A TAP FOR A COLD!!! “But their swabs were negative!” Yeah, for the three viruses you can test for, when there are literally thousands out there…
At least yours will do a swab. We got one from ours last shift with all the URI symptoms + diarrhea. All they did was a UA and said the didn't have a UTI. So they came to us and dun, dun, dunnnnnn: COVID. Now they're too far out for Paxlovid
 
Let’s get this party started again from everyone’s favorite county hospital dumpster fire of a Saturday shift
1) 67M L flank pain - left kidney stone. He’s a pharmacist. Nice guy

2) 44F very impressive panic attack. So impressive law enforcement PCd her. Labs normal, admitted for psych.

3) 49F sent from jail for HR of 140. Now with HR of 120, sinus. Labs stone cold normal. HR won’t budge with fluids. Can’t go for CTA because there’s no guard from corrections to escort the patient. Admitted to medicine, hopefully they’ll have a guard available by the AM for the CTA.

4) 37M fell off a roof —> a humerus fracture. DC with percs, a sling, a referal to our orthos.

5) 60M undocumented without insurance with lung cancer with Mets to spine and liver. Worsening pain. Gave him percs and offered admission for pain control. He declines, dc.

6) 60M with ESRD undocumented without insurance came to US to get dialysis because he couldn’t afford it in his home country. K 6.9, peaked Ts. Meds & Admit. Will repeat this cycle indefinitely

7) 61F chest pain leg swelling. Tons of risk factors. Labs and CTA normal. Admit for ACS rule out

8) 53M with ESRD got here from the Bahamas 1 month ago. Same deal as above. Labs normal, no dialysis today.

9) 50M with hematuria for 1 year. Had a surgery in Jamaica that showed some kind of cancer. Just “here on vacation but now can’t afford to get home”. labs normal, US with huge renal mass. Discharged with info for free county insurance.

10) 51F with cellulitis of LE. Discharged

11) 34M with cerebral palsy and hypoxia. Just discharged 2 days ago after MDR pneumonia. Admit for more antibiotics.

12) 77F with hypoxia, only hx is of DM2. Wheezy with CO2 on the gas >100. Progressively more somenolent. Desatting to the 40s on bipap. Intubated —> ICU.

13) 61F with afib RVR and BGL 600. Hx CHF. No DKA. Admitted to IMCU. Off All meds x1 month...



14) 60M from LTACH w/ hypoxia. New ICH in an old ischemic stroke, new PE with R heart strain, recurrence of prior SAH as well. ICU NP declines admission and refuses to evaluate patient because “what is their ICU need, what would we even do for this.” Writes a note naming me saying I didn’t correctly present the patient or communicate the clinical picture. Still won’t admit Boarded in ED for the rest of the shift.

15) 52F metastatic breast cancer with Mets to spine. No insurance, ran out of pain meds. Dilaudid x4, admitted for pain control.

16) 37M with new onset blindness x3 months. Sent to ER from ophthalmology for emergent LP to rule out pseudotumor/IIH. BMI 45, needle not long enough to reach spine. Admitted for LP with IR.

17) 20M homeless, meth abuse, pseudo seizures, type 1 DM, transplanted kidney done at facility in another state. Off all transplant meds and insulin x2 weeks. Just got to Miami on the greyhound. In DKA and acute renal failure. Admitted to IMCU.

18) 43M who got gold tooth plating done in Mexico but the gold was fake and it destroyed his teeth. Now his teeth hurt. He has dental insurance but can’t figure out how to navigate their phone tree to see a dentist. Motrin & Discharged.

19) 57M previously healthy now with shaking chills, tachy 140, lactic 5, fulminant renal failure, 40 degree fever, no obvious source of infection. Maybe rheum? Who knows. Dialysis cath, admit.

20) 60M with COPD now with new onset heart failure. Satting 65%. Bipap —> admit to IMCU. No beds available. Board in ED x12 h. Exposed genitals to pt 3, tried to pee on them because their phone was too loud. Restraints and PC’d.

21) 57M DM2, LLE swollen and hot. Nec fasc. Abx & Straight to OR with GS.

22) 42F w/ RUQ pain. US negative. Found to have new DM2. BGL 500. MFM and DC.

