Month: June 2018

I don’t think you need especially gory illustrations for this. I think you get the picture. In a previous Straight, No Chaser, we discussed broken fingers. If you get a “fight bite” (i.e. punch someone and cut your finger on their … Continue reading →

Don’t the tips of your fingers drive you nuts? Our leading edges cause so much drama for us. We’ve previously discussed injuries to nails and nail beds, but many of you who work with your hands know all too well … Continue reading →

It’s curious how many patients with broken noses come into the emergency room smiling. Usually they’re kids whose parents “just want to be sure.” In these cases not much happens. The kids love to see the pictures of their x-rayed faces, … Continue reading →

Several Straight, No Chaser posts have addressed jaw pain. We’ve separately discussed jaw trauma and TMJ syndrome. Unfortunately, that’s not the most important story of jaw pain. As an emergency physician, those causes aren’t close to my first consideration when you tell me you have … Continue reading →

Should you ever suffer the misfortune of getting hit or falling onto your jaw, would you know what to do? Trauma to the jaw is more dangerous than you might imagine. The risk for bleeding or subsequent breathing difficulties is such … Continue reading →

Aren’t hangnails annoying? Well, it gets worse. The things we do in an effort to get rid of them cause even bigger problems, and that’s the focus of this Straight, No Chaser.   We’ve previously discussed the dangers of human … Continue reading →

What would you do if you stepped on a nail? What if the nail was rusty? Does it make a difference if you were wearing shoes? Is stepping on a nail dangerous? Why does everyone pronounce tetanus “teknus?” For the … Continue reading →

All headaches are not created equal. Earlier we discussed migraines, but there’s a lot more to headaches than those. In fact, when you come to an emergency room with a history of migraines and tell us you’re having a migraine, we … Continue reading →

There are 30 million migraine sufferers in the U.S. alone.  Women are three times as likely to have them, but both sexes have to address the issues raised by them.  Here are some important facts regarding migraines and myths surrounding them, … Continue reading →

With the recent  holiday weekend behind us, let me share a story…. It starts with me back in the emergency room with a little girl who looks like her forearm is going to fall off the rest of her upper … Continue reading →