The Vomiting Patient
Vomiting and abdominal pain are common in patients in the emergency department. This article focuses on small bowel obstruction (SBO), cyclic vomiting, and gastroparesis. Through early diagnosis and appropriate management,…
Anorectal Complaints in the Emergency Department
Patients commonly present to the emergency department with anorectal complaints. Most of these complaints are benign and can be managed conservatively; however, there are a few anorectal emergencies that clinicians…
Lower Abdominal Pain
Although most frequently presenting with lower abdominal pain, appendicitis, colitis, and diverticulitis can cause pain throughout the abdomen and can cause peritoneal and retroperitoneal symptoms. Evaluation and management of lower…
Approach to Patients with Epigastric Pain
Epigastric pain is an extremely common complaint in the emergency department and has an associated broad differential diagnosis. In the differential it is important to consider cardiac causes that may…
Evidence-Based Medicine Approach to Abdominal Pain
The chief complaint of abdominal pain accounts for 5% to 10% of all presentations in the emergency department. With such broad differential and diagnostic modalities available, this article focuses on…
Abdominal and Gastrointestinal Emergencies
Autumn C. Graham, MD, Editor Joseph P. Martinez, MD, Editor Abdominal pain remains one of the most common reasons for an acute visit to a health care professional. While many…
Zika Virus
Zika virus is an arbovirus of the Flaviviridae family. It is primarily a minimally symptomatic mosquito-borne infection. However, with Zika’s 2015 to 2016 introduction into the Western Hemisphere and its…
Palliative Care in the Emergency Department
As the geriatric population increases in the United States, there is an increase in number of visits to emergency departments for end-of-life and palliative care. This provides the emergency physician…
Altered Mental Status and Delirium
Older patients who present to the emergency department frequently have acute or chronic alterations of their mental status, including their level of consciousness and cognition. Recognizing both acute and chronic…
The Geriatric Emergency Department
This article presents an overview of the complex needs of older patients presenting to the emergency department for care. Discussion points for hospital communities considering emergency services to accommodate the…
