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  • Vignette: Respiratory Failure- it hurts to breathe | Doc on the Run

    < Back Respiratory Failure- it hurts to breathe A 47-year-old male sustains multiple traumatic injuries after being struck by a vehicle while on the side of the road. He had severe thoracic trauma (bilateral pulmonary contusions), bilateral femur fractures and a liver laceration. He also had a severe TBI, requring intubation shortly after his arrival. 10 days into his hospital stay, he still requires ventilatory support. What are some of the potential causes of the patients ongoing requirement for mechanical ventilatory support? Pain from rib fractures, pneumonia, ARDS, pulmonary embolism, fat embolism, pulmonary contusions, loss of chest wall stability due to severe thoracic trauma, hypomagnesemia, volume overload, retained hemothorax, poor nutrition from inadequate protein delivery. He is undergoing a trial of spontaneous ventilation, but he develops tachypnea and hypoxemia and appears to be struggling on the ventilator. What are some of the initial steps in evaluating this patient? Physical exam (pulmonary exam, assess for edema), bedside ultrasound (pleural effusion, pneumothorax). Chest x-ray- look for infiltrates. ABG, EKG, review volume status. His chest x-ray is shown below. What do you see? Trachea midline, no effusions. Bilateral fluffy infiltrates. His current ventilator settings and ABG results are shown below. Ventilator settings: RR 12, TV 450, PEEP 10, FiO2 50. Arterial blood gas: pH 7.34, PaCO2 42, PaO2 64, HCO3 24 What does this tell you about his oxygenation? PaO2:FiO2 ratio is an indicator of oxygenation. This patients P:F ratio is 182. See below for explanation. What diagnosis is this consistent with? Acute respiratory distress syndrome. What are the management principles when caring for a patient with ARDS? What are your initial ventilator management strategies? ARDS is not a primary diagnosis, so it is important to treat the underlying cause (pancreatitis, pneumonia, etc). Minimize further insults to the lungs. Optimize ventilator strategies- low tidal volume, target PEEP/FiO2 combination to target SpO2 88-95% Diagnosis and Management of ARDS Etiologies of ARDS Pneumonia, pulmonary contusions, aspiration, inhalation Trauma, burn Pancreatitis Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) ARDS diagnostic criteria: The Berlin Definition [1] Onset of respiratory failure within 1 week of an insult that is known to cause ARDS Bilateral fluffy infiltrates on CXR not explained by effusions/ infiltrates/ contusions/ lung collapse Respiratory failure not related to heart failure or fluid overload Oxygenation PaO2/FiO2 ratio with PEEP ≥5 cm H2O. Mild 200-300, moderate 100-200, severe ≤100. Basic principles of ARDS management [2,3] Low tidal volume ventilation- 4-8 mL/kg predicted body weight. Prevent volutrauma. Permissive hypercapnia- low TV ventilation leads to decreased minute ventilation, which leads to CO2 retention (hypercapnia). Hypercapnia is tolerated as long as pH remains above 7.2. Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP)- goal is avoiding overdistension and optimizing recruitment If ↑PEEP→ ↓plateau pressure: recruitmentIf ↑PEEP→ ↑plateau pressure: overdistension Optimizing mean airway pressure (MAP). Prolonged inspiratory:expiratory ratio Target plateau pressure <30, driving pressure ≤15. Recruitment manuevers Advanced strategies for persistent hypoxemia Prone positioning Airway Pressure Release Ventilation (APRV) Neuromuscular blockade Inhaled vasodilators Prostacyclin and nitric oxide ECMO High frequency oscillatory ventilation Open lung ventilation Dexamethasone Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R) References Ferguson ND et al. The Berlin definition of ARDS: an expanded rationale, justification, and supplementary material. Intensive Care Med. 2012;38(10):1573-1582. Narendra DK et al. Update in Management of Severe Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure. Chest. 2017 Oct;152(4):867-879. SCCM Clinical Practice Guideline. Fan E et al. ATS/ SCCM CPG: Mechanical Ventilation in Adult Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2017;195(9):1253-1263. Basic Principles of Ventilatory Management of ARDS Previous Next

  • Trauma References | Doc on the Run

    4 Trauma References General Reference GCS .pdf Download PDF • 78KB Injury Severity Scores .pdf Download PDF • 195KB Snakebite Severity Score .pdf Download PDF • 102KB Staplers.Sutures.Mesh .pdf Download PDF • 530KB Hemostatic Agents .pdf Download PDF • 18KB TEG .pdf Download PDF • 12KB TBI Brain Injury Guidelines .pdf Download PDF • 213KB Brain Trauma Foundation .pdf Download PDF • 148KB DVT in TBI .pdf Download PDF • 137KB Spinal Cord ASIA Score .pdf Download PDF • 1.98MB

