Fall 2011

From the President
Jason K. Fleming, MD, FACEP

Aloha,
   
Fall is always an exciting time. Even if our tropical trees don't change color in Hawaii, we have other ways to mark the passage of the seasons.
    
The John A. Burns School of Medicine is back in session, and the Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG) is hard at work planning events for medical students interested in our specialty. If you would like to become involved in volunteering your wisdom and experience, sharing with these motivated medical students, we can put you in touch with their leadership. They are always looking for interesting activities, lectures, and workshops. There is plenty of room to get involved!
    
One of the most enjoyable ways to get involved with the medical students is right around the corner! On November 19th, Hawaii ACEP Councillor Dr. Mark Baker is hosting a dinner event at his home on Kailua Beach. Each year, interested medical students mix with local emergency medicine attendings over dinner. The event is designed to give students the opportunity to meet and ask questions of emergency physicians. They want to know everything from academic planning and residency matching, to lifestyle and wellness concerns. Students love it, attendings love it, and it is always a great time. Please join us this year!
    
Also, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is coming to paradise. With thousands of visitors descending on our island home in and around the second week of November, we should be prepared for more than the usual amount of emergency department visits. This is a good opportunity to review and renew surge plans for your emergency departments. The Hawaii ACEP Board is being kept up-to-date by our own Dr. Libby Char, who is involved in medical preparedness planning for the State. Please contact us if you would like more specific information.
    
2012 is right around the corner, and that means that there will be elections for Board and Leadership positions. Please start thinking about whether you or someone in your group might have interest in joining the Board of Directors, as there will be more specific information coming in the next few months prior to the annual meeting in May. If you have questions or would like to become more active in the chapter, please contact me.
    
Best wishes and stay safe.

UH JABSOM Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG)

The JABSOM Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG) started the 2011-2012 school year on August 10 with a meeting that was well attended by first years. Chairs Aaron Brown and Jeremy Stone reported that students were given information on EMIG plans and activities for the coming year, information on the QMC shadowing program, a presentation on EM professional societies, and a realistic demonstration by faculty member Ronald Kuroda on what it is like to work as an EM attending physician. At the conclusion of the meeting, 23 new first year members joined the interest group.
   
The group’s first event of the year was a community service experience at the 2011 American Heart Association Heart Walk at Kapiolani Park on August 13. Four EMIG officers and four new MS1 members attended the walk and volunteered providing education and support to walk participants. On September 27, EMIG held a symposium, led by Dean Roy Magnusson, JABSOM Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, on how to get into EM residency.
  
EMIG’s fundraising chair Ashutosh Shelat has been hard at work building a web site for the group. An EMIG logo has also been created. The goals of the web site are to make EMIG’s schedule of events readily accessible, manage the QMC shadowing calendar, and increase visibility of the JABSOM EMIG. Any comments or suggestions are much appreciated.    

Upcoming EMIG events include: 

Save The Date - 2012 Annual Meeting and Dinner!

The next Hawaii ACEP Annual Meeting and Dinner will be held on Wednesday, May 9, 2012, 4:00 pm - 9:30 pm, at the Outrigger Canoe Club. Mark your calendars for that date. More details on the event will be coming in early 2012. For more information, contact Debbie Sanders.

Hawaii ACEP Board Meetings

The Hawaii ACEP Board meetings are held every other month, on the third Wednesday of the month. Hawaii ACEP members are welcome to attend the Board meetings. For more information on the meetings, contact Debbie. Upcoming Board meetings will be held on the following dates: November 16, 2011; January 18, 2012; March 21, 2012; July 18, 2012; September 19, 2012; and November 21, 2012.
  
Visit our Hawaii ACEP web site.

Clinical News

COPD Exacerbations Twice as Common in Winter
Exacerbations and deaths among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease follow a pronounced pattern of seasonal variation, according to an analysis of data from a randomized, controlled trial.
Read the entire article online.

Bacteria Ride Along on Many Hospital Uniforms
Some people wear their hearts on their sleeves. Doctors and nurses wear a lot more there, it seems. Sixty percent of doctors' hospital uniforms and 65% of nurses' uniforms tested contained potentially pathogenic bacteria in at least one place, according to research published in the American Journal of Infection Control.
Read the entire article online.

Focus On: The Cyanotic Neonate
“Focus On” is an ongoing series of articles that examine common complaints that present to the emergency department or highlight new literature or treatment options.

Learning Objectives for this article include the ability to recognize and treat uncommon presentations of common pathology and common presentations of rare pathology, discuss the presentation, evaluation, differential diagnosis and treatment of the cyanotic neonate.The physician will be able to discuss the pathophysiology of the transition from fetal to newborn circulation,explain the significance of the hyperoxia test and discuss the management of a neonate with methemoglobinemia.
After reading the article, take the CME quiz online.

Welcome New Members

Aaron M. Brown
Amanda K. Jorgenson
Kyle Watanabe