Em Pulse

In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. This decision, known as the Dobbs decision, Overturned Roe v. Wade and ended the right to abortion that had been upheld for decades. In the wake of this decision, many states have passed laws banning or severely restricting abortion. So how does this affect our patients and the care we provide in the ED? How is it different in protected estates compared to restricted states? Join us for a deep dive into the health implications of recent changes in reproductive health policy with expert, Dr. Amy Paris.  Please note that the opinions expressed in this episode are our own and do not necessarily represent the position of our employers or institutions.  How have things changed in your state and your ED? Share your stories with us on social media, @empulsepodcast, or through our website, ucdavisem.com. ***Please rate us and leave us a review on iTunes! It helps us reach more people.*** ~ Our episodes are now closed c

***Trigger warning: this episode includes discussion of child abuse*** In our last episode, Identifying abuse: the LCAST app, we talked about recognizing subtle signs concerning for child abuse and how to use the new LCAST app to determine the risk of non-accidental trauma. But identifying potential abuse is just the first step in a long and often emotionally taxing process. How do you approach parents or caregivers with your concerns? What do you do if a caregiver doesn’t want to cooperate with your extended work-up? What information should you share with them? And how do we avoid bringing our own biases into the room? These are tough conversations.  Our guest experts, Dr. Emily Fain and Dr. Elena Duma, and our own Dr. Julia Magaña are experts in this field. They walk us through how to approach these conversations in a compassionate and straightforward manner, centering the safety of the child as everyone’s primary concern.  How do you approach these challenging conversations? Share what’s worked for you (

In March of this year, we published a Rebeat of one of our most powerful episodes, It Could Have Been Different. We took a deep dive into one of the most difficult aspects of our jobs as emergency physicians - recognizing and managing child abuse, or non-accidental trauma (NAT). Signs of abuse can often be subtle, but there are some very specific findings that should make us consider NAT. Our guest expert, Dr. Mary Clyde Pierce, helped us learn to identify NAT using the TEN-4 FACESp clinical prediction rule.  In this episode, Dr. Pierce returns to discuss the new LCAST app developed by Lurie Children’s Hospital to help clinicians identify NAT. We love this app! It’s quick and easy to use - and it’s even better than using the decision rule alone. Listen to the episode to hear why! Have you tried the LCAST app? Share your experience with us via social media, @empulsepodcast, or through our website, ucdavisem.com. ***Please rate us and leave us a review on iTunes! It helps us reach more people.*** Hosts: Dr

It’s been a while since we talked about social media in emergency medicine and a LOT has changed! We first explored this topic in 2019 with Dr. Meghan Ranney in our episode With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility. The following year, the pandemic hit and digital platforms exploded while many people isolated themselves or worked from home. Add in complications including the spread of disinformation, the rise of hate speech, Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, and the emergence of new platforms, and the landscape today looks very different. To help us understand how to navigate the current world of social media, including the benefits and potential pitfalls, we spoke with digital media expert, Lauren Suedkamp.  Do you use social media professionally? What are your favorite platforms? Hit us up on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Threads as @empulsepodcast, or leave us a comment at ucdavisem.com Hosts: Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Dr. Julia Magaña, Associate Professor o

Insulin EM Pulse PodcastThis is the next episode of our Push Dose Pearls miniseries with ED Pharmacist, Chris Adams. In this ongoing series we’ll dig into some of the questions we all have about medications we commonly see and use in the ED. This episode again focuses on insulin. Should everyone with hyperglycemia get regular insulin? Is IV better than subcu? We’ll answer these questions and more as we discuss the latest recommendations for managing hyperglycemia and DKA in the ED.  Did this episode change your practice? Let us know on social media @empulsepodcast or at ucdavisem.com Hosts: Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Dr. Julia Magaña, Associate Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guests: Christopher Adams, PharmD, Emergency Department Senior Clinical Pharmacist and Assistant Professor at UC Davis Resources: Hardern RD, Quinn ND Emergency management of diabetic ketoacidosis in adults Emergency Medicine Journal 2003;20:210-213 Schwartz X,

