FOAMcast - An Emergency Medicine Podcast

This tiny episode covers a blog entry from BrownCoatNation.com (University of Illinois, Chicago), who has a new series entitled “Inconceivable.” The idea is to expose medical terminology that we tend to use incorrectly. The first installment is focused on the misuse of the term "left shift," and it's the focus of this FOAMcastini.

'Left shift" refers to the presence of banded (immature) neutrophils in the blood. It does not refer to an elevated white blood cell count with a high percentage of neutrophils. An elevated white blood cell count with an abnormally high percentage of neutrophils should be called "neutrophillic leukocytosis." Only the presence of immature neutrophils in the periphery (including bands) can accurately be called a "left shift." 

We will be back shortly with regular episodes, once their schedules coincide.

Thanks for listening!

 
Direct download: FOAMcastini_left_shift.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:29am EDT

In this episode, we cover the St. Emlyn's team's post on the REVERT trial, which added a new spin to the traditional (and traditionally ineffective) Valsalva maneuver for stable supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). In this post, Dr. Rick Body goes through the trial covering not only the results and also drops pearls on methodology.

Then, we cover core content pearls on supraventricular tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia. Visit foamcast.org for more as well as generously donated Rosh Review questions.

Thanks y'all!

-Jeremy Faust and Lauren Westafer

Direct download: FOAMcast_34._SVT_and_Vtach_take_2.mp3
Category:cardiology -- posted at: 6:54am EDT

1