Emergency Medicine Deep Dive: Psych, Toxicology, & Infectious Disease Challenges

Emergency Medicine Deep Dive: Psych, Toxicology, & Infectious Disease Challenges is organized by CME4LIFE.

Description:
Emergency Medicine Deep Dive: Psych, Toxicology, & Infectious Disease Challenges

Enhance your emergency medicine capabilities with this targeted learning program, tailored for healthcare professionals facing complex psychiatric, toxicological, and infectious disease emergencies.

Emergency Psychiatry & Toxicology Mastery (2 hr 21 min):
Psych:

• Evaluate and manage psychiatric cases in emergencies. First, distinguish medical conditions mimicking psychiatric disorders to rule out organic causes.
• Use the mental – status examination as a crucial assessment tool. Plan patient disposition (voluntary, involuntary, admission, or discharge) based on clinical criteria and safety.
• Discuss acute – care psychiatric medications. Know the indications, contraindications, and side – effects of antipsychotics and anxiolytics.
• Manage agitation or violence with chemical and physical restraints, choosing appropriate medications.
• Outline presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of common Axis I disorders like schizophrenia, mood/anxiety disorders, and those related to substances, medical illness.

Toxicology:

• Manage toxic ingestions and overdoses in emergencies. Learn indications, contraindications, and uses of common antidotes like naloxone and N – acetylcysteine.
• Explore anion gap metabolic acidosis and toxic ingestions causing it. Compare physical findings of different toxidromes (opioid, sympathomimetic, etc.).
• Review diagnosis and treatment of toxic alcohol ingestions (methanol, etc.). Explain differences in opiate overdoses (heroin, fentanyl, etc.).
• Discuss sympathomimetic toxicity, features, and treatments. Differentiate acute and chronic salicylate toxicity, use Rumack – Matthew nomogram for acetaminophen.
• Manage other common toxic ingestions (alcohol, benzodiazepines, etc.), covering presentations, diagnostics, and treatments.

Infectious Disease in Acute Care (2 hr 30 min):

• Diagnose and treat infectious diseases and sepsis in the ED. Start with tick – borne infections (Lyme, Rocky Mountain spotted fever) covering presentation, diagnosis, and ED management.
• Include protozoan infections, their presentation, diagnosis, and treatment. Explore sepsis and septic shock pathophysiology, stressing early goal – directed therapy.
• Discuss HIV from exposure to AIDS, overview antiretroviral meds and side – effects. Explain occupational exposure management and when to start HIV prophylaxis.
• Review common opportunistic infections in AIDS patients (cryptococcal meningitis, etc.), focusing on features and treatments.