In the last episode, we replayed one of our most powerful episodes, Sold for a Chrysler 300. The episode featured Annika Huff sharing her story as a survivor of human trafficking, as well as recommendations on how to address trafficking from experts in the field. If you haven’t listened to that episode, we recommend checking it out!  In this follow up episode, our own Dr. Julia Magaña fills us in on what’s changed since 2018, including a new screening tool developed by Dr. Makini Chisholm-Straker and her team.  Have you used the RAFT in your clinical practice? Share your experience with us on social media @empulsepodcast or at ucdavisem.com Hosts: Dr. Julia Magaña, Associate Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guests: Dr. Julia Magaña, Associate Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Resources: Validation of a screening tool for labor and sex trafficking among emergency department patients.  Ch

It’s time for another Repeat! This is one of our earliest episodes and it is a favorite because of one woman’s powerful story. Annika Huff (formerly Annika Mack) is a survivor of human trafficking. She speaks with us about her experiences in the life, how she got out, and how she was able to move on with her life. Then, Dr. Bryn Mumma takes us through her research on how we can better identify potential victims in the ED. Dr. Rachel Robitz shares some advice on how to approach patients who may be trafficked, create a safe space, and offer support and resources. And, finally, our own Dr. Julia Magaña discusses how she manages this in pediatric patients.  Stay tuned for our next episode for important new research and updates! Did you listen to this episode when it first aired? How was your practice changed since then, in terms of screening for human trafficking? Share your thoughts with us on social media @empulsepodcast or at ucdavisem.com Hosts: Dr. Julia Magaña, Associate Professor of Pediatric Emergency

This is the second episode in our Push Dose Pearls miniseries with ED Pharmacist, Chris Adams. In this ongoing series we’ll dig into some of the questions we all have about medications we commonly see and use in the ED. This episode again focuses on antidotes - medications we can give to treat or reverse the harm caused by overdoses, intoxications, envenomations, etc.  What is your favorite antidote? Hit us up on social media @empulsepodcast or at ucdavisem.com Hosts: Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Dr. Julia Magaña, Associate Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guests: Christopher Adams, PharmD, Emergency Department Senior Clinical Pharmacist and Assistant Professor at UC Davis Resources: Life in the Fast Lane Antidotes Summary *** Thank you to the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine for supporting this podcast and to Orlando Magaña at OM Productions for audio production services.

This is the first episode in our Push Dose Pearls miniseries with ED Pharmacist, Chris Adams. In this ongoing series we’ll dig into some of the questions we all have about medications we commonly see and use in the ED. Our first episode will focus on antidotes - medications we can give to treat or reverse the harm caused by overdoses, intoxications, envenomations, etc.  What is your favorite antidote? Hit us up on social media @empulsepodcast or at ucdavisem.com Hosts: Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Dr. Julia Magaña, Associate Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guests: Christophe Adams, PharmD, Emergency Department Senior Clinical Pharmacist and Assistant Professor at UC Davis Resources: Life in the Fast Lane Antidotes Summary *** Thank you to the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine for supporting this podcast and to Orlando Magaña at OM Productions for audio production services.

One of our quintessential roles as emergency physicians is managing and securing the emergent airway. This can be a life or death moment for the patient and often gets our own adrenaline pumping - it’s not a procedure we take lightly. Airway management in the ED can be complicated by physical and situational factors (beards, trauma, vomit), resource limitations, and our own emotional state. We sat down with emergency airway expert, Dr. Verena Schandera, to get the latest and greatest on airway management.  Have you had to manage a particularly difficult airway? Do you have any tips or tricks that have worked for you? Share your experiences with us on social media @empulsepodcast or at ucdavisem.com Hosts: Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Dr. Julia Magaña, Associate Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guests: Dr. Verena Schandera, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Co-Director of the Emergency Airway Fellowship at UC Davis Resources:

