2017-18 AAEM/RSA Medical Student Scholarship Winners Share Why They Are Choosing EM

Author: Michael Lauria
Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine

RSA is proud to share the following essay from one of the 2017-2018 Medical Student Scholarship winners, Michael Lauria. We felt this essay best exemplified why he is choosing EM as a specialty. Congratulations, Michael!

Exhaustion had never felt so good. Many of the other details surrounding that rescue operation in the middle of the Iraqi desert were a blur, a shadowy haze of blood, twisted metal, and wind-driven dust. Just hours before, our combat search and rescue team had managed to triage, treat, and transport seven critically injured soldiers involved in a catastrophic helicopter crash. As the team sat back, relaxed, and watched the sun rise over the desert, I quietly reflected on the night's events. I realized that I truly loved being there to provide emergency medical care to those soldiers when they needed it most. Now, eight years later, I recognize that I want to dedicate my career as a physician to that same purpose.

The Opioid Epidemic: Where Are We Now?

Image Credit: Pixabay

Author: Aaron C. Tyagi, MD
Chair, RSA Social Media Committee
Originally Published: Common Sense January/February 2018

We have seen the rate of overdose mortality in general and mortality of overdoses related to opioids continue to rise.[1,2] As a society, we were slow to recognize this problem, for a number of reasons. Now it is incumbent upon us to respond appropriately and in a timely manner. But our opportunity in which to do that in is quickly shrinking. It seems the executive branch and President Trump have recognized this.[3] But let’s actually take closer look at what we’ve done and what we’re doing currently.

Drug overdose and opioid overdose continues to be a problem in the United States. According to a 2016 report by the CDC, of the 47,055 deaths from drug overdoses that occurred in 2014, 28,647 (60.9%) involved an opioid. The following year (2015), the number of deaths from overdoses rose to 52,404 with 33,091 (63.1%) from opioids.[4] We are constantly exposed to this in the ED. We (the ED and our EMS colleagues in the field) are the frontlines when these patients come in dead or near-dead and need to be resuscitated. We know first-hand the potentially devastating effects of these medications.

A Racing Heart and Seeing Stars: Pre-excitation and Syncope in a Young Adult

This post was peer reviewed.
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Author: Eric Sulava, MD
Emergency Medicine Resident
Naval Medical Center Portsmouth
AAEM Education Committee

Author: Hannah Harris MD
Student Naval Flight Surgeon
Naval Aerospace Medical Institute

Author: Katrina Destree, MD
Staff Physician
Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune

Chief Complaint
“My heart was racing and then everything went grey”

Maverick’s Fracture: Review of a Rare High-Impact Pediatric Elbow Fracture

This post was peer reviewed.
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Author: Eric Sulava, MD
Emergency Medicine Resident
Naval Medical Center Portsmouth
AAEM Education Committee

Author: Katrina Destree, MD
Staff Physician
Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune

I am a military service member. This work was prepared as part of my official duties. Title 17 U.S.C. 105 provides that “Copyright protection under this title is not available for any work of the United States Government.” Title 17 U.S.C. 101 defines a United States Government work as a work prepared by a military service member or employee of the United States Government as part of that person’s official duties.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, or the United States Government.

Visceral Artery Aneurysms: An Unusual Case Report

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Author: Sara Bradley, MSII
Western University of Health Sciences
AAEM/RSA Education Committee 

Case Presentation

History and Physical
A 77-year-old obese Caucasian male presented to the emergency department (ED) with a sudden onset of lower chest and epigastric pain and collapse after lifting a heavy object while working on his ranch. Per his wife, the patient was a previously healthy and active individual who had recently lose fifty pounds with diet and exercise. The patient had a past medical history of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and hypertension. He was a smoker from age fifteen to sixty, stopping seventeen years ago. The patient also had a history of alcohol abuse, but had been sober since the mid-1970s. On arrival to the ED, the patient was alert, but somnolent, pale, and in moderate distress.