We’re in the midst of a global pandemic and, of course, everyone’s attention is focused on COVID-19. Other podcasts have excellent coverage of this situation. In this episode, we’ll be discussing other important infections that continue to affect our communities: HIV, hepatitis C, and syphilis. Over the past year, the UC Davis ED implemented a massive screening effort to identify patients who have become infected. Dr. Larissa May explains how the screening works and some of the surprising trends we’ve seen. Infection rates were higher than expected and many patients had no idea they were infected! One patient tells us how screening positive for HIV, and being connected to care, changed his life. 

This topic, as with so many issues we cover, brings up the broader question: what is the role of the emergency department in the healthcare system? We will explore this further in an upcoming episode and we would love to hear from YOU. 

What do YOU see as the role of the emergency department in the broader health system? Send us your answer via on social media, @empulsepodcast, or through our website, ucdavisem.com. And please pass the word along to your friends and colleagues!

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Hosts:

Dr. Julia Magaña, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis

Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis

Guest:

Dr. Larissa May, Professor of Emergency Medicine with a Masters in Emerging Infectious Diseases, and Director of Emergency Department Antibiotic Stewardship at UC Davis.

Resources:

ACEP Policy Statement on HIV testing and screening in the ED

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) resources:

Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America.

HIV Nexus Clinician Resources

Haukoos JS, Lyons MS, Rothman RE. The Evolving Landscape of HIV Screening in the Emergency Department. Ann Emerg Med. 2018 Jul;72(1):54-56. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2018.01.041. Epub 2018 Feb 17. PubMed PMID: 29459057;

Leblanc J, Hejblum G, Costagliola D, Durand-Zaleski I, Lert F, de Truchis P, Verbeke G, Rousseau A, Piquet H, Simon F, Pateron D, Simon T, Crémieux AC; DICI-VIH (Dépistage Infirmier CIblé du VIH) Group. Targeted HIV Screening in Eight Emergency Departments: The DICI-VIH Cluster-Randomized Two-Period Crossover Trial. Ann Emerg Med. 2018 Jul;72(1):41-53.e9. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2017.09.011. Epub 2017 Oct 31.

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Thank you to the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine for supporting this podcast and to Orlando Magaña at OM Audio Productions for audio production services.