Hold on the Gaba | TWIST and POCUS

The JournalFeed podcast for the week of March 30-April 3, 2026.These are summaries from just 2 of the 5 articles we cover every week! For access to more, please visit JournalFeed.org for details about becoming a member.Tuesday’s Spoon Feed:Gabapentinoids are often prescribed for off-label indications, with minimal or no clinically significant benefit, while exposing patients to harmful side effects, especially vulnerable elderly patients.Friday’s Spoon Feed:The TWIST Score can be used for risk stratification of an acute scrotum, but POCUS (point-of-care ultrasound) should be used, particularly in intermediate risk patients to rule out testicular torsion in pediatric patients.

The JournalFeed podcast for the week of 23-27, 2026.These are summaries from just 2 of the 5 articles we cover every week! For access to more, please visit JournalFeed.org for details about becoming a member.Wednesday’s Spoon Feed:Despite being well documented, females with chest pain continue to suffer from misdiagnosis, later presentation, receive fewer guideline-directed therapies and invasive procedures, and have worse short and long term cardiovascular outcomes compared to males.Thursday’s Spoon Feed:A systematic review and meta-analysis found that serious diagnoses after a brief resolved unexplained event are uncommon, with most diagnostic testing yielding little value.

The JournalFeed podcast for the week of March 16-21, 2026.These are summaries from just 2 of the 5 articles we cover every week! For access to more, please visit JournalFeed.org for details about becoming a member.Monday’s Spoon Feed:The 11th edition of Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) introduces major updates, including prioritization of exsanguinating hemorrhage control (xABCDE), damage control resuscitation strategies such as permissive hypotension and early transfusion, reduced crystalloid use, revised approaches to spine motion restriction, and maintaining coordinated, team-based trauma care.Wednesday’s Spoon Feed:This small RCT demonstrated that a low-dose continuous infusion of neostigmine in patients with septic shock resulted in downregulation of inflammatory cytokines and suggested possible improvements in organ dysfunction, illness severity, and mortality.

The JournalFeed podcast for the week of 9-13, 2026.These are summaries from just 2 of the 5 articles we cover every week! For access to more, please visit JournalFeed.org for details about becoming a member.Wednesday’s Spoon Feed:This multicenter RCT demonstrated that a short course of minocycline in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) resulted in improved functional neurologic outcomes at 90 days.Thursday’s Spoon Feed:Tenecteplase administration up to 24 hours after onset of ischemic basilar artery stroke showed improved disability scores compared to standard medical treatment without an increase in adverse events.

The JournalFeed podcast for the week of March 2-6, 2026.These are summaries from just 2 of the 5 articles we cover every week! For access to more, please visit JournalFeed.org for details about becoming a member.Wednesday’s Spoon Feed:Combined elevation in two blood biomarkers (GFAP and UCH-L1) showed high sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) for positive findings on head CT in anticoagulated patients with mild traumatic brain injury but were not helpful at identifying who would develop post-concussive syndrome.Thursday’s Spoon Feed:In this randomized controlled trial, adding 1 liter of IV normal saline to intramuscular diclofenac for acute migraine in the ED did not significantly improve pain relief at 2 hours compared with diclofenac alone.

The JournalFeed podcast for the week of 23-27, 2026.These are summaries from just 2 of the 5 articles we cover every week! For access to more, please visit JournalFeed.org for details about becoming a member.Monday’s Spoon Feed:Patients presenting with anginal symptoms and a new right bundle branch block (RBBB) on ECG or RBBB-specific high-risk features should prompt emergent evaluation for reperfusion therapy.Thursday’s Spoon Feed:Meningococcal disease is a rapidly progressive infection associated with high mortality that often begins with nonspecific symptoms; early recognition, early antibiotics, and aggressive resuscitation are critical to improving outcomes.

The JournalFeed podcast for the week of Feb 16-20, 2026.These are summaries from just 2 of the 5 articles we cover every week! For access to more, please visit JournalFeed.org for details about becoming a member.Monday’s Spoon Feed:Using Wells-based pretest probability with an age-adjusted D-dimer safely ruled out lower-extremity DVT in ED outpatients with zero 3-month VTE events among patients between the conventional and age-adjusted cutoffs.Friday’s Spoon Feed:This evidence-based expert position statement on necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) provides best practices for assessment, diagnosis, treatment, antimicrobials, adjunctive therapies, and long term management.

The JournalFeed podcast for the week of Feb 9-13, 2026.These are summaries from just 2 of the 5 articles we cover every week! For access to more, please visit JournalFeed.org for details about becoming a member.Tuesday’s Spoon Feed:When eye exam is limited by trauma, we rely on orbital CT. While specificity is 94%, sensitivity is only 75% for open globe injuries (OGI), making surgical consultation necessary when suspicion remains.Friday’s Spoon Feed:This retrospective, propensity-matched study of adult and pediatric patients with severe asthma confirms what we already know clinically: non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) decreases mortality and need for intubation.

The JournalFeed podcast for the week of Feb 2 – 6th, 2026.These are summaries from just 2 of the 5 articles we cover every week! For access to more, please visit JournalFeed.org for details about becoming a member.Tuesday’s Spoon Feed:A simple 4-factor clinical decision rule accurately distinguished true bacteremia from contaminants in children with positive blood cultures, achieving 99% sensitivity while potentially reducing unnecessary hospitalizations.Friday’s Spoon Feed:Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a powerful adjunct during cardiac arrest that can identify reversible causes, improve pulse checks, optimize chest compressions, and aid prognostication—as long as it does not interrupt high-quality CPR. When utilized correctly, POCUS may meaningfully guide resuscitation without prolonging pauses.

The JournalFeed podcast for the week of Jan 26-20, 2026.These are summaries from just 2 of the 5 articles we cover every week! For access to more, please visit JournalFeed.org for details about becoming a member.Monday’s Spoon Feed:The modified Valsalva maneuver is the most effective first-line vagal maneuver for stable supraventricular tachycardia, achieving higher conversion rates and reducing the need for intravenous antiarrhythmics without increasing adverse events.Wednesday’s Spoon Feed:Approaches to repeat CT scans in traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are highly variable. This study recommends a risk-stratified approach based upon injury severity, patients’ clinical factors, and timing of initial CT.