Sickle Cell

[anxiousnadd]

Does anyone else think that a case presentation on a Sickle Cell patient in the ED would be way too academic and less practical for a case report that I am to do for my EM rotation?

I personally find it interesting, but I wasn't sure if that topic should be reserved for someone that is more interested in going into Heme/Onc as opposed someone like me that wants to do EM?

Thanks

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[SoCuteMD]

Depends. Is it an emergent presentation of a sickle cell complication?

 

[Janders]

there are plenty of sickle cell complications (and complications of treatment for ss) that are very relevant to EM. Plus, a presentation that sparks an interest from YOU will surely be better than one on a topic you find dry or boring.

 

[dlung]

Management of sickle cell in the ED would be fine. Acute chest is a bread-and-butter topic. Pain crisis seems dull, but can be good to review--since it's so common and unsatisfying to treat, it's ripe for making errors and mismanagement. We actually reviewed some cases for M&M recently. I'd get some input from your faculty about what specific issue people might be most interested in.

 

[USCDiver]

Take some time to review management of fevers in asplenic patients as many sickle cell sufferers are.

 

[nymbarra]

I just did a presentation on sickle cell crises for residency conference a few weeks back. I think it was received pretty well.

While I covered many of the crises--pain crises, acute chest, aplastic anemia, splenic sequestration, and fever in the SC pt--I linked them with common themes: 1) think of SC as an acute-on-chronic disease, 2) SC can affect every organ system, and 3) because of this, it can imitate many other diseases, e.g., pain crisis vs. osteomyelitis vs. AVN.

Sorry for the run-on paragraph...the point is, SC can be a great topic for EM. Good luck!

 

[quideam]

It would also be good if you tied in one or two relatively recent papers relating to sickle cell , dealing with issues that would be relevant to EM. I'm not talking about review articles - try to find an article or two that address a controversey in treatment or suggest some new or interesting method for diagnosis, treatment, etc. Referencing EBM in your presentations is always important...

 

[BADMD]

...way too academic and less practical...

Many EPs are quite academic. While some of the subtleties may be a touch esoteric, if it has to do with the diagnosis and management of complication of a given condition, it is probably fair game.