23) 54F who fell off a chair 1 month ago and her butt hurts. XRs show osteoarthritis. Naproxen DC.

24) 60F w RLQ pain. Appy scan —> ovarian cancer with Mets. Uninsured. Called our gyn oncs and got her a free clinic visit to at least start the workup while she gets insurance.

25) 50F w/ headache x2 weeks. Hx pancreatic cancer s/p whipple done in Nicaragua. CTB with no major Mets. Migraine cocktail and DC.

26) 89M with metal mechanical heart valve done in Panama. On warfarin, 5x syncope, bright red blood per rectum, HR 150, BP soft. No monitored hall beds available. Put my personal pulse ox on his hand and put him in a chair by the Doc desk. Transfused, GI called, refuses consult without charted vitals, but nurse is on break. I chart my own vitals and GI comes. Nowhere to do a rectal exam. Dispo is ICU but no beds available. He stays in his folding chair until a hall bed opens up.

27) 28F normal appearing female found wandering in a luxury apartment complex attempting to fight people. No psych history. Says she was sent here from England to save America. PCd and transfer to psych for w/u new onset psychosis.

28) 71M nursing home dude with recent perf, bowel necrosis, ex lap, and ostomy. Septic from pyelo today. Admitted.
 
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Let’s get this party started again from everyone’s favorite county hospital dumpster fire of a Saturday shift
1) 67M L flank pain - left kidney stone. He’s a pharmacist. Nice guy

2) 44F very impressive panic attack. So impressive law enforcement PCd her. Labs normal, admitted for psych.

3) 49F sent from jail for HR of 140. Now with HR of 120, sinus. Labs stone cold normal. HR won’t budge with fluids. Can’t go for CTA because there’s no guard from corrections to escort the patient. Admitted to medicine, hopefully they’ll have a guard available by the AM for the CTA.

4) 37M fell off a roof —> a humerus fracture. DC with percs, a sling, a referal to our orthos.

5) 60M undocumented without insurance with lung cancer with Mets to spine and liver. Worsening pain. Gave him percs and offered admission for pain control. He declines, dc.

6) 60M with ESRD undocumented without insurance came to US to get dialysis because he couldn’t afford it in his home country. K 6.9, peaked Ts. Meds & Admit. Will repeat this cycle indefinitely

7) 61F chest pain leg swelling. Tons of risk factors. Labs and CTA normal. Admit for ACS rule out

8) 53M with ESRD got here from the Bahamas 1 month ago. Same deal as above. Labs normal, no dialysis today.

9) 50M with hematuria for 1 year. Had a surgery in Jamaica that showed some kind of cancer. Just “here on vacation but now can’t afford to get home”. labs normal, US with huge renal mass. Discharged with info for free county insurance.

10) 51F with cellulitis of LE. Discharged

11) 34M with cerebral palsy and hypoxia. Just discharged 2 days ago after MDR pneumonia. Admit for more antibiotics.

12) 77F with hypoxia, only hx is of DM2. Wheezy with CO2 on the gas >100. Progressively more somenolent. Desatting to the 40s on bipap. Intubated —> ICU.

13) 61F with afib RVR and BGL 600. Hx CHF. No DKA. Admitted to IMCU. Off All meds x1 month...



14) 60M from LTACH w/ hypoxia. New ICH in an old ischemic stroke, new PE with R heart strain, recurrence of prior SAH as well. ICU NP declines admission and refuses to evaluate patient because “what is their ICU need, what would we even do for this.” Writes a note naming me saying I didn’t correctly present the patient or communicate the clinical picture. Still won’t admit Boarded in ED for the rest of the shift.

15) 52F metastatic breast cancer with Mets to spine. No insurance, ran out of pain meds. Dilaudid x4, admitted for pain control.

16) 37M with new onset blindness x3 months. Sent to ER from ophthalmology for emergent LP to rule out pseudotumor/IIH. BMI 45, needle not long enough to reach spine. Admitted for LP with IR.

17) 20M homeless, meth abuse, pseudo seizures, type 1 DM, transplanted kidney done at facility in another state. Off all transplant meds and insulin x2 weeks. Just got to Miami on the greyhound. In DKA and acute renal failure. Admitted to IMCU.

