ED Administration

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the role of CT in septic patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective secondary analysis of 192 septic patients from a prospective observational study, i.e., the "LIFE POC" study. Sepsis was diagnosed in accordance with the Sepsis-3 definition. Clinical and radiological data were collected from the hospital administration and radiological systems. Information on mortality and morbidity was collected...

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak began in China in December 2019, with the World Health Organization declaring a state of emergency in January 2020. Worldwide implementation of lockdown measures to slow the spread of the virus led to reduced physical activity, disrupted eating habits, mental health issues, and sleep disturbances, which increased the risk of lifestyle-related diseases such as metabolic syndrome (MetS). During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers, especially intensive care workers, experienced longer working hours and burnout, which further increased the risk of lifestyle-related diseases...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of a novel approach to achieve the optimal penile erection during the penile doppler ultrasound (PDU) examination, which was oral sildenafil combined alprostadil injection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 ED patients were enrolled in our prospective study, and they were randomly assigned to two group with different PDU order. The approaches assisted the PDU included two models, mode A meaning injection of 15 μg alprostadil and model B meaning oral sildenafil 100 mg plus injection of 15 μg alprostadil...

In patients with fluid overload and congestion, parenteral diuretic therapy is frequently utilized. However, administration of parenteral diuretic therapy commonly requires hospital admission or outpatient clinic visits. Furoscix (scPharmaceuticals, Burlington, MA), a subcutaneous formulation of furosemide designed for home use, offers new treatment possibilities with the potential for profound cost savings for patients and health systems. Currently, subcutaneous furosemide formulations have been studied in palliative care populations and outpatient clinics, however, new literature has evaluated utility in prescribing on discharge from the emergency department...

BACKGROUND: Thousands of people suffer from anxiety, depression, and insomnia every day, with benzodiazepines being one of the strategies used to treat these conditions. Withdrawal from its long-term use can lead to potentially life-threatening complications, including Takotsubo syndrome. The authors highlight an atypical case of Takotsubo syndrome secondary to benzodiazepine withdrawal, a rare life-threatening complication of acute substance withdrawal. CASE SUMMARY: A 58-year-old female presented to the emergency department with altered mental status and acute pulmonary oedema after discontinuing her prescribed benzodiazepines 3 days prior to presentation...

PURPOSE: Explore the median effective dose of ciprofol for inducing loss of consciousness in elderly patients and investigate how frailty influences the ED50 of ciprofol in elderly patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 26 non-frail patients and 28 frail patients aged 65-78 years, with BMI ranging from 15 to 28 kg/m2 , and classified as ASA grade II or III were selected. Patients were divided into two groups according to frailty: non-frail patients (CFS<4), frail patients (CFS≥4)...

OBJECTIVES: To understand the burden associated with pediatric chronic pain (CP) on the healthcare system compared with other costly chronic diseases prior to subspecialty care. STUDY DESIGN: In this retrospective cohort study, we assessed all-cause healthcare utilization and direct healthcare costs associated with pediatric CP (n=91) compared with juvenile-onset arthritis (JA, n=135), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, n=90), type 1 or type 2 diabetes (T1D, n=475, T2D, n=289), anxiety (n=7,193) and controls (n=273) two and five years prior to patients entering subspecialty care in Manitoba, Canada...

BACKGROUND: Pain relief is a priority for patients with hip fractures who present to Emergency Departments (EDs). Intranasal fentanyl (INF) is an ideal option for nurse initiated analgesia as it does not require intravenous access and can expedite care prior to examination by a physician. LOCAL PROBLEM: Pain relief in patients with hip fractures is delayed during episodes of ED crowding. METHODS: A retrospective medical record review was conducted following introduction of an INF guideline in an adult ED in 2018...

PURPOSE: Recent anecdotal reports suggest increasing numbers of people experiencing homelessness are visiting emergency departments (EDs) during cold weather seasons due to inadequate shelter availability. We examined monthly ED visits among patients experiencing homelessness to determine whether there has been a significant increase in such visits in 2022/2023 compared to prior years. METHODS: We used linked health administrative data to identify cohorts experiencing homelessness in Ontario between October and March of the 2018/2019 to 2022/2023 years...

