Emergency Procedures Clinical Guide
Emergency medicine and critical careGuide
32 articles
In this Emergency Procedures Clinical Guide we cover how to perform several advanced procedures in emergency medicine. These procedures will help you diagnose and treat both common and rare conditions you’ll see in acute care medicine. We cover procedures related to joint infections, dislocations, many types of abscesses, and priapism. And of course, by the end, we also review how to perform the ultimate rescue airway procedure, the cricothyrotomy. We summarize the tools you need, how they’re used, and important pearls and neat tricks to make things easier.
In this Emergency Procedures Clinical Guide we cover how to perform several advanced procedures in emergency medicine. These procedures will help you diagnose and treat both common and rare conditions you’ll see in acute care medicine. We cover procedures related to joint infections, dislocations, many types of abscesses, and priapism. And of course, by the end, we also review how to perform the ultimate rescue airway procedure, the cricothyrotomy. We summarize the tools you need, how they’re used, and important pearls and neat tricks to make things easier.
Editors:Shelley Jacobs, PhD
Peer reviewers:Franz Wiesbauer, MD MPH Internist
Last update 29th Sep 2026
Chapter 1
All you need to know about arthrocentesis
Patients often present to the emergency department and outpatient practices complaining of painful and swollen joints. In the articles of this chapter, we review the indications and contraindications for performing an arthrocentesis. We summarize the tools required and describe the best techniques for successfully performing this procedure on the wrist, elbow, shoulder, knee, and ankle joints.
When should you consider arthrocentesis for your patient?
In this Medmastery article, learn about the indications and contraindications for an arthrocentesis procedure of a joint.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 3m read
How to perform arthrocentesis on a joint
In this Medmastery article, learn about the basic arthrocentesis procedure, and the tools you'll need to tap a joint.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 2m read
How to perform arthrocentesis of the knee
Does your patient need a knee arthrocentesis? Read about how to ensure a quick and painless knee tap here!
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 2m read
How to perform arthrocentesis of the ankle
Learn how to perform a quick and painless ankle tap with the basic ankle arthrocentesis procedure in this article.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 2m read
How to perform arthrocentesis of the wrist
Learn how to perform a quick and painless wrist tap with the basic wrist arthrocentesis procedure summarized here.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 2m read
How to perform arthrocentesis of the shoulder
Sharpen your emergency room skills with this article describing how to perform a quick and painless shoulder tap.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 2m read
How to perform arthrocentesis of the elbow
In this Medmastery Clinical Guide article, learn about the six simple steps that ensure a clean and painless elbow tap.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 2m read
Chapter 2
The essential information about performing an anterior shoulder reduction
The shoulder is the most commonly dislocated joint in the body. The next time you’re watching a sporting event, you may have the opportunity to be a hero and make the diagnosis and reduce a dislocated joint without the need for sedation right there on the field. In these articles we review several ways of reducing a dislocated shoulder without needing sedation. After reading the articles in this chapter, you’ll even know how to reduce your own dislocated shoulder!
How to diagnose an anterior shoulder dislocation
Does your patient have a dislocated shoulder? Learn the physical signs and tests to perform to diagnose one in this article!
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 3m read
How to reduce a shoulder with the Cunningham technique
Are you treating a shoulder dislocation? Improve your reduction success rates with this article on the Cunningham technique.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 3m read
How to reduce a shoulder with the external rotation method
Not sure how to reduce a shoulder? Learn about the external rotation method, a technique that requires no sedation!
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 2m read
How to reduce a shoulder with scapular manipulation
Too busy in the clinic to reduce your patient's shoulder? Read this short article on how to perform a scapular manipulation.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 2m read
How to reduce a shoulder with the FARES technique
In this article on shoulder reduction, learn how to perform the FARES technique in the emergency room.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 2m read
How to reduce your own shoulder with the Davos technique
Can you reduce your own shoulder? Find out in this article on the Davos shoulder reduction technique.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 2m read
Post-reduction care for an anterior shoulder dislocation
Improve your patient management with this article on post-reduction care for an anterior shoulder dislocation.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 2m read
Chapter 3
What you need to know to reduce a jaw, prosthetic hip, and elbow
What does a toddler who won’t move her elbow, a teenager who won’t close his mouth, and an elderly person who can’t move her hip have in common? You’ll know once you’ve read the articles in this chapter. In these articles we review how to diagnose and treat nursemaid’s elbow, and jaw and prosthetic hip dislocations.