  • Book Review: Maybe you Should Talk to Someone | Doc on the Run

    13 Maybe you Should Talk to Someone A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed Some of my favorite quotes Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of these things and still be calm in your heart. (p. 289). HMH Books. Kindle Edition. “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. (p. 289). HMH Books. Kindle Edition. Which is why, in the end, after several drafts and revisions, Julie decided to keep her obituary simple: “For every single day of her thirty-five years,” she wanted it to read, “Julie Callahan Blue was loved.” Love wins. (p. 313). HMH Books. Kindle Edition. Previous Next

  • How To Adult: Technology #3 | Doc on the Run

    Video Tutorials < Back Technology #3 Video Tutorials Excel for Mac: How to Import Data From a Web Page Previous Next

  • Book Review: Everybody Lies | Doc on the Run

    3 Everybody Lies Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are - The staggering amount of data available and the power to make predictions. - Internet search bars have entered society as a secret place to ask our most urgent/ personal/ embarrassing questions without risk of guilt or shame from others discovering intimate details about us. People lie on job interviews, online surveys, and almost anywhere they are at risk of being revealed, which introduces a significant bias in database queries. In contrast, there is no motivation to lie to the anonymous search bar. - Evaluating internet searches can reveal an infinite amount of information about society as a whole. Monitoring internet searches during presidential addresses, evaluating searches for unemployment offices, what to say on first dates- there is so much data that can be harnessed to understand society. Previous Next

  • General Surgery Lectures | Doc on the Run

    3 General Surgery Lectures General Surgery .pdf Download PDF • 152.12MB Anorectal .pdf Download PDF • 1.55MB CT Scan and X-ray .pdf Download PDF • 564KB Vascular .pdf Download PDF • 13.57MB Suture .pdf Download PDF • 4.94MB

  • Book Review: Barking Up The Wrong Tree | Doc on the Run

    12 Barking Up The Wrong Tree The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong - Good grades in school- likely to be a "rule follower", and less likely to be innovative, think outside the box. - Introverts are more likely to be experts, extroverts tend to make more money (socializing, "networking"). We should look at "networking" as "making friends". This disputes the "nice guys finish last"... - Match your strengths/ passion/ skill to the right context. - Flattery (sucking up to the boss) can work in the short term, but in the end, when people see their colleagues/ neighbors/ etc cutting corners and reaping benefits, this leads to a general collapse into distrust and rule-breaking. - IQ only matters up to a certain point, but then it yields diminishing returns. After that, hard work is what makes the difference. - Tradeoffs- every hour that you spend working is an hour spent away from other things (family, hobbies). In this age of constant accessibility, you have to decide to leave work behind (ignore your emails when you're at your kid's ball game). - Gratitude in relationships- on their deathbed, people regret working too much and not saying thanks to the people in their life. - Some helpful things I learned...please note that tact and delivery matter and these are not appropriate in every scenario. - When someone is getting upset or frustrated and starts yelling, "Please speak more slowly, I want to help." Or try, "What would you like me to do?" - When someone is upset, validate/ name their feeling. "Sounds like you’re angry/ hurt/ frustrated." If you're wrong, give them the chance to correct you. - Gratitude to relationships. Previous Next

