Hey #MedTwitter. @HannahRAbrams learned me lots about #asterixis and #HE. Some theories that have been posited by myself and my teams for causes of asterixis: 1. Inattention 2/2 encephalopathy - this would serve as common pathway for asterixis in HE, uremia and hypercarbia.
2. Toxic effects of ammonia on peripheral nerves - possible, but doesn't help unify the three main causes of asterixis. 3. Global cerebral slowing (what @HannahRAbrams found) - Similar to #1. Also it is suggested that other metabolic disturbances could cause this.
It seems like there is proof of slowing in the motor cortex, so it is not just #1. But, for anyone who has cared for a patient with #HE, it is clear that attention is an issue. So maybe combo of #1 and #3? I haven't found evidence for #2.
1/ Attending: “Sam, what is the level of bilirubin at which scleral icterus is noticeable?”
Sam thinking: [1. I can make a guess, but 2. Who cares?]
Seem like a familiar scenario? Let’s help this attending ask a better question.
2/ Whether it is in the team room, or at the bedside, asking questions of learners is a skill that requires intention, preparation, and execution. These best practices were a topic I covered a while back, so this will be a refresher.
3/ These were all the topics that were covered in that series. Each individual thread can be found here: twitter.com/i/events/13982…
1/ You just admitted a patient with some really interesting pathology. You want to teach about it tomorrow on rounds. You know it is gonna be a busy day. What’s the plan?
2/ We are still in this “during rounds” section of our inpatient teaching block. Rounds are the CLASSIC time to drop pearls. But, doing it well takes thought and preparation.
3/ What does it mean to “drop pearls”? It refers to pearls of wisdom, and many of us think of some stately professor emeritus waxing poetic in a case conference.
3/ And like the previous threads, much of this content comes from this book (Chapter 16 for this thread) by @DrCalvinChou & @LauraCooleyPhD of @ACHonline. It is a foundational book that is extremely readable and applicable. Well worth your time: CommunicationRx.org
1/ We can’t always treat. We can’t always cure. But we can always support & care with good communication.
Welcome back to our #MedEd & #MedTwitter friends! Today we lay out some foundational skills of communication that you can help your learners to hone under your tutelage.
2/ As we continue to focus on inpatient teaching, we are still in the section that homes in on opportunities during rounds. Especially when rounds are done at the bedside this is a perfect time to practice communication skills.
3/ Last week, @JenniferSpicer4 helped us all to grasp WHY it is important to spend time teaching communication skills:
⬆️Health outcomes & patient experience
⬇️Cost of care
⬆️Clinician experience
2/ This week, I will share tips on how to use questions to get ”the wheels turning” for your learners before rounds.
In just a few minutes, this focuses energy, engages team members in the cases they may not be following, and enhances bedside learning for everyone.
3/ Today’s 🧵 harkens back to one I posted about ”prediction questions”.
Inspiration: #SmallLearning from @LangOnCourse. It is tremendous, with a lot of useful ideas that can be applied in the classroom or clinical setting. FYI - 2nd ed just came out.
1/ Learning objectives? For serious?!? 🤔
Aren’t those for boring pre-clinical lectures?
Are they even necessary? I seem to get by just fine without them.
You may get by fine but knowing how to use learning objectives will take your game to a new level. Let's go!