18) 43M who got gold tooth plating done in Mexico but the gold was fake and it destroyed his teeth. Now his teeth hurt. He has dental insurance but can’t figure out how to navigate their phone tree to see a dentist. Motrin & Discharged.

19) 57M previously healthy now with shaking chills, tachy 140, lactic 5, fulminant renal failure, 40 degree fever, no obvious source of infection. Maybe rheum? Who knows. Dialysis cath, admit.

20) 60M with COPD now with new onset heart failure. Satting 65%. Bipap —> admit to IMCU. No beds available. Board in ED x12 h. Exposed genitals to pt 3, tried to pee on them because their phone was too loud. Restraints and PC’d.

21) 57M DM2, LLE swollen and hot. Nec fasc. Abx & Straight to OR with GS.

22) 42F w/ RUQ pain. US negative. Found to have new DM2. BGL 500. MFM and DC.

23) 54F who fell off a chair 1 month ago and her butt hurts. XRs show osteoarthritis. Naproxen DC.

24) 60F w RLQ pain. Appy scan —> ovarian cancer with Mets. Uninsured. Called our gyn oncs and got her a free clinic visit to at least start the workup while she gets insurance.

25) 50F w/ headache x2 weeks. Hx pancreatic cancer s/p whipple done in Nicaragua. CTB with no major Mets. Migraine cocktail and DC.

26) 89M with metal mechanical heart valve done in Panama. On warfarin, 5x syncope, bright red blood per rectum, HR 150, BP soft. No monitored hall beds available. Put my personal pulse ox on his hand and put him in a chair by the Doc desk. Transfused, GI called, refuses consult without charted vitals, but nurse is on break. I chart my own vitals and GI comes. Nowhere to do a rectal exam. Dispo is ICU but no beds available. He stays in his folding chair until a hall bed opens up.

27) 28F normal appearing female found wandering in a luxury apartment complex attempting to fight people. No psych history. Says she was sent here from England to save America. PCd and transfer to psych for w/u new onset psychosis.

28) 71M nursing home dude with recent perf, bowel necrosis, ex lap, and ostomy. Septic from pyelo today. Admitted.
I can feel my blood pressure going up after reading #14.
 
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Let’s get this party started again from everyone’s favorite county hospital dumpster fire of a Saturday shift
1) 67M L flank pain - left kidney stone. He’s a pharmacist. Nice guy

2) 44F very impressive panic attack. So impressive law enforcement PCd her. Labs normal, admitted for psych.

3) 49F sent from jail for HR of 140. Now with HR of 120, sinus. Labs stone cold normal. HR won’t budge with fluids. Can’t go for CTA because there’s no guard from corrections to escort the patient. Admitted to medicine, hopefully they’ll have a guard available by the AM for the CTA.

4) 37M fell off a roof —> a humerus fracture. DC with percs, a sling, a referal to our orthos.

5) 60M undocumented without insurance with lung cancer with Mets to spine and liver. Worsening pain. Gave him percs and offered admission for pain control. He declines, dc.

6) 60M with ESRD undocumented without insurance came to US to get dialysis because he couldn’t afford it in his home country. K 6.9, peaked Ts. Meds & Admit. Will repeat this cycle indefinitely

7) 61F chest pain leg swelling. Tons of risk factors. Labs and CTA normal. Admit for ACS rule out

8) 53M with ESRD got here from the Bahamas 1 month ago. Same deal as above. Labs normal, no dialysis today.

9) 50M with hematuria for 1 year. Had a surgery in Jamaica that showed some kind of cancer. Just “here on vacation but now can’t afford to get home”. labs normal, US with huge renal mass. Discharged with info for free county insurance.

10) 51F with cellulitis of LE. Discharged

11) 34M with cerebral palsy and hypoxia. Just discharged 2 days ago after MDR pneumonia. Admit for more antibiotics.

12) 77F with hypoxia, only hx is of DM2. Wheezy with CO2 on the gas >100. Progressively more somenolent. Desatting to the 40s on bipap. Intubated —> ICU.

