EMS was called to the home of a 24-year-old female who was altered. She started acting “bizarre” and eventually became unresponsive, so her family called 911. The ambulance arrived and, per protocol for an altered level of consciousness patient, checked her blood sugar which they found to …
Have you ever tried to listen to a patient’s heart sounds, and you can’t hear a thing? No lub (S1), no dub (S2). This may occur for a variety of reasons (heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, chronic lung disease, and a large body habitus, to name …
When should we worry about a young patient who has a cough? Consider this case that could happen any primary care office or urgent care. A 36 year old female presents with dry cough for 3 days. She had some fatigue and was having a tough time …
Cardiovascular disease remains a significant cause of morbidity and the number one cause of mortality in the United States. Chest pain is one of the most common symptoms prompting patients to seek medical evaluation in primary care and the emergency department. The etiologies of chest pain range …
Key Updates from the ACC/AHA Evaluation & Diagnosis of Chest Pain Guidelines Read More »
Your patient with chronic heart failure had a 12-Lead EKG done as part of the initial evaluation to your clinic. You note the heart rate (80 beats/minute), rhythm (regular), and intervals (all within normal limits except for a wide QRS complex (> 120 ms). You remember the …
Heart Failure Heart failure remains a significant cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the United States. On April 1st 2022, the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/Heart Failure Society of America released the “2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure” replacing the “2017 ACC/AHA/HFSA …
Hot Off the Press: 2022 Heart Failure Practice Guideline Update Read More »
Atrial Fibrillation Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common supraventricular arrhythmia that increases in prevalence with age and significantly increases the risk of embolic stroke. Therefore, healthcare providers need to know current treatment options to prevent cardiovascular sequela associated with AF. But, first, the practicing clinician must identify …
Don’t skip a Beat When Managing Atrial Fibrillation Read More »
Air Travel & Medical Aid With the pandemic beginning to wain in some areas, travel is on people’s minds again. While not at pre-COVID levels, air travel continues to increase as more people travel for business, pleasure, and medical tourism. Inevitably, nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants …
Salt over your shoulder In ancient times salt was a valuable commodity primarily because it was hard to procure, making it very costly. A superstition says spilling salt will bring you bad fortune. As legend has it, you should take a pinch of the spilled salt and …
Heart Failure Heart failure is a significant cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the United States. Healthcare providers need to be knowledgeable of current treatment options to prevent cardiovascular sequela associated with heart failure. Recent advances in novel drug therapies have revolutionized the field of heart …
