What Does Being an Emergency Medicine PA Look Like? (Part 1)

By Jen Swisher, PA-C
on October 04, 2023

Writing about a day in the life of an emergency medicine PA only paints a small picture of what it truly takes to become an EM PA.  A “typical” workday will look entirely different for every PA due to the nuances of the ED setting and the part of the ED a PA is assigned to.  So, our goal here is to paint a full picture of the many facets of working as a PA in emergency medicine and to demonstrate what makes us an integral part of the team.

Before we dive into what it looks like to work as an EM PA, let’s explore how the profession evolved in the first place - and what it takes to get into this field.

PAs Go Beyond in Urgent Care: Celebrating PA Week

By Hippo Urgent Care RAP Team
on October 03, 2023

In the fast-paced world of urgent care, PAs are indispensable. This PA Week, we highlight the remarkable opportunities for professional growth and development for PAs within the urgent care space, both inside and outside the exam room.

Breast Cancer Screening in Patients with Dense Breasts

By Neda Frayha, MD
on October 02, 2023

Breast cancer screening can be complicated; sometimes it’s more than just a mammogram. For example, when a screening mammogram report says a person has dense breasts, what does that really mean? Why is it important, and what should we do about it?

Xyalazine, aka Tranq, is the Newest Drug on the Block

By Kelly Heidepriem, MD
on September 13, 2023

As clinicians it’s critical that we understand the drugs our patients are using and can identify their side effects, but it can be tough to keep up.

An emerging threat across the country is the use of xylazine, or “tranq.” Xylazine is an animal sedative, muscle relaxant and analgesic with a potent central nervous system depressant effect in humans. This tranquilizer is frequently added to various drug mixtures sold on the street. Tranq can be found across the U.S. – the Drug Enforcement Administration  reports finding it in 48/50 states — and last year almost one quarter of the fentanyl the DEA seized contained xylazine.

Antibiotic Stewardship

By Hippo Urgent Care RAP Team
on September 11, 2023

Can you be a good steward of antibiotics and maintain high levels of patient satisfaction? It depends! 

As we move into cold and flu season, we know the number of patient antibiotic requests  will be on the rise. 

We all know the  importance of antibiotic stewardship and the impact of inappropriate antibiotic use. We also know the significance of patient satisfaction, especially in urgent care medicine. This begs the question: Can you be both a good steward of antibiotics and maintain a high level of patient satisfaction? 

We recently asked our Instagram followers whether or not they felt like antibiotic prescribing was linked to patient satisfaction. Here’s what they said:

Exploring Non-Opioid Pain Treatments in the Urgent Care

Treating acute pain is a challenge we face during every urgent care shift. We’re all aware of the devastation that the opioid crisis has had on millions of people worldwide. And this epidemic - marked by addiction, overdose, and unintended consequences - has highlighted the need for alternative treatments to manage pain.

As clinicians, we regularly encounter patients wanting or expecting opioids to treat their pain. For years, opioids were the go-to option. We’ve since learned that even short-term opioid  prescriptions can lead to tolerance, dependence, and addiction, making them a potentially risky choice for pain management.¹ However, not all providers are comfortable or possess the knowledge to discuss safer and more effective alternatives to opioid medications.

The Fight Against the Tripledemic: Key Vaccine Updates for Fall

By Katy Vogelaar, NP
on September 07, 2023

With Fall comes the start of cold and flu season. Whether you work in a family medicine clinic, urgent care, emergency department, pediatric office, or specialty clinic, you can’t escape the nasty viruses that cause upper respiratory infections and wreak havoc on our immune systems. 

SNOT this Season RSV

By Jen Swisher, PA-C
on September 06, 2023

If you’re on the frontlines of the emergency department, you’ve probably noticed the uptick in respiratory infections and viruses in the early kick-off to 2023’s respiratory season.

As we brace for fall and winter, it looks like we’ll have additional tools in our arsenal to decrease complications and hospitalizations from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV): adult vaccines and a monoclonal antibody for all infants.

Three different vaccines will be available this season to combat viral respiratory symptoms and threats: 

• An updated Covid booster 
• The annual influenza vaccines
• Two adult RSV vaccines

Additionally, there will be another RSV monoclonal antibody option for our tiniest patients. Phase 3 trials and regulatory approval are underway for maternal vaccines and passive immunity protection for newborns.

Let’s dive into these tools now.

Preceptor Pearls: Take CARE with Chest Pain

By Katy Vogelaar
on August 15, 2023

In our May blog post, we introduced you to the CARE acronym (Common, Atypical, Rare, Emergent) to help students formulate differential diagnosis. Over the next few months, we want to apply the CARE acronym to some chief complaints. We hope this will be helpful to you as you’re precepting students. Share this blog post and graphics with them during their next shift! 

Fentanyl Test Strips: Coming to an ED Near You

We are all learning how to be good stewards of prescription opioids which has resulted in a significant downward trend in dispensing rates over the past decade. However, the number of fatal overdoses due to fentanyl continues to rise. ​​