13) 61F with afib RVR and BGL 600. Hx CHF. No DKA. Admitted to IMCU. Off All meds x1 month...



14) 60M from LTACH w/ hypoxia. New ICH in an old ischemic stroke, new PE with R heart strain, recurrence of prior SAH as well. ICU NP declines admission and refuses to evaluate patient because “what is their ICU need, what would we even do for this.” Writes a note naming me saying I didn’t correctly present the patient or communicate the clinical picture. Still won’t admit Boarded in ED for the rest of the shift.

15) 52F metastatic breast cancer with Mets to spine. No insurance, ran out of pain meds. Dilaudid x4, admitted for pain control.

16) 37M with new onset blindness x3 months. Sent to ER from ophthalmology for emergent LP to rule out pseudotumor/IIH. BMI 45, needle not long enough to reach spine. Admitted for LP with IR.

17) 20M homeless, meth abuse, pseudo seizures, type 1 DM, transplanted kidney done at facility in another state. Off all transplant meds and insulin x2 weeks. Just got to Miami on the greyhound. In DKA and acute renal failure. Admitted to IMCU.

18) 43M who got gold tooth plating done in Mexico but the gold was fake and it destroyed his teeth. Now his teeth hurt. He has dental insurance but can’t figure out how to navigate their phone tree to see a dentist. Motrin & Discharged.

19) 57M previously healthy now with shaking chills, tachy 140, lactic 5, fulminant renal failure, 40 degree fever, no obvious source of infection. Maybe rheum? Who knows. Dialysis cath, admit.

20) 60M with COPD now with new onset heart failure. Satting 65%. Bipap —> admit to IMCU. No beds available. Board in ED x12 h. Exposed genitals to pt 3, tried to pee on them because their phone was too loud. Restraints and PC’d.

21) 57M DM2, LLE swollen and hot. Nec fasc. Abx & Straight to OR with GS.

22) 42F w/ RUQ pain. US negative. Found to have new DM2. BGL 500. MFM and DC.

23) 54F who fell off a chair 1 month ago and her butt hurts. XRs show osteoarthritis. Naproxen DC.

24) 60F w RLQ pain. Appy scan —> ovarian cancer with Mets. Uninsured. Called our gyn oncs and got her a free clinic visit to at least start the workup while she gets insurance.

25) 50F w/ headache x2 weeks. Hx pancreatic cancer s/p whipple done in Nicaragua. CTB with no major Mets. Migraine cocktail and DC.

26) 89M with metal mechanical heart valve done in Panama. On warfarin, 5x syncope, bright red blood per rectum, HR 150, BP soft. No monitored hall beds available. Put my personal pulse ox on his hand and put him in a chair by the Doc desk. Transfused, GI called, refuses consult without charted vitals, but nurse is on break. I chart my own vitals and GI comes. Nowhere to do a rectal exam. Dispo is ICU but no beds available. He stays in his folding chair until a hall bed opens up.

27) 28F normal appearing female found wandering in a luxury apartment complex attempting to fight people. No psych history. Says she was sent here from England to save America. PCd and transfer to psych for w/u new onset psychosis.

28) 71M nursing home dude with recent perf, bowel necrosis, ex lap, and ostomy. Septic from pyelo today. Admitted.

First, you are a stud. Seeing all of that in a standard 8-12 hr shift is impressive. You had several sick patients. And you can’t even dispo them properly because your hospital is overwhelmed.

You legit had 15 sick patients and an additional 5 of them was totally reasonable to be evaled in the ER.

Our health care system is so f’ing terrible. We are known to give free health care to everyone who shows up!!! Just somehow get into our country and make a beeline to the closest hospital. You’re all set.

Some of those guys you took care of sure play a risky game of personal health brinkmanship. Sometimes you wonder if they waited one more day they would just be dead. 6 hours even.

Man you did a lot of good work that shift. I really wonder if there were any patients who will positively benefit from that. Or will it just give them another month before ending up in the hospital again.
 
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14) lol.

16) why even do the LP? 3 months?

16) I would throw that GI under the bus in the note

Your population is hella sick.
 
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First, you are a stud. Seeing all of that in a standard 8-12 hr shift is impressive. You had several sick patients. And you can’t even dispo them properly because your hospital is overwhelmed.

