Department Blog - June 2016

Amal Mattu, MD, traveled to Denver in mid-June as a faculty member for the 43rd Annual Rocky Mountain Trauma and Emergency Medicine Conference. He led a 4-hour pre-conference workshop on cardiac ischemia electrocardiography and presented a keynote address, “High Risk Arrhythmias in Which ACLS Will Fail.”

Joe Martinez, MD, was a guest editor for the May 2016 issue of Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America, which focuses on abdominal and gastrointestinal emergencies. In addition, he co-authored the article “Abdominal Vascular Catastrophes.” Christina Tupe, MD, and Thuy Pham, MD, contributed the article titled “Anorectal Complaints in the Emergency Department.” The foreword for the issue ("Oh, My Aching Belly") was written by Amal Mattu, MD, consulting editor for EMCNA.

Ryan Daro, MD, a second-year EM resident, is a co-author of the article titled "Incidence of Pulmonary Emboli on Chest Computed Tomography Angiography Based Upon Referral Patterns," published in the June issue of Emergency Radiology. Based on a review of 6400 charts, the authors found no difference in the incidence of PE in CTA studies requested by residents, attendings, or physician extenders. The highest incidence was in studies requested from inpatient settings. Their article can be read at this address: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10140-016-1391-4

Ben Lawner, DO, MS, EMT-P, presented the lecture “Post Arrest Emergency Care: Hypothermia, STEMI, CV Bundle, Hot Topics" at the Maryland Resuscitation Academy, held in Marriottsville last week. The 2-day symposium focused on increasing survival and improving neurologic outcomes from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. It was sponsored by the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services and the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems.

Amal Mattu, MD, and his colleagues from the University of Virginia published a review titled “ED Evaluation and Management of Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator Electrical Shocks,” in the June issue of the American Journal of Emergency Medicine. In this article, the authors review the function of defibrillators; discuss the causes of appropriate and inappropriate shocks; and present algorithms for the assessment and stabilization of patients who have experienced one, multiple, or phantom "firings."

Haney Mallemat, MD, is a co-author of “Sickle Cell Crisis and You: A How-to-Guide,” published in the June issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine. The article is an EM:RAP commentary about a case presentation in the same journal.

Three EM faculty members presented lectures during EMS Care 2016, the annual statewide conference sponsored by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems. Ben Lawner, DO, MS, EMT-P, teamed up with Michael Clumpner, PhD, MBA, NRP, an expert in tactical emergency medical services response to active shooter scenarios, to deliver the keynote address, "The Truth is Out There: More EMS Articles You Have to Know!" Dr. Lawner also led breakout sessions on mobile integrated health care and the prehospital management of penetrating trauma. Danya Khoujah, MBBS, presented “Altered Mental Status: It’s Not Always ETOH” and “”Seizures in Adults: Beyond Versed.” Roger Stone, MD, MS, presented “A Working Code is a Working Fire: Culture Change in Maryland Fire Companies to Enhance the Success of HPCPR in Limited Resource Situations.”