For the second consecutive year, the American College of Emergency Physicians has selected DLC Solutions’ PresentME OnDemand Webcasting and AssessME Learning Management System capture select presentations from their annual meeting held in Seattle, Washington on October 8-11, 2007. The following courses are now available and were produced in association with ACEP’s CME partners:

• Practice Pearls: Updates in Antimicrobial Medicine
  Antimicrobial resistance and complicated infections are some of the most challenging aspects of emergency medicine, and the guidelines for protecting patients from these dangers are constantly evolving. One of the best tools for emergency physicians is a clear understanding of the federally mandated Medicare quality indicators, the guidelines for the assessment and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), and the treatment options for complicated intra-abdominal infection (cIAI). This activity will summarize the updates to the Medicare quality indicators, how to best implement the IDSA guidelines for the treatment of CAP, and the forthcoming guidelines for treatment of cIAI. In addition, current data regarding the effective management of CAP and cIAI will be considered within the context of antimicrobial resistance.

• From Triage to Treatment: Management of ACS in the ED
  The purpose of this continuing medical education activity is to educate emergency physicians on the pathophysiology of acute coronary syndromes (ACS), from unstable angina to NSTEMI to STEMI, and to establish interference with thrombosis as an important approach to acute management. Physicians will review diagnostic approaches to ACS and risk stratification in order to demonstrate the relationship of the disease state to patient outcomes. The mechanisms of action of various drugs that interfere with thrombosis will be discussed, relating management options to clinical trial data. Approaches to acute patient management will be presented in the context of clinical trial data, management options, and clinical outcomes.

• Paradigm Shifts in the Management of Acute Stroke in the Emergency Department
  Stroke is a leading cause of death in the United States and the most common cause of adult disability. During the past 10 years there have been significant advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of stroke and in our diagnostic and management approaches. Initiatives in acute stroke care have placed the emergency physician in a leading role in decision making about the care these patients receive — decision making that begins in the pre-hospital arena and carries through to the neurocritical care unit.

  Although fibrinolytic treatment has received the most attention, acute stroke care is multifaceted and dependent on efficient systems that ensure comprehensive care. Unfortunately, the outcomes for patients with a newly diagnosed stroke remain unacceptable despite advances in diagnosis and treatment. This symposium will review the contribution that early diagnosis and intervention in the emergency department can make in reducing morbidity and mortality in acute stroke patients.

  First, an overview will explore the past and future of transient ischemic attack and acute stroke diagnosis and management. Presentations will follow, covering recent recommendations such as the updated 2005 guidelines from the Stroke Council of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association; the role of stroke scales in the assessment of neurologic impairment of stroke patients in the emergency department; and how new investigational neuroprotective agents may potentially offer benefit to stroke patients without the hemorrhagic risk of thrombolytic therapy.