You legit had 15 sick patients and an additional 5 of them was totally reasonable to be evaled in the ER.

Our health care system is so f’ing terrible. We are known to give free health care to everyone who shows up!!! Just somehow get into our country and make a beeline to the closest hospital. You’re all set.

Some of those guys you took care of sure play a risky game of personal health brinkmanship. Sometimes you wonder if they waited one more day they would just be dead. 6 hours even.

Man you did a lot of good work that shift. I really wonder if there were any patients who will positively benefit from that. Or will it just give them another month before ending up in the hospital again.
It is not unusual to provide emergency care to patients who need it in civilized world
 
First, you are a stud. Seeing all of that in a standard 8-12 hr shift is impressive. You had several sick patients. And you can’t even dispo them properly because your hospital is overwhelmed.

You legit had 15 sick patients and an additional 5 of them was totally reasonable to be evaled in the ER.

Our health care system is so f’ing terrible. We are known to give free health care to everyone who shows up!!! Just somehow get into our country and make a beeline to the closest hospital. You’re all set.

Some of those guys you took care of sure play a risky game of personal health brinkmanship. Sometimes you wonder if they waited one more day they would just be dead. 6 hours even.

Man you did a lot of good work that shift. I really wonder if there were any patients who will positively benefit from that. Or will it just give them another month before ending up in the hospital again.
I feel like there are some shifts that are “good scary” and some that are “bad scary”. That shift was bad scary.
 
Haven't contributed since I became an attending. Here's a snapshot of my last 12 hr night shift. Our PCP's admit their own, we have no hospitalists except for the NP at night that does all the orders and H&P's

69 M, Pyelonephritis in solitary kidney, admit urology
73 M, Hearing aid part stuck in ear, removed in triage and D/C'd
66 F, Chest Pain s/p stent, admit to her cardiologist
43 F, Chest Pain/Anxiety after ETOH, D/C
23 M, Bronchitis X2 months with multiple unsuccessful outpatient treatments, sent by PCP, Observation
54 M, N/V/D, weakness; Admit for Hypokalemia and Hypomagnesemia
4 M, Fever; fluids, correctly dosed tylenol/motrin and D/C
49 M, N/V/D Abd Pain, Neg w/u and D/C
52 F, Chest Pain, Neg workup and D/C
38 M, "Not Feeling right" after smoking weed laced with meth trying to fix insomnia, Metabolize to freedom after sleeping it off and breakfast
63 F, COPD Exacerbation (again), observation
3 M, Came in with PD after parents arrested for arson and drugs, found in car alone at local gas station covered in soot, D/C with CPS approved family
28 M, "trouble breathing & chest pain" X 2 months, pectoral muscle spasm, D/C
83 F, yet another octogenarian belly pain w/N/V/D, admit due to concerns for recurrent C. Diff colitis
86 M, Orthopnea, due to multifocal PVC's, admit
68 M, Trach, PEG, feed, water, turn 2/2 brain bleed, cardiac arrest, etc. From home with aspiration PNA from tube feed, Admit
63 M, 3rd visit in 24 hours, at least the 10th in the last 60 days, with foley cath problems, observation with consult to urology (tired of him coming in twice a day because they can't seem to troubleshoot the foley at home after being educated multiple times)
5 M, Viral URI, correct dose tylenol/motrin and D/C
50 M, SI after getting in fight with spouse, medically cleared and still waiting placement
21 M, "Cat Scratch" after messing with a stray, Here's your azithromycin and D/C from triage
61 M, Right sided weakness and deficits for 2 weeks, NIH 5, has been driving and hobbling to physical therapy for a hip injury, they told him 3 days before coming in "You look like you've had a stroke, go to the ER" Negative Head CT and MRI, but total occlusion of bilateral ICA's, admit

And the one that had me leaving 90 minutes late...

