Emergency Medicine Board Bombs

A cirrhotic patient with ascites presents confused—but no fever or abdominal pain. Should you just treat hepatic encephalopathy, or are you missing spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP)? In this episode of EM Board Bombs, we review when diagnostic paracentesis is indicated, why ammonia levels are often misleading, the diagnosis and evidence-based management of SBP in the ED.
Want to experience the greatest in board studying? ⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our interactive question bank podcast- the FIRST of its kind here⁠⁠⁠⁠
Cite this podcast as: Briggs, Blake; Husain, Iltifat. 290. Should every ED cirrhosis patient get a paracentesis? Accessed [date].
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our Youtube channel!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What should you do when a patient presents after radiation exposure?
In this episode of EM Board Bombs, filmed on location at White Sands National Park, we review the emergency department approach to acute radiation syndrome (ARS), including exposure assessment, decontamination, diagnosis, laboratory monitoring, and lifesaving treatment.
Want to experience the greatest in board studying? ⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our interactive question bank podcast- the FIRST of its kind here⁠⁠⁠⁠
Cite this podcast as: Wosiski-Kuhn, Marlena. 289. Radiation Poisoning: Emergency Medicine Review. Accessed [date].
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our Youtube channel!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Managing mild traumatic brain injury can be challenging in the ED. Which patients need admission? Who requires repeat imaging? And who can safely go home without any imaging? In this episode, we welcome Dr. Jeff Cloyd, Medical Director of UT LIFESTAR, to discuss the Modified Brain Injury Guidelines (mBIG) and how they help emergency physicians risk stratify patients with mild traumatic brain injury and traumatic intracranial hemorrhage.
We also discuss the upcoming UT LIFESTAR Emergency & Trauma Symposium on August 19, featuring cutting-edge trauma and emergency medicine education.
Want to experience the greatest in board studying? ⁠⁠⁠Check out our interactive question bank podcast- the FIRST of its kind here⁠⁠⁠
Cite this podcast as: Briggs, Blake; Cloyd, Jeff. 288. Managing Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in the ED. Accessed [date].
⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our Youtube channel!⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sometimes in EM, less thinking is a good thing. It's one of the most important concepts in EM board preparation: recognizing when immediate action is required before additional testing.
Through high-yield board-style cases, we review common exam traps and the critical interventions that should never be delayed. Whether you’re preparing for ABEM boards, in-training exams, or simply want to sharpen your emergency medicine decision-making, this episode focuses on the moments where acting quickly changes patient outcomes...for real.
Want to experience the greatest in board studying? ⁠⁠⁠Check out our interactive question bank podcast- the FIRST of its kind here⁠⁠⁠
Cite this podcast as: Briggs, Blake, Wosiski-Kuhn, Marlena. 287. Critical Decision moments in EM: when the right answer is act now. Accessed [date].
⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our Youtube channel!⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pulmonary embolism ECG findings are one of the most commonly tested Emergency Medicine board topics — and one of the easiest places to get tricked. Let's quickly cover what is the right answer on boards, and how in real life there is an even better option.
Want to experience the greatest in board studying? ⁠⁠⁠Check out our interactive question bank podcast- the FIRST of its kind here⁠⁠⁠
Cite this podcast as: Briggs, Blake. 286. The PE ECG Finding Everyone Memorizes… But Gets Wrong. Accessed [date].
⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our Youtube channel!⁠⁠⁠⁠