READING MATERIALS
- Recommended Books
- Core Textbooks in Emergency Medicine
- Emergency Medicine Publications and Journals
- Useful Websites for Medical Students rotating in Emergency Medicine
- Hot Topics in Emergency Medicine
- Reading List Topics
Recommended Books
(available at USC Med Campus Bookstore or online)
1. Sherman's USMLE Road Map: Emergency Medicine, 2007 (recommended for all rotators)
2. Stead's First Aid for the Emergency Medicine Clerkship, 2006 (for EM applicants in particular).
3. Biddinger's NMS Clinical Manuals: Emergency Medicine, 2002 (best pocket-guide I've seen).
4. Toy's Case Files: Emergency Medicine, 2005 (optional but highly recommended for those who prefer to learn from cases).
5. Henderson's Vademecum Emergency Medicine, 2006 (best comprehensive pocketbook for EM applicants)
6. Mahadevan's Intro to Clinical Emergency Medicine, 2005 (superb paperback text for EM applicants)
7. Epocrates Rx or Tarascon Pharmacopeia (everyone should have one)
8. Epocrates ID or Sanford Antimicrobial Guide or EMRA's Antibiotic Guide (everyone should have one)
Core Textbooks in Emergency Medicine
(available for reference in the DEM library) (all future residents in EM should have these)
1. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice (6th edition), 2006.
2. Tintinalli Emergency Medicine: Comprehensive Study Guide (6th edition), 2003.
3. Robert's and Hedge's Clinical Procedures in EM (4th editions), 2003.
Emergency Medicine Publications and Journals
(use for your case presentations)
• Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM sponsored)
• Annals of Emergency Medicine (ACEP sponsored)
• Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America
• Critical Decisions in Emergency Medicine (ACEP sponsored)
• Emergency Medicine Reports
• Journal of Emergency Medicine (AAEM sponsored)
Useful Websites for Medical Students Rotating in Emergency Medicine
• http://uscdem.org :
USC Department of Emergency Medicine official site. This site will give you information about our residency program, conferences, etc.
• http://www.emra.org :
Emergency Medicine Residents Association. This site is of interest to applicants and non-applicants. Includes a "student" section with lots of advice about applying to residency and surviving your clerkship. They have a "bookstore" section that includes a book entitled Emergency Medicine: The Medical Student Survival Guide. This book is only useful for applicants. It costs $19.95 or is free with an EMRA membership. Dr. Shoenberger also has a copy that you may check out/borrow.
• http://www.saem.org/saemdnn/Academies/CDEM/ResourcesforMedicalStudents/tabid/885/Default.aspx
Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. This organization has a great website with a medical student section.
Here you'l'l find:
- List of approved residencies with detailed information about each residency
- Manual for Medical Students
- Words of Advice for Medical Students and EM Applicants
- SAEM Medical Student Excellence Award
- Multimedia
- Useful Clinical Websites
• http://www.ncemi.org
National Center for Emergency Medicine Informatics. Has weekly photos, cases, EKG's and X-rays. Fun to check out with various clinical resources.
• http://www.acep.org
American College of Emergency Physicians . This is one of our national organizations. Has a bookstore section that's worth checking out.
• http://www.aaem.org
American Academy of Emergency Medicine. Another national organization. Has a student section.
• http://www.emedicine.com
An online textbook for various specialties. Click on emergency medicine and take a look at all of the chapters. Very useful information. Frequently used by residents.
• http://www.medstat.med.utah.edu/kw/ecg/
EKG interpretation site by University of Utah . An online course in EKG interpretation.
• http://www.emstudent.org
Lots of links on this site.
• http://www.abem.org
American Board of Emergency Medicine.
• http://www.cochrane.org
Cochrane collaborative database.
Hot Topics in Emergency Medicine
-
EMTALA and consultant on-call crisis: how it impacts EP’s and their patients
-
ED and hospital overcrowding
-
Pharmaceutical industry’s influence on residents and physicians
-
Physician wellness, circadian rhythms, sleep hygiene, driving safety, “burn-out”
-
Disaster medicine, mass casualties, bioterrorism
Reading List Topics
The following is an extensive list of topics and procedural skills you should read about during this rotation. It is recommended that you read first about the topics covered in the medical student lectures. Always focus on the ED perspective, and stick to the recommended texts, which keep it simple. Don’t get caught up in too many details, as the goal is to know a little bit about every topic by the end of the rotation and not to be board-certified in emergency medicine.
