New Year, New Look—But the Same Hippo You Know and Love
At Hippo Education, our mission has always been simple:
Empower the people of medicine to learn, grow, and thrive through education and community.
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Winter Skin Care for Patients with Atopic Dermatitis: Key Tips for Clinicians
While winter brings snow, festive holidays, and cozy sweaters, it can also bring dry skin. For patients with atopic dermatitis, or eczema, winter often worsens eczema symptoms due to cold air, indoor heating, and increased exposure to triggers such as stress. To help your patients manage their atopic dermatitis, focus on these three key strategies:
Chief Complaint: Acute Dyspnea: A Framework for Differential Diagnosis
Acute dyspnea, or shortness of breath, is a common symptom ranging from non-emergent to emergent. Even seemingly benign cases can quickly decompensate, making a systematic approach crucial in time-sensitive settings. When facing a patient experiencing acute dyspnea, just remember to "inhale and follow the oxygen."
Tech in Medicine: Are Smartwatches Changing the Way We Practice?
Smartwatches and other wearable fitness trackers are everywhere—and they’re doing way more than counting steps. These devices now track heart rate variability (HRV), flag irregular heart rhythms, and even record single-lead ECGs. Cool, right? But what happens when a patient walks in with their wrist buzzing and a bunch of data they want us to interpret? Let’s dive into the world of wearables and what they mean for us as healthcare...
2024 in Review: NP Edition
2024 was a banner year for Hippo Education, as we focused on providing resources that cater specifically to the growing number of nurse practitioners (NPs) entering and advancing in clinical practice. With more NPs taking on essential roles in healthcare, Hippo has made a concerted effort to create practical, high-quality content to support their growth and success. Here are our top three highlights from this year:
Pertussis Primer: What Clinicians Need to Know as Cases Surge
With pertussis cases on the rise, it's time to brush up on best practices for diagnosing, treating, and containing this highly contagious respiratory infection. Aside from thinking of the song, “Whoop there it is” whenever I hear pertussis, and the fact that it’s one of the only things Azithromycin is still good for, the rest of the details about this disease were buried in the back of my brain!
Flu’s Clues
Working in the pediatric ED is a job I absolutely love—well, except between November and March. Every spring, we emerge from the trenches of winter respiratory season, and I somehow forget the endless parade of coughing, sore throats, and snot that dominates our halls.
Read moreSweet Dreams Await: The Ultimate Guide to CPAP ordering
Sleep apnea is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality and affects up to 14% of the population, yet it often remains underdiagnosed. In my primary care practice, sleep medicine specialists are frequently booked months in advance, so I've transitioned to diagnosing and managing sleep apnea care directly. This blog shares practical tips for ordering a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine.
Necessary or Nonsense: Screening for the Suicidal Patient Pt. 2
Across a wide variety of practice environments, the concept of medically screening a patient who presents with suicidal ideation is often a source of friction between the emergency department and psychiatry. In theory, a medical screening exam would help the ED team identify acute medical conditions in patients with co-existing psychiatric pathology, but in reality, local guidelines and protocols can lead to extensive and often unnecessary...
Dang It, Dengue!
Dengue fever has been on the rise all over the world, with more cases than usual in many countries, including the United States. 2024 was a “banner year” for dengue, with up to 400 million cases worldwide and up to a 2000% increase in cases in different regions compared to the year beforehand. While most cases are mild, severe cases of dengue fever can lead to death. It’s important for front-line clinicians who see sick patients in...
Pain and Anxiety Management with IUD Placement: What’s In, What’s Out
IUD insertions have long been known to cause pain, with some patients describing the experience as extremely uncomfortable or even traumatic. Until recently, pain management for this procedure didn’t receive much attention, but that’s starting to change.
