7/6 Conference Summary

Wellness - attachment from Journal of Graduate Medical Education
1) Do not forget to complete your wellness survey!
​2) Employee Assistance Program (EAP).  This program is designed to ​confidentially ​assist employees who may be dealing with personal problems that affect their relationships at home and work.
3) Committee on Practitioner Peer Review and Assistance at Parkland (​COPPRA)​ serves to identify and manage, through the peer review process, matters of individual health for licensed independent practitioners to protect patients, its medical staff members, and other persons presents in the hospital from harm.
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Atraumaticlow back pain
1)​​ Red-flag age range: 70<age<20.
​2) 20% of patients with ​epidural abscesses have no predisposing factors (!).
​3)​ Urinary retention in Cauda Equina Syndrome is >90% sensitive.  Post-void residual > 300mL is abnormal.

Random Points
1) Succinylcholine​ and h​yperkalemia.  ​We get it. But who actually gets it?  A ​sentient review of the literature reveals that ​patients with ​renal failure​ are not the only ones who get hyperkalemia from succs. Patients who have upregulated immature​ACh receptors -  ​specifically, those that ​have​ evidence of​
denervation (functional or anatomic), immobilization, infection, ​or​ burn injuries (after 2-5 days)​ - are at also risk​ of hyperkalemia from succs.
​2) High-sensitivity troponin assay - this has been discussed in European literature for years and has created a considerable amount of grief in the EM and cardiology communities.  In January, the FDA approved an assay for HsT and it's coming to Parkland.  More information to come, but, the attached AHA paper is a good primer. 
3)  Demotivators - this is a"glass half-empty" website.  ​
​Likely the antithesis of wellness, however, it's funny.  

- Academic Chief Max Hockstein, MD  (lightly edited for internet compatability)