Our last episode was a Rebeat of “The Game has Changed”, one of our earliest and most listened to episodes that explored medication assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. A LOT has changed since we first published the episode in 2018! In this follow up episode, addiction medicine specialist, Dr. Aimee Moulin, talks to us about what’s new, including modifying treatment for people using fentanyl; and what’s old news - the X waiver!   How do you manage opioid use disorder in your practice? Share your experiences with us on social media @empulsepodcast or at ucdavisem.com Hosts: Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Dr. Julia Magaña, Associate Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guests: Dr. Aimee Moulin, Professor of Emergency Medicine and Chief of the Division of Addiction Medicine at UC Davis Resources: CA Bridge National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) information on opioids Buprenorphine vs. Methadone on atforum.com Screening Brief Int

It’s time for another Rebeat! We’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes from our very first season. The opioid epidemic is still very real and there are some new challenges with fentanyl as the predominant opioid on the street. But we’ve gained experience with medication assisted treatment (MAT) and it is now even easier to prescribe treatment for opioid use disorder. The Rebeat has been edited to reflect some of these changes, and our next episode will provide an update on MAT. Now on to the Rebeat… Let’s talk about the opioid crisis. One woman tells her powerful story of opioid addiction, treatment, and recovery. Then, we discuss the role emergency physicians can play in controlling this epidemic with experts, Dr. Gail D’Onofrio and Dr. Josh Elder.  How do you manage opioid use disorder in your practice? Join the conversation on Social Media @empulsepodcast or at ucdavisem.com Hosts: Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Dr. Julia Magaña, Associate Professor of P

There has been a lot in the news about “tranq dope”, especially following a recent New York Times article. Most concerning are the non-healing skin wounds that seem to be associated with its use. So what is tranq dope, or more formally, xylazine? And what do we need to know to safely treat our patients? We caught up with Dr. Hoan Nguyen, emergency physician and medical toxicologist at UC Davis, to get some answers.    Have you seen complications of xylazine in your ED? Share with us on social media, @empulsepodcast, via email empulsepodcast@gmail.com, or through our website, ucdavisem.com. Head over to iTunes and leave us a review - it helps us reach more people. And please pass the word along to your friends and colleagues! ***Please rate us and leave us a review on iTunes! It helps us reach more people.*** Hosts: Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guest: Dr. Hoan Nguyen, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Medical Toxicologist at UC Davis Resources: Tra

In our last episode, we spoke with negotiations expert and founder of the Center for Leadership, Dr. Cheri Hobgood, about the art of a good negotiation. This week, we’ve partnered with Women in PEM again to explore how negotiations can play out in the real world of emergency medicine. Dr. Selena Hariharan returns to share her personal experience and Dr. Elizabeth Alpern offers some concrete advice on how to prepare for an interview, read a contract, and make the outcome of the negotiation beneficial to all parties. It’s all about time, money, and power! Was this series helpful to you? Have you been able to put some of these strategies into practice? We’d love to know! Tag us on social media, @empulsepodcast, or reach out via email empulsepodcast@gmail.com, or through our website, ucdavisem.com. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to listen and share their stories, too! ***Please rate us and leave us a review on iTunes! It helps us reach more people.*** Hosts: Dr. Julia Magaña, Associate Professor o

Negotiating what you need and want in your career is an essential skill, for any emergency medicine physician - well, for anyone, really! So, whether you are in academic or community practice, or something completely unrelated, this episode is for you. We’ve teamed up with Women in PEM to bring you this illuminating interview with Dr. Cherri Hobgood, an emergency physician, expert in negotiations, and founder of the Center for Leadership Life. She takes us through the ins and outs of negotiating, including preparation, tactics, and even reading body language, to help us learn the art of a successful negotiation.  Do you find negotiations challenging? What strategies have been most successful for you? Tag us on social media, @empulsepodcast, or reach out via email empulsepodcast@gmail.com, or through our website, ucdavisem.com. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to listen and share their stories, too! ***Please rate us and leave us a review on iTunes! It helps us reach more people.*** Hosts: Dr. Ju

