Premise 

The purpose of the Emergency Medicine & Critical Care Skills and Procedures
Modules is to identify the most commonly performed skills and/or those skills required for life-saving intervention that must be mastered for practitioners in high-risk fields of medicine. These skills will be taught both in a didactic format through on-line modules, as well as in a clinical lab setting (separate activity). The goal is to narrow the variability of practice among providers, raise the quality of care. and reduce risk to patients and providers. Outcomes will be measured and monitored by Risk Management (corporate) and hospital site Quality Directors and Medical Directors. Annual review of this data will be used to pian future educational.

What is true of all emergency and critical care skills is that the most difficult part is cognitive: knowing with certainty that the procedure must be executed as quickly as possible to prevent deterioration or demise of the patient. These skills, though rarely executed, should be at the fingertips of every provider. We are not advocating for procedures to be done without a specialist available, but in reality, that is not always the case. 

Course Goals: 

1.    Identify the pertinent anatomy and pathophysiology associated with retrobulbar hematoma as a cause of increased intraocular pressure

2.    Discuss the indications, contra-indications, and complications associated Lateral Canthotomy and Cantholysis

3.    Discuss post-procedure care and definitive treatment of the emergent condition