• Home
    • Clinical Curriculum
    • Didactic Curriculum
    • Sub-Specialties
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Residency Awards
    • Wellness
    • Cook County ED
    • Benefits
    • Interview Day Logistics
    • About Chicago
    • FAQ
    • Contact Information
    • Medical Student Elective
    • Rotating Student Resources
    • Diversity Externship Scholarship
    • Ultrasound
    • Simulation
    • Toxicology
    • Residents
    • Fellows
    • Faculty
    • Program Directors
    • Where We're From
    • Where Are We Going?
    • Alumni
  • Blog
Menu

Cook County Emergency Medicine Residency

  • Home
  • Residency
    • Clinical Curriculum
    • Didactic Curriculum
    • Sub-Specialties
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Residency Awards
    • Wellness
  • Recruitment
    • Cook County ED
    • Benefits
    • Interview Day Logistics
    • About Chicago
    • FAQ
    • Contact Information
  • Students
    • Medical Student Elective
    • Rotating Student Resources
    • Diversity Externship Scholarship
  • Fellowships
    • Ultrasound
    • Simulation
    • Toxicology
  • People
    • Residents
    • Fellows
    • Faculty
    • Program Directors
    • Where We're From
    • Where Are We Going?
    • Alumni
  • Blog

the County Consult

A Cook County Hospital Emergency Medicine Blog for up-to-date medicine and more.

Figure 1. Index EKG

The Heart of the Matter - A Case of Worsening Shortness of Breath

June 29, 2025

A 70 year old female with HIV, diabetes, hypertension, COPD/asthma, and CKD3 presents to the emergency department with a complaint of worsening shortness of breath. She believes her shortness of breath is typical of her COPD exacerbation but notes new, intermittent left-sided chest pressure. The initial lab results are significant only for a BNP of 545. The vitals are notable for bradycardia with a rate in the 40s. The patient's initial EKG (Figure 1).

Abish Kharel, MD and Ari Edelheit, MD

Read More
In Cardiology Tags Cardiology
Comment

Figure 1. Index EKG

The Heart of the Matter - A Case of Abnormal Telemetry

June 15, 2025

A 79-year-old female with hypertension, CKD Stage 4, history of breast cancer s/p tamoxifen therapy, osteoporosis presenting to the emergency department for pleuritic chest pain radiating to back. Laboratory work-up is significant for a troponin of 0.24, a d-dimer of 2.40., and a creatinine of 2.4 (baseline 1.8). The plan is for the patient to be admitted to medicine for V/Q scan to evaluate for pulmonary embolism. The patient’s EKG (Figure 1) is shown below.

Michael Hohl, MD and Ari Edelheit, MD

Read More
In Cardiology Tags Cardiology
Comment

Figure 1. BRASH Syndrome feedback loop (Source: https://litfl.com/brash-syndrome/)

The Cheese - BRASH Syndrome

June 6, 2025

It’s 3 a.m. on an overnight shift and the resuscitation room nurse runs over, “Hey doc, the patient in R3 is bradycardic and now his blood pressure is dropping”. You rush in, begin thinking through which medications to give and place pads on the patient. Luckily, he begins to stabilize with vasopressors and pacing. You review his labs again; he has worsening renal function and he’s mildly hyperkalemic to 5.7. He has metoprolol on his medication list but denies taking more than prescribed. So what’s actually going on?

Today we will discuss BRASH syndrome, which stands for Bradycardia, Renal failure, AV Blockade, Shock and Hyperkalemia.

Kathryn McGregor, MD and Eric Leser, MD

Read More
In Critical Care, Renal, Cardiology Tags Weekly Cheese
Comment
Older Posts →
  • Abdomen/GI
  • Cardiology
  • Critical Care
  • HEENT
  • Infectious Disease
  • Neurology
  • OB/GYN
  • Orthopedics/MSK
  • Pediatrics
  • Pharmacology
  • Psychiatry
  • Pulmonary
  • Renal
  • Sim Corner
  • Social EM
  • Toxicology
  • Trauma
  • Ultrasound
Tweets by @CookCountyEM

Contact Information

© 2020 Cook County Emergency Medicine