  • How To Adult: Organizational Hacks | Doc on the Run

    How not to lose everything < Back Organizational Hacks How not to lose everything All my life, I've been forgetful and easily distractible. I joke that I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached. This challenge is part of my ADHD, and I can't overcome it with sheer willpower. The list of things that I've lost over the years is staggering- homework (oh so much homework…it was usually stuffed somewhere in my locker), clothing, books, charging cables, water bottles, earrings (what am I supposed to do with the remaining single earrings?) and a white polar bear stuffed animal (he was left in a hotel room on a road trip as a child). I'm looking forward to learning where all my things went when I die and go to heaven. So if this can’t be overcome with sheer willpower, how can you adapt? Check out these techniques or tools to see if you find something that would be useful for yourself. Information * Create a tool for yourself for storing the data you need to be able to access reliably. This website is full of high-yield medical information that is rapidly accessible, but a website is a labor-intensive option. You don’t have to invest time and money into a website. Here are some other options (check out this post for more details ): - Invest in a planner . Electronic options that sync are useful because they minimize the need to re-write things in multiple places. Another option that I prefer is one notebook that keeps all my events in one place, along with my collection of lists and reminders. - Write everything down. My planner is my note repository. The Apple Notes application is also useful because it can sync across multiple Apple devices. At home or work, dry-erase poster paper can be used to take notes, keep track of schedules and provide reminders for long-term tasks and due dates. - Trello is a user-friendly free application with multiple functions, including the creation of lists, storage of documents, and the ability to share notes or documents among team members/ family members. Items * Magnet strips . Using magnetic sheets the size of business cards, cut pieces and strips to put on various items and stick them to the fridge or other magnetic surface of your choice. For example, if you use dry-erase poster paper on the refrigerator, thin strips of magnet can be cut to fit along the length of several dry eraser markers, so they're always on hand when you have something to jot on the whiteboard * Keys on a hook by the front door. 3M hooks work well, but the hook design isn’t as important as placement, ideally not in direct sight of the door. You can also hang your work ID badge or any other small items you need when you leave the house. * Keep track of all your cords with these tie wraps . Inexpensive and sturdy. I didn’t think there was any way I’d use 50- I figured maybe a couple, just for a handful of my charging cables that always end up in a jumble. But trust me, you'll find plenty of uses for them! Finances and Important Documents * Save receipts for anything valuable. If it was purchased online, download the digital receipt. Use the "Create PDF" function to combine receipts. For paper receipts, an envelope in a drawer is a simple option. Every so often, review the receipts, and if there is anything you don't need anymore, toss it. * Paper shredder . Anything with personal information should be destroyed before being thrown away. This is technically not about avoiding losing something, but it’s an important task so it is included here. * Taxes. Instead of waiting until tax season, keep track of key documents and expenses throughout the year. A running spreadsheet of business expenses, donations, etc, can avoid the frantic search in March. * Metal rack of hanging file folders. Each folder has a different label, including taxes (donation receipts, investment statements, etc), moves (signed leases, welcome packet with key information, etc), and business (bank paperwork, original EIN and registration forms, deposited checks). Previous Next

  • Book Review: Made to Stick | Doc on the Run

    11 Made to Stick Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die 6 Principles of Sticky Ideas - Simple - Unexpected- crash at the end of the car commercial. - Concrete - Credibility- the ability to test. Before you vote ask yourself if you are better off today than you were 4 years ago- Reagan. - Emotions - Stories Curse of knowledge- we find it hard to imagine not knowing what we have learned. Can’t imagine what it’s like not to understand a certain concept that we accept as fact Previous Next

  • Medical Literature | Doc on the Run

    Medical Literature Evidence-Based Medicine After you have established a firm foundation of the basics of your chosen specialty, you're ready to develop regular habits to stay up to date on the newest research. Evidence-based medicine is the basis of high-quality patient care, but it can seem overwhelming to try to keep up with the ever-growing body of research. There are countless journals, and it would be time-consuming to search them regularly. So how does one go about navigating the vast ocean of available data? Registering for email alerts is a simple way to get notified when there are new publications. With a quick skim through the article titles to see if anything is relevant, followed by a review of the abstract/ article itself, you can be on the cutting edge of the latest information in your field. Several require individual registration, but it's a very simple and quick process. Many journals require a subscription, often available through your medical school or hospital library. If you are military, you have access to AMEDD Virtual Library (abundant medical resource collection). Thankfully, three publishers (LWW Wolters Kluwer , Springer and Elsevier ) have centralized their journals, so you can quickly subscribe to several journals [these journals are designated by L, S or E]. Medicine and Critical Care Journal of the Ameri can Medical Association New England Journal of Medicine Intensive Care Medicine Critical Care Medicine (L) Current Opinions in Critical Care (L) Journal of Intensive Care (S) Critical Care (S) Journal of Critical Care (E) Critical Care Clinics (E) Surgery World Journal of Surgery World Journal of GI Surgery JAMA Surgery J Gastrointestinal Surg Advances in Surgery Annals of Surgery (L) Annals of Surgery Open (L) BMC Surgery (S) Surgery (E) American Journal of Surgery (E) Journal of the American College of Surgeons (E) Surgical Clinics of North America (E) Advances in Surgery (E) Trauma and Emergency Surgery European J Trauma and Emergency Surgery Trauma Surgery and Acute Care Open Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery (L) World Journal of Emergency Surgery (S) World Neurosurgery (E) Other Specialities Journal of Neurotrauma World Journal of Cardiology JAMA Cardiology JAMA Neurology JAMA Network Open Anesthesia and Analgesia (L) Current Opinion in Anesthesiology (L) Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition (L) Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases (L) Current Opinion in Neurology (L) Diseases of the Colon and Rectum (L) Journal of the American College of Cardiology (E)