How to diagnose a jaw dislocation
Does your patient have a dislocated jaw? Learn how to diagnose a temporomandibular (TMJ) dislocation here.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 2m read
How to reduce a jaw dislocation
Not sure how to reduce a jaw? Learn how to safely reduce a temporomandibular (TMJ) dislocation in this article.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 2m read
How to diagnose a prosthetic hip dislocation
Does your patient have a dislocated hip? Learn the physical signs and tests to diagnose a prothestic hip dislocation here.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 2m read
How to reduce a prosthetic hip dislocation
In this Medmastery article on hip reduction, learn the step-by-step procedure to reduce a prosthetic hip disclocation.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 27th Nov 2020 • 2m read
How to diagnose and reduce a nursemaid’s elbow
In this short article on nursemaid's elbow, learn how to diagnose and reduce an elbow dislocation in young children.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 3m read
Chapter 4
All you need to know about abscess drainage
If you work in an urgent care setting, you see a lot of soft tissue abscesses. In this chapter, we cover how to diagnose and treat a variety of abscesses, from basic soft tissue infections and paronychia, to more complicated peritonsillar and Bartholin gland abscesses. We review traditional incision and drainage techniques, and then introduce newer techniques like the loop drainage method.
How to drain a small skin abscess
Sharpen your emergency room skills with this Medmastery article on how to drain a small uncomplicated skin abscess.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 22nd Jan 2021 • 4m read
How to loop drain a large skin abscess
Sharpen your emergency room skills with this Medmastery Clinical Guide article on how to loop drain a large skin abscess.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 3m read
How to diagnose a peritonsillar abscess
In this Medmastery Clinical Guide article, learn how to recognize and diagnose a peritonsillar abscess from our expert.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 4m read
How to drain a peritonsillar abscess
Not sure how to treat a peritonsillar abscess? Check out this article to learn the techniques to painlessly drain this abscess.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 3m read
How to diagnose a Bartholin gland abscess
In this Medmastery Clinical Guide article, learn how to recognize and diagnose a Bartholin gland abscess from our expert.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 3m read
How to drain a Bartholin gland abscess
In this Medmastery Clinical Guide article, learn how to treat a bartholin abscess with a tried-and-true drainage technique.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 2m read
How to drain a finger paronychia
Improve your in-clinic patient care with this article on draining a finger paronychia, a common finger infection.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 29th Sep 2026 • 3m read
Chapter 5
The essential guide to diagnosing and treating priapism
Did you know that there are two types of priapism? Did you know that one of them is a time sensitive emergency and your patient can’t afford to wait an hour for the urologist to show up? In the articles of this chapter we summarize the tools needed and review how to dilute phenylephrine for the management of priapism. After reading the articles in this chapter, you’ll be able to rapidly treat this emergency.
How to identify priapism
Improve your clinical diagnostic skills with this Clinical Guide article on recognizing and diagnosing ischemic priapism.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 3m read
What are the treatment options for priapism?
Read this Medmastery Clinical Guide article to find out about priapism treatment procedures and patient management.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 4m read
Step-by-step guide for treating priapism
In this Medmastery Clinical Guide article, learn about the treatment options for a patient with unresolved priapism.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 3m read
Chapter 6
What you need to know to successfully perform a cricothyrotomy
Your patient is dying and you can’t intubate them. Now you can’t even oxygenate or ventilate them. In the articles in this chapter we review the indications, tools, and techniques to save your patient’s life. These articles summarize the essentials about the most important emergency airway rescue procedure—the cricothyrotomy.
Knowing when to perform cricothyrotomy
In this short Medmastery Clinical guide article, learn how to recognize the indications for a circothyrotomy procedure.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 2m read
Preparing for a cricothyrotomy procedure
Not sure how to perform a circothyrotomy? Gain confidence with this short article on cricothyrotomy procedure preparation.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 19th Nov 2020 • 3m read
How to perform a cricothyrotomy procedure
Hear from our in-house expert on how to perform a life-saving emergency room technique, the cricothyrotomy procedure.
by Siamak Moayedi, MD • Last update 2nd Aug 2022 • 4m read
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intermediate4 CME Emergency medicine and critical care
Emergency Procedures Masterclass (Part 1)
by Siamak Moayedi, MD
intermediate3 CME Emergency medicine and critical care
Emergency Procedures Masterclass (Part 2)
by Siamak Moayedi, MD
Highly commended by the British Medical Association
Awarded in the “digital” category of the BMA Book Awards - London 2017