Introducing EM Pulse Podcast™ Rebeat! In our Rebeat episodes, we will revisit important past episodes. In this Rebeat, we discuss a challenging but important aspect of emergency medicine - identifying and addressing child abuse or non-accidental trauma (NAT). We talk with expert Dr. Mary Clyde Pierce about her paper, which validates the TEN-4 FACESp clinical decision rule for predicting abuse in young children, and share insights on how we can save a child's life through vigilance and awareness of specific findings. Have you used TEN-4 FACESp to identify potential non-accidental trauma? Share your experience with us via social media, @empulsepodcast, or through our website, ucdavisem.com. ***Please rate us and leave us a review on iTunes! It helps us reach more people.*** Hosts: Dr. Julia Magaña, Associate Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guest: Dr. Mary Clyde Pierce, Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern Uni

Alcohol use disorder is extremely prevalent in the United States, affecting over 5% of the population 12 and older. We see patients suffering from this disease in our EDs - sometimes for complications of acute intoxication (like car accidents) and sometimes for withdrawal symptoms. In this two part series, we’re joined by Addiction Medicine Specialists, Dr. Aimee Moulin and Dr. Liz Johnson, to learn more about acute alcohol withdrawal and management of alcohol use disorder. In part 1, we discussed the presentation and emergent stabilization of patients with severe alcohol withdrawal. In part 2, we’ll focus on those patients who can be safely discharged, including ED management and outpatient medications and resources.  Special thanks for Phoebe for sharing her story of her personal battle with alcohol use disorder!  Do you prescribe naltrexone or acamprosate from the ED? How do you safely discharge patients with alcohol use disorder? Tag us on social media, @empulsepodcast, or reach out via email empulsepod

Alcohol use disorder is extremely prevalent in the United States, affecting over 5% of the population 12 and older. We see patients suffering from this disease in our EDs - sometimes for complications of acute intoxication (like car accidents) and sometimes for withdrawal symptoms. In this two part series, we’re joined by Addiction Medicine Specialists, Dr. Aimee Moulin and Dr. Liz Johnson, to learn more about acute alcohol withdrawal and management of alcohol use disorder. In part 1, we discuss the presentation and emergent stabilization of patients with severe alcohol withdrawal.  Special thanks for Phoebe for sharing her story of her personal battle with alcohol use disorder!  What is your go to med for acute alcohol withdrawal? Does your hospital have set protocols? We always appreciate hearing how things are done at different institutions. Tag us on social media, @empulsepodcast, or reach out via email empulsepodcast@gmail.com, or through our website, ucdavisem.com. Please encourage your friends and co

As emergency physicians, we are no strangers to firearm violence and its consequences. We explored this topic with renowned expert, Dr. Garen Wintemute, in our January 2019 episode, #thisismylane. Most physicians feel strongly that we have a role in gun violence prevention, but many of us aren’t sure what we can do in our daily clinical practice to make a difference. That’s why Psychiatrist Dr. Amy Barnhorst and her colleagues at the California Firearm Violence Research Center at UC Davis developed the BulletPoints Project. BulletPoints is a resource for clinicians and medical educators who are committed to firearm injury prevention.  We’ve covered how to APPROACH patients about gun safety and ASSESS risk, now we learn how to ACT. In the final episode of our series, Dr. Barnhorst explains what we can do as physicians to help mitigate risk. We’ll talk about options, including temporary transfer of firearms to a safe party, psychiatric holds when appropriate, and “red flag” laws that allow for emergent removal

As emergency physicians, we are no strangers to firearm violence and its consequences. We explored this topic with renowned expert, Dr. Garen Wintemute, in our January 2019 episode, #thisismylane. Most physicians feel strongly that we have a role in gun violence prevention, but many of us aren’t sure what we can do in our daily clinical practice to make a difference. That’s why Psychiatrist Dr. Amy Barnhorst and her colleagues at the California Firearm Violence Research Center at UC Davis developed the BulletPoints Project. BulletPoints is a resource for clinicians and medical educators who are committed to firearm injury prevention.  In the third episode of our gun violence prevention series, we delve into the second step of BulletPoints: ASSESS. Do you talk to your patients about guns? What’s your approach? Tag us on social media, @empulsepodcast, reach out via email empulsepodcast@gmail.com, or connect through our website, ucdavisem.com. Encourage your friends and colleagues to listen and share their per