Back pain is not usually the most exciting chart in the rack but there are many serious diagnoses lurking out there that we have to look out for.  In this episode, we'll go over how to do a good back pain history and physical, catch the red flags, form a broad differential, order the right tests (not everyone need labs and films!), and treat the patient's pain effectively.

This is a short episode on the EM podcasts and websites that I recommend to further your education. Since I take no money from anyone, these are my unbiased opinions of the best podcasts and websites out there. There are many more podcasts and websites out there- these are the ones that I like. If you have suggestions for podcasts or websites to add, please email me and I'll add them to the list.

Infants with fever present a special challenge in the emergency department. Most of these children require large workups and admission to be sure that we aren't missing serious bacterial infections or meningitis. The risks are high here and we need to make sure that we do the right thing for our smallest and youngest patients. We'll talk about how to assess infants from the foot of the bed, how to get an effective history and physical, how to do a sepsis workup in this age group, and some tricks of the trade for how to do an LP on an infant.

There's also a bonus section on pediatric UTIs and how to use a glidescope.

We see patients with headache all the time in the ED. Most patients with headache don't have a life threatening diagnosis but its our job to pick up that small percentage of patients that do. In this episode we'll go through how to take a good headache history, how to catch the red flags, the workup, and treatment of headache in the ED. There's also an extended bonus section that will review how to do an LP along with a few tricks of the trade.

Today we are breaking from the usual format and doing something a little different. If your patient doesn't have an adequate airway then we need to provide one. We are the experts in the emergent airway and there's a lot more to it than shouting out "20 of etomidate and 100 of suxs" like they used to do on the TV show ER. This podcast will go over why we intubate patients, how to prepare for an intubation, the commonly used medications for RSI, tricks of the trade (and maybe a war story or two), and post-intubation management. This is the first topic podcast that is a lot longer than the usual podcasts but airway is our number one priority so it deserves a little extra time.

Also- for the first time ever- a bonus section on a common medical myth. Should you use the D-word for pain from cholecystitis...as in Demerol? Stay tuned after the airway podcast for why this may not be a great idea and why you should just strike Demerol from your memory.

First trimester vaginal bleeding may not be as exciting as a GSW to the chest but it's something that we see a lot in the ED and we have the chance to make a positive impact even if the news isn't good. The workup can seem very cookbook at times but its important that we get it right. In this episode, we'll review the basic workup and disposition of first trimester vaginal bleeding. Just as important as the medicine, we'll also review how to talk to patients about this sensitive and worrisome diagnosis.

A female with abdominal pain can turn into a very complicated patient, thus this chief complaint needs its very own podcast. We'll review the bread and butter basics go over some practical tips on how to avoid all the pitfalls with these patients.

Abdominal pain is one of the most common complaints in the ED. In this podcast we will review how to get a good history, how to do a solid abdominal exam, and a systematic method for figuring out how to effectively use imaging with to make a diagnosis or, at the very least, rule out "the badness".

Chest pain- its one of the most common chief complaints in the ED and we need to be the experts on this.  This podcast reviews how to get a good history of the patient's chest pain, the relevant physical exam findings, how to work it up, and how to talk effectively to your consultants.

An introduction to the EM Basic Podcast and what it is all about