We are medical professionals and we want to help our family and friends as much as we help our patients.  However, there is a real challenge to balance how you help a family member or friend when they have medical questions or concerns.  After all, most likely you are not their primary care provider (PCP).

​Most of us are having issues with using opiates in general given problems with misuse and abuse.  However, more recently we are experiencing significant shortages.  We discuss some key articles in recent literature (almost exclusively 2017) to help discuss alternatives to using opiates in pain control.

​We are no stranger to controversial subjects here at TOTAL EM, but one that already has a significant division in emergency medicine is the use of pelvic exams.  Most people fall into one of two camps: to do one, or not to do one in the event of vaginal bleeding.  The big factor in more recent medical history has been with the availability of ultrasound to supplement or fully replace the pelvic exam.  Michelle Perkins, who has co-authored some of our most well visited posts, joins us in this discussion.

​​Night shift can be rewarding and some of us choose to do it all the time.  There is little to no administration, the crew tends to be more relaxed (but obviously place variant), the cases can be a bit more interesting, the patients are very different from the daytime (both good and bad), and it can there are the small things that is hard to list but you can truly appreciate with time (watching meteor showers and shopping while the rest of the world is asleep) are only a few of the bonuses.  However, it also has its challenges and it is hard to get into the routine.  We discuss some tips from friends, other media, and research in this review.