58 M, Hx of prolonged ICU stay for original COVID with trach/PEG, ESRD on dialysis. EMS brought him in for altered LOC, hypoxic, hypotensive, Intubated, can't keep the sats up, hard to sedate, Admit ICU
 
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Sometimes we get really lucky. My overnight shift last night, and I'm paid hourly at this job:

1. 14 yo M with fever and other random symptoms. + COVID. discharge
2. 21 yo F with abd pain, brought in by father for possible appy. Not tender, not scanned. Labs ok, d/c
3. 75 yo M with fever and dysuria, WBC 17, +UA. Not septic, d/c with abx
4. 38 yo F with face pain and wanted 2nd opinion on why her dentist, who saw her earlier in the day, didn't want her to have antibiotics. I said follow your dentist's advice. d/c.
5. 72 yo F with 2 weeks CP, today worse. Labs, EKG, CT PE, trop x2 all neg. has good f/u, d/c
6. 62 yo M from jail p/w covered in poop, literally. hypotensive, tachycardic, UGIB. Hg 4.5. 4U pRBC, protonix, CaGlu, admit to ICU.

THAT'S IT
 
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Sometimes we get really lucky. My overnight shift last night, and I'm paid hourly at this job:

1. 14 yo M with fever and other random symptoms. + COVID. discharge
2. 21 yo F with abd pain, brought in by father for possible appy. Not tender, not scanned. Labs ok, d/c
3. 75 yo M with fever and dysuria, WBC 17, +UA. Not septic, d/c with abx
4. 38 yo F with face pain and wanted 2nd opinion on why her dentist, who saw her earlier in the day, didn't want her to have antibiotics. I said follow your dentist's advice. d/c.
5. 72 yo F with 2 weeks CP, today worse. Labs, EKG, CT PE, trop x2 all neg. has good f/u, d/c
6. 62 yo M from jail p/w covered in poop, literally. hypotensive, tachycardic, UGIB. Hg 4.5. 4U pRBC, protonix, CaGlu, admit to ICU.

THAT'S IT
Yeah, I worked overnight last night and primaried 27 in 9 hrs. Not relaxing or fun. Also not paid hourly (thank God) but still. F that noise.
 
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Sometimes we get really lucky. My overnight shift last night, and I'm paid hourly at this job:

1. 14 yo M with fever and other random symptoms. + COVID. discharge
2. 21 yo F with abd pain, brought in by father for possible appy. Not tender, not scanned. Labs ok, d/c
3. 75 yo M with fever and dysuria, WBC 17, +UA. Not septic, d/c with abx
4. 38 yo F with face pain and wanted 2nd opinion on why her dentist, who saw her earlier in the day, didn't want her to have antibiotics. I said follow your dentist's advice. d/c.
5. 72 yo F with 2 weeks CP, today worse. Labs, EKG, CT PE, trop x2 all neg. has good f/u, d/c
6. 62 yo M from jail p/w covered in poop, literally. hypotensive, tachycardic, UGIB. Hg 4.5. 4U pRBC, protonix, CaGlu, admit to ICU.

THAT'S IT
Why the CaGlu? I’d never heard of this? (Sorry if a dumb Q)
 
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No calcium in blood transfusion replacement. Calcium also works as a great pressor in shock.

Backwards. Calcium chloride has 3x as much elemental calcium as calcium gluconate. Some poor evidence shows equivalent rise in Calcium.
Oh, ok! It's been a LONG time. There was some advantage to gluconate. I can't recall what it was, though.
 
Everyone is too far out for Paxlovid when I see them.
Yep, unless you are unvaccinated and high risk, you are always too far out, even if you got sick five minutes ago. So much hype and pressure for a treatment with zero high quality evidence to support its use.
 
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Oh, ok! It's been a LONG time. There was some advantage to gluconate. I can't recall what it was, though.
Gluc has less sclerotic effects on veins and has much lower risk of tissue necrosis with extrav, which is why it's used almost exclusively outside of code situations despite the lower calcium content.
 
No calcium in blood transfusion replacement. Calcium also works as a great pressor in shock.

Backwards. Calcium chloride has 3x as much elemental calcium as calcium gluconate. Some poor quality evidence shows equivalent rise in Calcium though.
My understanding wasn't so much that there is no calcium in transfused blood, but rather that the PRBCs contain citrate which chelates calcium. Not enough to require replacement in most cases, but in massive transfusion the effect becomes notable and so you should be giving some calcium for every 4 or so units of blood you give.
 
