Category Archives: Trauma

Ten Commandments of Geriatric EM Care

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Christina Shenvi, MD, PhD, MBA

Christian Nickel, an Emergency Physician in Basel, Switzerland, has developed 10 commandments (or suggestions) for providing high quality geriatric EM care. This is a dense, high-yield episode in which we cover a wealth of practical tips for improving the care … Continue reading →

Posted in General Principles, Medications and Adverse Drug Events, Systems and Administration, Trauma | 2 Comments

Retiring the Term “Mechanical Fall” for Older Patients

Posted on November 9, 2018 by Christina Shenvi, MD, PhD, MBA

ED physicians and APPs see older patients in the ED for falls every. single. shift. On this episode, geriatric EM expert Shan Liu talks about preventing future falls from the ED, and the fact that we should retire the term “mechanical … Continue reading →

Posted in Systems and Administration, Trauma | 1 Comment

Are Orthostatic Vital Signs Helpful in the ED?

Posted on August 14, 2018 by Christina Shenvi, MD, PhD, MBA

There is some confusion, disagreement, and misunderstanding surrounding orthostatic vitals in the ED. Older patients have a high rate of incidentally-found positive orthostatic vital signs, typically because of heart-rate changes. So emergency physicians may be reluctant to request orthostatics. However, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cardiology and Pulmonology, Medications and Adverse Drug Events, Neurology and Psychiatry, Trauma | 1 Comment

Trauma in Older Adults

Posted on September 27, 2017 by Christina Shenvi, MD, PhD, MBA

Older adults who suffer traumatic injuries have worse outcomes than younger patients. In this episode Dr. Zara Cooper (acute care and trauma surgeon at Brigham and Women’s hospital) and I discuss some of the reasons for this, and also ways … Continue reading →

Posted in Medications and Adverse Drug Events, Trauma | 3 Comments

Preventing Falls in the Elderly: An EMS Story

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Christina Shenvi, MD, PhD, MBA

The risk of falls increases as we age. Unfortunately, so does the risk of injury, morbidity, and mortality following a fall. Falls risk is considered a geriatric syndrome, with multi-factorial causes. Falls are a the #1 cause of trauma-related mortality … Continue reading →

Posted in Medications and Adverse Drug Events, Systems and Administration, Trauma | 2 Comments

How to Reverse Oral Anticoagulants

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Christina Shenvi, MD, PhD, MBA

The number of new oral anticoagulants has grown dramatically in the last few years. And with that growth has come the need for new reversal agents. Reversing anticoagulation in patients with acute intra-cranial hemorrhages can be complex and dependent on … Continue reading →

Posted in Medications and Adverse Drug Events, Neurology and Psychiatry, Trauma | 3 Comments

How to Identify and Intervene in Cases of Elder Abuse

Posted on August 26, 2016 by Christina Shenvi, MD, PhD, MBA

Elder abuse is a common and under-recognized problem among older adults. In the Emergency Department, we are uniquely positioned to identify patients who may be at risk. In this episode, Tony Rosen (https://weillcornell.org/anthonyrosen), an Emergency Physician and researcher with fellowship … Continue reading →

Posted in Trauma | Leave a comment

Hip Fracture Management Pathways in Older Adults

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Christina Shenvi, MD, PhD, MBA

Hip fractures are a common injury among older adults and have a staggering one-year mortality of 20-30%. In this episode we discuss a multi-disciplinary pathway to improve the acute care of patients with hip fractures. It can help standardize care, … Continue reading →

Posted in Medications and Adverse Drug Events, Systems and Administration, Trauma | 4 Comments