Monthly Archives: February 2015

PEM Fellow Perspective

A Day in the Life of a PEM Fellow

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I look down the signout list in preparation for the day.  My heart sinks and I feel myself sweating.  Palpitations ensue and I have to stop and take my pulse and an aspirin.  No, I’m not having a cardiac arrest.   At least not yet.  The patient in room 1 stole that thunder already.

Am I back in the adult ED again this month? Nope! PICU is the flavor of the month!  Back into the world of rounding for hours on every system of the body, discussing vent settings, sedation drips, whether or not to diurese, whether or not to feed, whether or not to extubate;  and yet all of those things are not why I opted out of doing a PICU fellowship. The medicine is great! I love a challenge, and these patients are certainly not disappointing me in that way. I am in way over my head and being inundated with a dictionary of words from a language that I have not used in several years.  So why the heck am I so exhausted when every day is a steady adrenaline rush? read more

Ped EM Section Columns, Policy & Advocacy

Will legalizing marijuana increase the burden on the Pediatric Emergency Department?

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Some states have already legalized marijuana and others are likely to follow.  This is a hot topic of discussion in Washington DC.  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently reaffirmed its position on keeping marijuana illegal “http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/American-Academy-of-Pediatrics-Reaffirms-Opposition-to-Legalizing-Marijuana-for-Recreational-or-Medical-Use.aspx“, while the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) has a more tolerant view on this subject by suggesting that a more responsible use of marijuana might be expected if legalization were to be considered, as suggested in the the article here: “http://www.acepnow.com/article/legalizing-marijuana-will-make-safer/” read more