  • Collaboration | Doc on the Run

    Surgery trainee education. Trauma surgeon. Acute Care Surgery. Collaboration Interested in being a guest contributor? Any suggestions and contributions will be promptly reviewed and added to the appropriate page/ subpage. The contributor will be noted on the website- you can choose if you want your name or Twitter handle or whatever other identification you would like (or none at all if you would like to be anonymous). Content currently under development. Note- this list is NOT all-inclusive. Database of clinical vignettes in key topics of trauma, critical care and emergency general surgery. Focused on more complex scenarios (ie not run-of-the-mill appendicitis)! Please check out the vignettes I currently have to get an idea of what I’m trying to create- and reach out with any suggestions or cases. Literature reviews - deep dives, high-yield articles, etc Procedural or skill tutorials (pre-peritoneal packing, using the ultrasound in critical care, reading a chest x-ray). Each tutorial is followed by a list of primary sources, encouraging readers to pull information from multiple references. If there is any particular procedure or skill that you would like to create a tutorial for, or something that is currently on the website that you would like to enhance (for example, more advanced ultrasound techniques or ventilator settings), please feel free to reach out with suggestions! There is a wide array of other content that you can add to as well. Note templates Recommendations on networking opportunities Recommendations on social media accounts to follow Educational resources (textbooks, journal articles, training courses, web based open access medical education) Please send me an email (form at the bottom of the page) or contact me on Twitter @doc_on_the_run if you have any questions or want to submit something.

  • FAQs | Doc on the Run

    Surgery trainee education. Trauma surgeon. Acute Care Surgery. FAQs Why did you make this website? Over these years of learning about the practice of surgery, I've also learned a lot about myself. I am not an expert, and I did not follow a typical pathway- but I have some knowledge and resources to share. As I transition into my new Acute Care Surgeon role after 17 years in training, I'm pausing to share my experience, tips for success, and random nuggets of wisdom. This will be a work in progress, and I look forward to seeing how it evolves. My goal is to share my experience and knowledge in the hopes of helping those who desire to follow this path. But why do we need another medical education website? There are so many good resources already... There are endless ways to explain clinical concepts- pictures, text, analogies, clinical cases, podcast discussions of cases or principles, review articles, etc. There are also different learning styles. When I was trying to grasp advanced ventilator management, I read basic critical care textbooks, a book dedicated solely to ventilator management, and various websites and journal articles. This website is another way to interact with the information. Hopefully you will understand some of the concepts in a new way that helps you remember and apply them in clinical scenarios. In addition, I have also tried to create a comprehensive collection of all the useful resources I know, like apps and open access medical education resources (websites, clinical guidelines, etc) in one place for trainees to What does Doc on the Run mean? The summer before my last year of medical school was the start of my running career. My focus was enjoying the outdoors, not pace or distance. During my residency, I met someone who helped me refine my running. I started timing myself, training, and racing. Within a year or two, I pushed through personal barriers to become a "runner." My first half marathon was on Thanksgiving in my third year of surgical residency. I am at the end of my formal training, I am now an Acute Care Surgeon. As a surgeon, there are numerous factors that I can't control. It's fast-paced, demanding, and dynamic. I enjoy the organized chaos and high-stakes cases. Running is key to my work-life balance. Unlike in the operating room or the trauma bay, I have control over most aspects of my runs- pace, distance, route, and thoughts. It's not chaotic- it's basically the polar opposite of my work. During the day, my mind is going a million miles an hour. When I run, everything becomes clearer- I can solve problems, mull over ideas, or process dilemmas. And perhaps the most concrete impact is the runner's high that I enjoy after finishing. I have continued to run 10Ks, 10 milers, and the occasional 5K or 15K. I have learned more about the science of running (HR training zones, different paces for tempo/ interval/ long runs/ short runs) and I've learned how to adapt training schedules to fit my life. Unfortunately, I have suffered my share of injuries, including most recently nerve impingement in my foot. While I may have scaled back, running will always be part of my identity. Did you really build this website yourself? Yes, I did. No, I didn't do all the intricate coding by myself. But I did design, format, and create the content. So are you a computer/ technology guru? Whatever I know about technology, I learned from my brother and from spending many hours researching problems online. While my parents might consider me an expert, I literally just search online to solve most issues. When I get to the end of the internet and still haven't found the solution, my next step is Apple tech support (obviously only if the problem is with my iPhone or Mac). What did you learn while making this website? - Formatting the working space on a website - URL redirect - Domains and subdomains - Search engine optimization (SEO) - Establishing custom domains - Which text/ background colors are easiest to read - Anchors If you weren't an Acute Care Surgeon, what would you do? I'd be a chef. I love cooking! Is there anything that is overwhelmingly gross in your job? I have had almost every body fluid on me- stool, urine, blood, etc. So very little grosses me out. But I can't stand oral or nasal secretions (aka saliva, slobber, snot, etc.).

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