1. Cardiac Arrest
- BLS and ACLS
2. Arrythmias
- Basic recognition and treatment
3. Respiratory Distress
- upper airway obstruction
- CHF
- asthma/COPD
4. Shock
- hypovolemic
- neurogenic
- cardiogenic
- anaphylactic
- septic
5. Trauma Basics
- head injury + Glasgow Coma Scale
- neck + spine injuries, NEXUS
- chest injuries: flail
aortic rupture
hemo + pneumothorax
pulmonary and cardiac contusion
- abdominal injuries: blunt/penetrating
- pelvic fracture basics
6. Chest pain
- MI/UA
- aortic dissection
- pericarditis
- pulmonary embolism
- esophageal rupture
- spontaneous pneumothorax
-cardiac tamponade
7. Abdominal pain
- emergent diagnoses only
8. Acid-base balance
- blood gas interpretation
9. Endocrine emergencies
- hypoglycemia
- DKA
- hyperosmolar non-ketotic state
- thyroid storm
- adrenal crisis
10. Neurologic emergencies
- seizures and status epilepticus
- stroke syndromes
- headache
- syncope and vertigo
- motor weakness
11. Infectious emergencies
- sepsis
-meningitis
- choice of antibiotics
12. GI Bleeds
-upper GI bleeds
-lower GI bleeds
13. GU emergencies
- urinary retention
- renal colic
- hematuria
- testicular pain - torsion + epididymitis
- urethritis
14. Gynecologic emergencies
- vaginal bleeding
- ectopic pregnancy
- PID
15. Alcohol related illness
- withdrawal/DT’s
- Wernicke’s encephalopathy
- gastritis/pancreatitis
- hepatic encephalopathy
16. ENT emergencies
- epistaxis
- sore throat and airway obstruction
17. Ophthalmologic emergencies
- the red or painful eye
- blunt/penetrating eye trauma
- acute visual loss
18. Poisoning + Drug Overdose
- general treatment
- ASA
- acetaminophen
- sedative - hypnotic
- cholinergic
- tricyclic antidepressants
19. Environmental Emergencies
- hypothermia/hyperthermia
- near drowning
- burns
20. Anaphylaxis
21. Bites and Stings
- animal bites
- rabies prophylaxis
22. Family Violence
- child, spouse, elderly abuse
23. Psychiatric emergencies
- violent patients
24. Pediatric emergencies
- respiratory distress
- fever workup and meningitis
- dehydration
- abdominal pain
25. Orthopedic emergencies
a) General principles
- differentiation of soft tissue injuries: contusions/sprains/strains
- differentiation of fractures/subluxation/dislocations
- extremity infections: cellulitis/lymphangitis/necrotizing fasciiitis
- compartment syndrome
- acute arthritis
-examination of the hand
b) Hand and wrist injuries and infections
- scaphoid fracture
- felon, paronychia, subungual hematoma
- boutonniere deformity, mallet finger
- boxer’s fracture
- Colles fracture
- human bites
- phalangeal fractures + dislocations
c) Upper extremity trauma
- radial head fracture
- Nursemaid’s elbow
- supracondylar fracture of humerus
- proximal humerus fractures
- acromio-clavicular separation
- shoulder dislocations
- bursitis/tendinitis of the shoulder
- clavicle fractures
d) Pelvis and hip injuries
- potential blood loss
- associated injuries
e) Lower extremity trauma
- femoral fractures
- ligamentous and meniscal injuries of the knee
- ankle sprains, fractures and associated injuries
26. Wound Management
- tetanus prophylaxis
This is a list of procedures that you should read about (indications, contraindications, method, complications and treatments). You will be able to assist or perform many of these during your rotation. This does not mean that you will get to perform all of them. In fact, due to the critical nature of many of our patients you will most likely not be able to perform the more invasive procedures.
- Airway management
- Defibrillation and cardioversion
- Cervical spine immobilization
- Intravenous access - peripheral + central
- NG tube placement and gastric lavage
- ABG sampling
- Chest tube insertion
- Suture techniques
- Splinting and bandaging
- Incision + drainage of abscesses
- Slit lamp use
- Nasal packing
- Foreign body removal