February 2026: Pediatric Disaster Readiness

Paul Jansson, MD, MS, joins host Amy Faith Ho, MD, MPH, FACEP, to discuss his ACEP Now Critical Care Time column on extubation in the emergency department. Jansson shares practical guidance on patient selection, sedation management, spontaneous breathing trials, palliative extubation, and multidisciplinary teamwork, highlighting how safe ED extubation can reduce ICU utilization and help patients avoid the complications of prolonged mechanical ventilation.

K. Scott Burnham, DO, joins host Amy Faith Ho, MD, MPH, FACEP, to discuss his ACEP Now article, “The Mental Health Discharge Gap Emergency Physicians Must Talk About,” and his book, “Lifeline: What to Do After a Mental Health Crisis.” Burnham shares how his experiences as both an emergency physician and a patient shaped his perspective on mental health care, and outlines practical steps emergency physicians can take to support patients during the critical post-discharge period. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H17RYXQQhttps://kevinmd.com/2026/09/physician-mental-health-and-the-shame-of-asking-for-help.html

Duncan Grossman, DO, MSED, joins host Amy Faith Ho, MD, MPH, FACEP, to discuss his ACEP Now article, "'No More H’s and T’s' – An Action Based Paradigm for Managing Cardiac Arrest." Grossman discusses the flaws of the popular mnemonic and proposes a new action-based approach to treat cardiac arrest in the ED.

Jamie Syrett, MD, MBA, FACEP, joins host Amy Faith Ho, MD, MPH, FACEP, to discuss his ACEP Now article on point-of-care EEG and its potential role in emergency medicine. Syrett explains how bedside EEG can help physicians identify seizure activity more quickly, reduce unnecessary transfers, and support care in hospitals without immediate neurology access.

Host Amy Faith Ho, MD, MPH, FACEP, welcomes Dr. Tsion Firew to discuss the systematic and sustainable nuances of global health infrastructure. Dr. Firew, the chair of emergency medicine residency at Africa Health Sciences University in Rwanda and an associate professor at New York University, shares pearls for shifting from short-term medical missions to localized systems building, navigating frontline clinical protocols during a deadly Marburg virus outbreak, and balancing the personal and professional demands of international emergency medicine.

Host Amy Faith Ho, MD, MPH, FACEP, welcomes Dr. Utsha Khatri to discuss the clinical and ethical nuances of caring for incarcerated patients, as also explored in the ACEP Now article, “Carceral Health and the Emergency Department.” Dr. Khatri, an assistant professor of emergency medicine and health services researcher, shares pearls for navigating the presence of correctional officers while re-centering the patient through dignity and medical autonomy. Additional highlights from this episode include coverage of the emergency medicine residency match, preparations for the FIFA World Cup, and updates on Medicaid work requirement changes. Dr. Ho also previews clinical features on endometriosis management, forensic training in the ED, and new guidelines for asymptomatic hypertension.

Host Amy Faith Ho, MD, MPH, FACEP, welcomes Dr. Matt Lipton to discuss his ACEP Now article, “IV Iron in the ED: The Time is Now,” which advocates for treating iron deficiency anemia without automatic RBC transfusions in hemodynamically stable patients. Dr. Lipton explains the immediate bioavailability of IV iron compared to blood products and addresses modern safety profiles regarding anaphylaxis and the “Fishbane reaction.” Additional highlights include a case report on adolescent headaches and a guide to evaluating locum tenens physicians.

In this episode of ACEP Nowcast, host Amy Faith Ho, MD, MPH, FACEP, talks with Dr. Theresa Tran Carapucci, director of the Houston Health Department, about the natural transition from the emergency department to public health leadership and advocacy. The discussion also celebrates a record-breaking 2026 residency match and previews April issue highlights. More links: Read more on ACEPNow.com. Revisit ACEP Nowcast podcast episodes.  View job opportunities at emCareers.

In this episode of ACEP Nowcast, host Amy Faith Ho, MD, MPH, FACEP, talks with emergency medicine leaders about the state of pediatric disaster readiness in EDs and the role of observation units in disaster response. More links: Read more on ACEPNow.com. Revisit ACEP Nowcast podcast episodes.  View job opportunities at emCareers.

In this episode of ACEP Nowcast, host Amy Faith Ho, MD, MPH, FACEP, talks to Mack Brown, MD, who walks us through recent updates to the oral boards for emergency medicine. More links: Read more on ACEPNow.com. Revisit ACEP Nowcast podcast episodes.  View job opportunities at emCareers.