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My understanding wasn't so much that there is no calcium in transfused blood, but rather that the PRBCs contain citrate which chelates calcium. Not enough to require replacement in most cases, but in massive transfusion the effect becomes notable and so you should be giving some calcium for every 4 or so units of blood you give.
Correct. Thanks for clarifying my rudimentary explanation.
 
My understanding wasn't so much that there is no calcium in transfused blood, but rather that the PRBCs contain citrate which chelates calcium. Not enough to require replacement in most cases, but in massive transfusion the effect becomes notable and so you should be giving some calcium for every 4 or so units of blood you give.

Also giving blood tends to increase the K, especially if it's an older unit and calcium helps with that.

Ca chloride should be given in a central line although I have given it peripherally without any issues.
 
Do you guys start people on insulin in the ER? I was told to start new onset type 2 diabetics on insulin if their A1C is above 10 with Lantus, and to skip metformin if the A1C is initially that high.
If they have close PCP follow up, I would prefer y'all do nothing and let me handle it.
 
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Also giving blood tends to increase the K, especially if it's an older unit and calcium helps with that.

Ca chloride should be given in a central line although I have given it peripherally without any issues.
I give calcium chloride through good peripheral access on occasion in which I think it's truly appropriate.
 
Do you guys start people on insulin in the ER? I was told to start new onset type 2 diabetics on insulin if their A1C is above 10 with Lantus, and to skip metformin if the A1C is initially that high.
Oh, I see your problem here. Don't check an A1c from the ED.
 
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Why the CaGlu? I’d never heard of this? (Sorry if a dumb Q)

This pt also happened to get 3L crystalloid (combo NS and LR, 1L by EMS, 2 by me) while waiting for labs. So he already received 3L when I got the Hg of 4.5. So now I figured he was super dilute. I gave him 1U ONeg while they were crossing 3 more, and due to having persistent hypotension I gave CaGlu just assuming that his electrolytes were all F-ed up and pts who get a lot of blood should get IV calcium due to the reasons stated above by others. I wanted to do anything to augment the BP. I also started him on levophed, which is probably not evidenced based...but he's alive now and doesn't have AKI. Endoscopy showed a huge duodenal bulb ulcer with a clot on it.

Had I had to do it all over again..I would have just activated massive transfusion...or perhaps given him 2U Oneg immediately. I dunno.

His first repeat Hg was 10 after 4U...so something good happened during the resus.
 
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Do you guys start people on insulin in the ER? I was told to start new onset type 2 diabetics on insulin if their A1C is above 10 with Lantus, and to skip metformin if the A1C is initially that high.
There is roughly zero % chance that I am starting a pt on insulin and discharging them from the ER. There’s a whole lotta education that needs to be done, lab follow up, outpatient monitoring, that is all outside of my job as en ER doc. I don’t even love starting pts on metformin from the ED and sending them, but I do bc benefits > risk. But a brand new initiation of insulin rx and dc from from the ED… nope nope nope not me.
 
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Do you guys start people on insulin in the ER? I was told to start new onset type 2 diabetics on insulin if their A1C is above 10 with Lantus, and to skip metformin if the A1C is initially that high.

NO!

Two reasons:
1) The amount of training and teaching someone requires typically exceeds 5 minutes. I literally don't have the time.
2) we are not trained on this at all...potential malpractice.
3) we have to draw the line somewhere between primary care and emergency care. If the nation wants primary care when they go to emergency departments, then they should rename it Primary Care Department and staff it with IM folks.
 
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If they have close PCP follow up, I would prefer y'all do nothing and let me handle it.
Lol if they have good pcp follow up they would get diagnosed before their A1C is 13 .. in my comically poor area I start metformin 500 bid if their sugar is > 350ish .. if I think they truly need insulin initiated immediately(rare) I admit them for new DM … most can be chilled out to around 350 with IVF then I start metformin. That said, I don’t order A1C in the ED, it doesn’t result timely and doesn’t affect my mgmt.

I would prefer the pcp handle it too but I hear a lot of “I called for an appointment and they gave me one in {3 months from now}” in my comically poor area.
 
