A Cook County Hospital Emergency Medicine Blog for up-to-date medicine and more.
Source: Photo by Marcelo Leal on Unsplash
Picture this: it’s 11:02pm on a Friday Night. Red Team is bed-locked and you’re doing your best hospitalist impression while managing all of the boarding patients. The nurse comes up to you and says, “Hey, this patient in bed 26 is endorsing heroin withdrawal, can we give them something for it?” What’s your next move? Here we discuss the treatment of opioid withdrawal in the emergency department.
Vladimir Bernstein, MD
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Source: Image by Freepik
In today's digital age, social media has brought us closer together but has also given rise to new and potentially life-threatening challenges. From the seemingly harmless to the shockingly dangerous, let's debunk myths, explore toxidromes and symptom presentations, understand the pathophysiology, and discover treatments for five alarming social media challenges. Let’s communicate with patients and emphasize why these challenges are truly dangerous!
Vishal Mittal, MD & Steve Aks, MD
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Image Source: Image by vectorjuice at www.freepik.com
The Case:
A 48 yo M with a past medical history of hypertension and heroin use disorder presents to the Emergency Department (ED) with body aches and vomiting since this morning in the context of 14 hours since last heroin used. You note the patient is diaphoretic and restless with moderately dilated pupils, rhinorrhea, and a slight tremor. You are concerned the patient is in withdrawal. He is interested in getting into a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program; however, he is currently undomiciled and does not know if he can follow up outpatient tomorrow. Here we discuss options to treat the patient's withdrawal and help bridge to outpatient MAT.
Taylor Wahrenbrock, MD and Michael Nelson, MD
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