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Core EM - Emergency Medicine Podcast

Core EM - Emergency Medicine Podcast

By: Core EM
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 Core EM Emergency Medicine PodcastCore EM Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease
Episodes
  • Episode 216: BRUE (Brief Resolved Unexplained Event)

    Episode 216: BRUE (Brief Resolved Unexplained Event)
    Dec 1 2025
    We review BRUEs (Brief Resolved Unexplained Events). Hosts: Ellen Duncan, MD, PhD Noumi Chowdhury, MD https://media.blubrry.com/coreem/content.blubrry.com/coreem/BRUE.mp3 Download Leave a Comment Tags: Pediatrics Show Notes What is a BRUE? BRUE stands for Brief Resolved Unexplained Event.It typically affects infants <1 year of age and is characterized by a sudden, brief, and now resolved episode of one or more of the following: Cyanosis or pallor Irregular, absent, or decreased breathing Marked change in tone (hypertonia or hypotonia) Altered level of responsiveness Crucial Caveat: BRUE is a diagnosis of exclusion. If the history and physical exam reveal a specific cause (e.g., reflux, seizure, infection), it is not a BRUE. Risk Stratification: Low Risk vs. High Risk Risk stratification is the most important step in management. While only 6-15% of cases meet strict “Low Risk” criteria, identifying these patients allows us to avoid unnecessary invasive testing. Low Risk Criteria To be considered Low Risk, the infant must meet ALL of the following: Age: > 60 days old Gestational Age: GA > 32 weeks (and Post-Conceptional Age > 45 weeks) Frequency: This is the first episode Duration: Lasted < 1 minute Intervention: No CPR performed by a trained professional Clinical Picture: Reassuring history and physical exam Management for Low Risk: Generally do not require extensive testing or admission. Prioritize safety education/anticipatory guidance. Ensure strict return precautions and close outpatient follow-up (within 24 hours). High Risk Criteria Any infant not meeting the low-risk criteria is automatically High Risk. Additional red flags include: Suspicion of child abuse History of toxin exposure Family history of sudden cardiac death Abnormal physical exam findings (trauma, neuro deficits) Management for High Risk: Requires a more thorough evaluation. Often requires hospital admission. Note: Serious underlying conditions are identified in approx. 4% of high-risk infants. Differential Diagnosis: “THE MISFITS” Mnemonic T – Trauma (Accidental or Non-accidental/Abuse) H – Heart (Congenital heart disease, dysrhythmias) E – Endocrine M – Metabolic (Inborn errors of metabolism) I – Infection (Sepsis, meningitis, pertussis, RSV) S – Seizures F – Formula (Reflux, allergy, aspiration) I – Intestinal Catastrophes (Volvulus, intussusception) T – Toxins (Medications, home exposures) S – Sepsis (Systemic infection) Workup & Diagnostics Step 1: Stabilization ABCs (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) Point-of-care Glucose Cardiorespiratory monitoring Step 2: Diagnostic Testing (For High Risk/Symptomatic Patients) Labs: VBG, CBC, Electrolytes. Imaging: CXR: Evaluate for infection and cardiothymic silhouette. EKG: Evaluate for QT prolongation or dysrhythmias. Neuro: Consider Head CT/MRI and EEG if there are concerns for trauma or seizures. Clinical Pearl: Only ~6% of diagnostic tests contribute meaningfully to the diagnosis. Be judicious—avoid “shotgunning” tests in low-risk patients. Prognosis & Outcomes Recurrence: Approximately 10% (lower than historical ALTE rates of 10-25%). Mortality: < 1%. Nearly always linked to an identifiable cause (abuse, metabolic disorder, severe infection). BRUE vs. SIDS: These are not the same. BRUE: Peaks < 2 months; occurs mostly during the day. SIDS: Peaks 2–4 months; occurs mostly midnight to 6:00 AM. Take-Home Points Diagnosis of Exclusion: You cannot call it a BRUE until you have ruled out obvious causes via history and physical. Strict Criteria: Stick strictly to the Low Risk criteria guidelines. If they miss even one (e.g., age < 60 days), they are High Risk. Education: For low-risk families, the most valuable intervention is reassurance, education, and arranging close follow-up. Systematic Approach: For high-risk infants, use a structured approach (like THE MISFITS) to ensure you don’t miss rare but reversible causes. Read More
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  • Episode 215: Marburg Virus and Global EM

    Episode 215: Marburg Virus and Global EM
    Nov 1 2025

    Lessons from Rwanda’s Marburg Virus Outbreak and Building Resilient Systems in Global EM.

    Hosts:
    Tsion Firew, MD
    Brian Gilberti, MD

    https://media.blubrry.com/coreem/content.blubrry.com/coreem/Marburg_Virus.mp3 Download Leave a Comment Tags: Global Health, Infectious Diseases Show Notes Context and the Rwanda Marburg Experience
    • The Threat: Marburg Virus Disease is from the same family as Ebola and has historically had a reported fatality rate as high as 90%.
    • The Outbreak (Sept. 2024): Rwanda declared an MVD outbreak. The initial cases involved a miner, his pregnant wife (who fell ill and died after having a baby), and the baby (who also died).
    • Healthcare Worker Impact: The wife was treated at an epicenter hospital. Eight HCWs were exposed to a nurse who was coding in the ICU; all eight developed symptoms, tested positive within a week, and four of them died.
    • The Turning Point: The outbreak happened in city referral hospitals where advanced medical interventions (dialysis, mechanical ventilation) were available.
      • Rapid Therapeutics Access: Within 10 days of identifying Marburg, novel therapies (experimental drugs and monoclonal antibodies) and an experimental vaccine were made available through diplomacy with the US government/CDC and agencies like WHO, Africa CDC, CEPI and more.
    • The Outcome: This coordinated effort—combini...
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  • Episode 214: Acute Pulmonary Embolism

    Episode 214: Acute Pulmonary Embolism
    Oct 2 2025

    We review the diagnosis, risk stratification, & management of acute pulmonary embolism in the ED.

    Hosts:
    Vivian Chiu, MD
    Brian Gilberti, MD

    https://media.blubrry.com/coreem/content.blubrry.com/coreem/Acute_Pulmonary_Embolism.mp3 Download One Comment Tags: Pulmonary Show Notes Core Concepts and Initial Approach
    • Definition: Obstruction of pulmonary arteries, usually from a DVT in the proximal lower extremity veins (iliac/femoral), but may be tumor, air, or fat emboli.
    • Incidence & Mortality: 300,000–370,000 cases/year in the USA, with 60,000–100,000 deaths annually.
    • Mantra: “Don’t anchor on the obvious. Always risk stratify and resuscitate with precision.”
    • Risk Factors: Broad, including older age, inherited thrombophilias, malignancy, recent surgery/trauma, travel, smoking, hormonal use, and pregnancy.
    Clinical Presentation and Risk Stratification
    • Presentation: Highly variable, showing up as anything from subtle shortness of breath to collapse.
    • Acute/Subacute: Dyspnea (most common), pleuritic chest pain, cough, hemoptysis, and syncope. Patients are likely tachycardic, tachypneic, hypoxemic on room air, and may have a low-grade fever.
    • Chronic: Can mimic acute symptoms or be totally asymptomatic.
    • Pulmonary Infarction Signs: Pleuritic pain, hemoptysis, and an effusion.
    • High-Risk Red Flags: Signs of hypotension (systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg for over 15...
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