Lol if they have good pcp follow up they would get diagnosed before their A1C is 13 .. in my comically poor area I start metformin 500 bid if their sugar is > 350ish .. if I think they truly need insulin initiated immediately(rare) I admit them for new DM … most can be chilled out to around 350 with IVF then I start metformin. That said, I don’t order A1C in the ED, it doesn’t result timely and doesn’t affect my mgmt.

I would prefer the pcp handle it too but I hear a lot of “I called for an appointment and they gave me one in {3 months from now}” in my comically poor area.

Yea I hear a lot of that too....frustrating. Still I don't ever admit hyperglycemia and I'll titrate their meds up and up, but I won't start insulin. I'll send A1Cs to help the other docs, I don't care if it 7 or 14.
 
3) we have to draw the line somewhere between primary care and emergency care. If the nation wants primary care when they go to emergency departments, then they should rename it Primary Care Department and staff it with IM folks.
That's one of the unique things about where I work. We have no hospitalists during the day, their PCP admits them. After we've done the workup, we can often get them to come see them in the ED and admit them, start meds then D/C, or arrange for quicker follow up
 
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That's one of the unique things about where I work. We have no hospitalists during the day, their PCP admits them. After we've done the workup, we can often get them to come see them in the ED and admit them, start meds then D/C, or arrange for quicker follow up
What do you do for people who don’t have a PCP?
 
That's one of the unique things about where I work. We have no hospitalists during the day, their PCP admits them. After we've done the workup, we can often get them to come see them in the ED and admit them, start meds then D/C, or arrange for quicker follow up

Yeah, when you said this last time we talked - it blew my mind.
 
Fastrack shift at one of my hospitals. I'm only supposed to see "treat and street" patients. It's like a UC but technically they came to the ER. 8 hours total:

1. 62 yo man with non-descript globus sensation with no concerning features. No tests. d/c
2. 19 yo man traumatic thumb pain, xr neg. d/c
3. 79 yo woman with finger pain for 2 months. There is a super tiny paronychia. I poked it. pus came out. d/c and no abx.
4. 13 yo boy traumatic thumb pain, xr neg. d/c
5. 15 yo boy elbow sprain, xr neg. d/c
6. 73 yo woman with cough for 10 days. xr neg. d/c with zpack and T3
7. 29 yo man here for wound check. lip repaired a few days ago, thinks infected and in fact it looks great. d/c
8. 54 yo woman with ear pain for 1 month. otitis media. d/c with abx
9. 5 mo girl with viral gastro. no meds, no tests, d/c
10. 3 yo with left wrist trauma pain, xr neg, d/c
11. 16 yo boy with left elbow pain, has anterior fat pad sign with no fx. treated as radial head rx. splint/sling and d/c
12. 18 yo M/F with viral gastro and heartburn, d/c with famotidine and zofran
13. 46 yo F with muscular LBP exacerbated by obesity, toradol IM and d/c
14. 34 yo M with pain for months after skateboard accident. no access to health care. ordered xrays largely just to help, not because i thought they were indicated. d/c
15. 21 mo F with elbow pain after mom picked her up, might be nursemaids? but it's fine now. no xrays, d/c
16. 30 yo man used Etoh, acid, ecstasy, cocaine, weed, and mushrooms all last night. He is surprisingly normal. Wanted to get checked out. He was checked out. d/c
17. 17 mo girl fell hit head, no concerning features, d/c
18. 63 yo man with bee sting and allergic reaction. gave benadryl/pepcid, d/c
19. 58 yo man with "my BP is high and I'm dizzy". 135 - 160 SBPs. d/c with no testing.
20. 73 yo man with toe pain, might be gout or cellulitis, treated for both. d/c with abx and prednisone.
21. 72 yo man with left leg lac, 10 stitches, d/c.
22. 22 yo man drunk wants rehab. Real jerk and was kicking medical equipment. Told him to come back tomorrow to see substance abuse navigator.
23. 21 yo F with swollen L mandible, already on penV because she was seen 4 days ago. Either abscess or adenopathy, and US showed adenopathy. Phew. No I&D needed now. Switched her to clindamycin, d/c
24. 49 yo woman burned her R hand, 2nd degree partial thickness burn. baci, wound care, d/c
 
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