All blog posts
By topic:
I was working in one of our satellite EDs talking with an elderly patient and her daughter about some recent headaches and increased confusion. She was in her early 70s, with a history of Alzheimer’s Dementia (AD). After my initial evaluation and exam, I went back to my computer to place some orders. Looking over her chart, I noticed something odd; the patient had been getting MRIs of her brain every month.
You find the anemia first. Maybe it’s a low hemoglobin on a routine panel. Or a ferritin that makes you pause. But something doesn’t make sense. The patient is young and healthy, with no obvious sources of blood loss. So you ask a few more questions.
Historically, hypertension was diagnosed with two or more elevated blood pressure readings on separate occasions. However, as of 2025, The American College of Cardiology now recommendshome blood pressure monitoring for any patient that has suspected hypertension or those currently taking hypertension medications.
When you’re deep into MOCA-Peds questions, few things can spike your heart rate faster than a lab value that doesn’t quite fit or a bleeding history that feels just a little too complicated for a “pick-the-best-answer” moment. Coagulation disorders live right in that space: high-stakes, detail-heavy, and absolutely fair game for exams. Whether it’s a bruising toddler, a teen with heavy menses, or an unexpected post-op bleed, these are the...
Last month, we started a two-part series on the evaluation and treatment of acute lower back pain (LBP) in the ED. This month, we are going to get into treatment options and how to help arrange follow-up care.
As nurse practitioners, we step into some of the most vulnerable and sacred moments of our patients’ lives. Whether it’s delivering life-altering news, managing chronic illness, or walking alongside someone at the end of life, our work is meaningful. It’s also emotionally demanding. Over time, this emotional labor can take a toll in the form of compassion fatigue.
Whether you are a new graduate or an experienced advanced practice clinician (APC) looking for a change, navigating the job market can be daunting. There’s much more to unpack than just the salary, and the most important details are never going to be found on the job posting.
If you’ve ever treated the same female patient for bacterial vaginosis (BV) more times than you can count, you’re not alone. Recurrent BV is incredibly common. In fact, more than 50% of women experience a recurrence within six months of treatment. For clinicians, it's tough to manage. For our patients, it’s disruptive and frustrating. But there’s good news: recent research has provided us with promising results. And no, it’s not a new...
Emergency medicine is a team sport. From physicians to nurses and respiratory therapists, every person on the shift has a role to play. When we work together, we get to help people navigate through their toughest moments (and occasionally, their worst decisions).
.png)
There’s a moment many of us have had in clinic: a parent mentions that their child snores. Loudly. Every night. Sometimes with pauses. Sometimes with gasps. And then they add, “But kids snore, right?”
The “red eye” is a common presenting symptom in primary care, spanning a spectrum of conditions from benign to sight-threatening emergencies. Knowing how to differentiate these conditions quickly is key to providing safe, effective care.
Adult ADHD is having a moment: patients are showing up with TikTok checklists, AI-generated “diagnoses,” and a lot of lived frustration. And honestly, that makes sense: untreated ADHD can look like chronic overwhelm, missed deadlines, “brain fog,” relationship conflict, and repeated experiences of feeling like you should be able to do things you can’t consistently execute. In primary care, the challenge is sorting out what’s ADHD, what’s a...
