As an emergency doctor it is important to be aware of all the myriad ways of meeting one’s maker. ‘Death by Black Hole’ – a process that results in ‘spaghettification’ – is one of the more exotic ways of dying that until now I hadn’t considered in any great detail… Neil DeGrasse Tyson explains it [...]
Tricyclic antidepressant toxicity
October 30, 2009 By 2 Comments
A 25 year-old male (70 kg) is brought in by ambulance 30 to 60 minutes after ingesting 7 x 500mg amitriptyline. He is tachycardic (HR 120) with an otherwise ‘normal’ ECG (QRS 95 ms) but is becoming drowsy.
Top 10 Foreign Bodies
October 29, 2009 By 4 Comments
Top 10 list of favorite ingested or inserted foreign bodies. Ingested or inserted foreign bodies are often best delineated with X-ray
All-Time Worst Non-Emergencies
October 28, 2009 By 6 Comments
A Change in Condition
October 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment
It is easy to forget the growing pains of the student-to-doctor metamorphosis. For me, the once vague notion of becoming a doctor was made real when I traveled to Zambia to work on the wards of St. Francis Hospital (SFH) in Katete…
The Other ‘SEPSIS’
October 27, 2009 By 6 Comments
Radiological oddity #015
October 26, 2009 By 11 Comments
A 32 year-old male with no previous medical problems, other than a history of smoking cigarettes, was infected by swine-origin influenza virus (SOIV) and developed severe ‘FLAAARDS’ (‘flu’-A associated acute respiratory distress syndrome) requiring treatment with ECMO (extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation). His chest and abdominal radiographs are shown. Q1. Describe the findings on the chest and [...]
The Candiru
October 25, 2009 By 1 Comment
Saved by Electroconvulsive Therapy
October 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Phonetic alphabet
October 24, 2009 By Leave a Comment
