Background: “Time is brain” is a trope from the neurologist Camilo Gomez that emphasizes the importance of early treatment to improve the neurological prognosis of ischemic stroke patients. Given the short therapeutic window of evidence-based therapies such as thrombolysis and endovascular treatment, it is important to diagnose ischemic stroke from the numerous possible diagnoses accurately [...]

Background: D-dimer is one of the most commonly used tests because of its high sensitivity, but a high false positive rate prevents healthcare providers from efficiently diagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE). This leads to many patients unnecessarily undergoing CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) scans in the emergency department (ED). This study sought to determine if there is [...]

Background: A growing number of hospitalists are incorporating point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) into their daily practice to answer specific diagnostic questions or guide performance of invasive bedside procedures. This study at a 464 bed community hospital investigated hospital medicine department physicians’ choices regarding POCUS as a branch point in clinical decision making. Methods: During shifts covering [...]