Day in the Life EM PA

[ChrisPAinED]

I recently documented a day in the life for PA students who have not done a EM rotation yet to see what a EM pa does in a shift. Disclaimer: I am going to give the examples so broad and unspecified that patient privacy will be maintained and I am not giving exact day and if I had/have any patients with a uncommon condition I will not be giving any info about them. So this is only taking the valuable lessons of each case in one shift to learn a bit and mostly see a day in the life of a EM PA. I am only a EM PA so can't do one for any other specialty so maybe another PA will do a day in the life of there specialty.

 

So this shift was a 12 hour night shift 7pm to 7am pretty typical for me. We already had 2 patients on shift change that I am not going to say anything about for time of shift privacy.

So excluding patients that were already waiting, first patient of the night was a alcohol intoxication possible dehydrated so gave IV fluids and a med to calm them for being aggressive. 

Second patient was there with a exacerbation of a uncommon condition so not going to give any other info.

Third patient was a unknown hypoxia cause from EMS did a CXR and some labs which lead us to a pneumonia. Patient was hypoxic so oxygen and actually required admission for supplementary oxygen. 

Fourth patient was a AMS due to dehydration with electrolyte abnormalities. Corrected with fluids and supplementary electrolytes and discharged with follow up with primary care. AMS improved and had family to watch her so that's a good learning point for PA students. 

Fifth patient had a chest pain, normal ECG, CXR, labs, etc so tried a "magic mouthwash" which is a mix of lidocaine and a acid reflux suppressor and that helped so discharge with follow up primary care.

Sixth patient was a rash were a watch was so contact dermititis expected prescribed a topical steroid cream and follow up with primary care with doesn't improve after taking off watch and completing a few days of the cream. 

Seventh was a sob, cough, fever, and wheeze. Routine cough+fever swabs including flu and covid we're neg and x ray was mostly normal with maybe some hyper inflation not much. CBC showed a slight wbc elevation so had patient given albeterol which helped breathing and discharged with a albeterol for if breathing troubles started again and a short course of antibiotics with follow up with primary care.

 

9 patients pretty simple night. Hope you ether learned something for enjoyed me documenting a day in the life with nothing to violate hipaa. Any questions about a EM PA? Any other PA's that want to feature a day in the life?