https://paulnystrom.com/tags/next-steps/Recent content in Next Steps on Paul NystromHugoen-usSat, 13 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://paulnystrom.com/posts/acute-and-next-steps/Sat, 13 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://paulnystrom.com/posts/acute-and-next-steps/<p>There are many times in the ER when I see a patient and have to pause the conversation to break it into two very distinct parts: the acute problem and the chronic problem. It may not always be a truly chronic condition, so perhaps a better way to frame it is the acute problem and the “next steps” problem.</p> <p>During a shift, I saw two patients with debilitating chronic pain.</p>