In this episode, Sam Ashoo, MD and T.R. Eckler, MD discuss the April 2025 Emergency Medicine Practice article, Sodium Disorders in the Emergency Department: A Review of Hypernatremia and Hyponatremia

Hypernatremia (High Sodium Levels)

• Definition: Sodium level greater than 145 mEq/L
• Breakdown into three categories based on total body water status
• Hypovolemic Hypernatremia
• Euvolemic Hypernatremia
• Hypervolemic Hypernatremia
• Common causes and conditions associated

Hyponatremia (Low Sodium Levels)

• Definitions: Mild (130-135 mEq/L), Moderate (125-129 mEq/L), Profound (< 125 mEq/L)
• Breakdown into three categories
• Pseudo Hyponatremia
• Hypovolemic Hyponatremia
• Euvolemic Hyponatremia
• Hypervolemic Hyponatremia
• Common causes and conditions associated

Treatment Guidelines and Strategies

• Emphasizing slow correction to avoid complications like cerebral edema and osmotic demyelination syndrome
• Suggested treatment rates for acute and chronic conditions

Special Considerations

• Addressing severe cases and the importance of proper diagnostics
• Pre-hospital care considerations and scenarios
• Pediatrics and consideration of child abuse in sodium disorders

Five Things That Will Change Your Practice

• Central lab sodium values over point-of-care for accuracy
• Rectal temperature checks in endurance athletes
• Loop diuretics for hypervolemic hyponatremia (e.g., CHF patients)
• Enteral treatment for hypernatremia, if possible
• Considering COVID-19 as a possible cause for new onset SIADH

In this episode, Sam Ashoo, MD interviews Patrick O'Malley MD about his career in emergency medicine, The Laceration Course, and the power of connection with our patients.

• Dr. Patrick O'Malley's Journey in Emergency Medicine
• The Laceration Course: Origins and Evolution
• The EM Docs Side Hustle Facebook Group
• The Patient That Changed My Life

• The Laceration Course, The Abscess Course, and more...
• EM Docs Side Hustle Facebook Group
• Patrick O'Malley, MD: LinkedIn

In this episode, Sam Ashoo, MD and T.R. Eckler, MD discuss the March 2025 Emergency Medicine Practice article, Emergency Department Management of Knee Pain

• Common Etiologies of Knee Pain
• Risk Factors and Statistics
• Infectious Causes of Knee Pain
• Pre-Hospital Care and EMS
• History and Physical Exam
• Imaging Guidelines
• Ottawa Knee Rule and X-Ray Necessity
• Imaging Modalities for Knee Effusion
• Ultrasound for Tendon Injury and Arthrocentesis
• CT and MRI in Knee Injury Diagnosis
• Lab Tests for Septic Knee Diagnosis
• Treatment Options for Knee Conditions
• Knee Immobilizers: When and How to Use Them
• Steroid Injections in the Emergency Department
• Managing Traumatic Knee Injuries

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