INTRODUCTION: Myocardial Infarction (MI) is a leading cause of death worldwide. In high income countries, quality improvement strategies have played an important role in increasing uptake of evidence-based MI care and improving MI outcomes. The incidence of MI in sub-Saharan Africa is rising, but uptake of evidence-based care in northern Tanzania is low. There are currently no published quality improvement interventions from the region. The objective of this study was to determine provider attitudes towards a planned quality improvement intervention for MI care in northern Tanzania...

The impact of poisoning can differ significantly depending on the specific substance consumed. Identifying toxic substances in a patient is crucial to obtaining a thorough medical history. Frontline healthcare providers in the emergency department often handle patients presenting with poisoning. Their clinical presentation can vary depending on their dose, duration of exposure, and pre-existing medical conditions. Initially, poisoning management entails administering supportive care such as absorption and enhancing the elimination of poison with charcoal and antidote administration after identifying the poisoning substances...

BACKGROUND:  A robust knowledge on the pattern of use of emergency care resources not only serves as an indicator of universal access to care but also provides a basis for quality improvement within the health system. This study was undertaken to describe the pattern of emergency room visits at Brits District Hospital (BDH) in North West province, South Africa. The objectives of this study were to determine the sociodemographic characteristics of emergency department (ED) users and other patterns of ED use...

UNLABELLED: WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Involuntary detention is a legislative power that allows people to be taken against their will for a mandatory mental health assessment and is known to be a restrictive and traumatizing process for patients. While there is some literature examining police/ambulance and mental health worker co-response models, the conclusions are mixed as to whether they reduce rates of involuntary detentions in mentally ill people. The Police, Ambulance, Clinician Early Response (PACER) model is an example of a tri-response mental health crisis response team whose role is to respond and assess people thought to be experiencing a mental health crisis...

Given the current opioid crisis, in this study, we assess the national trend and factors associated with opioid administration for patients presenting to the emergency department with abdominal pain. This is a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted using the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from 2010 to 2018. Weighted multiple logistic regression was applied to assess the independent factors associated with opioid administration in the emergency department. Trends of opioid administration were evaluated using the linear trend analysis...

BACKGROUND: Ondansetron is one of the most commonly used drugs in the emergency department (ED) for treating nausea and vomiting, particularly in intravenous (IV) form. Nevertheless, it has been shown to prolong QT interval and increase the risk of ventricular dysrhythmias. This study evaluated the associations between single IV ondansetron dosage and subsequent QTc prolongation in the ED. METHODS: In this prospective observational study, a total number of 106 patients presenting to the ED in a 3-month period with nausea and vomiting treated with IV ondansetron were enrolled...

OBJECTIVES: Our objectives were to characterize variations from standardized, evidence-based guidelines in the management of pediatric patients with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) based on initial presentation to a tertiary pediatric emergency department (PED) versus a community emergency department (OSH) and compare clinical outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on children 18 years and younger with DKA who presented to an OSH or PED over a 3-year period...

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the additional health care system costs associated with giant cell arteritis (GCA) in the year pre-diagnosis, post diagnosis, and over long-term follow up compared to individuals with similar demographics and comorbidities without GCA. METHODS: We performed a population-based study using health administrative data. Newly diagnosed cases of GCA (between 2002 and 2017 and ages 66 years and older) were identified using a validated algorithm and matched 1:6 to comparators using propensity scores...

OBJECTIVE: To assess medical costs of hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) care associated with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease in children enrolled in the New Vaccine Surveillance Network. STUDY DESIGN: We used accounting and prospective surveillance data from six pediatric health systems to assess direct medical costs from laboratory-confirmed RSV-associated hospitalizations (n=2,007) and ED visits (n=1,267) from 2016 through 2019 among children aged <5 years...

BACKGROUND: There is a dearth of studies evaluating the utility of reporting prognostication among nursing home (NH) residents with cancer. OBJECTIVE: To study factors associated with documented less than six-month prognosis, and its relationship with end-of-life (EOL) care quality measures among residents with cancer. METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results linked with Medicare, and the Minimum Data Set databases was used to identify 20,397 NH residents in the United States with breast, colorectal, lung, pancreatic, or prostate cancer who died between July 2016 and December 2018...

INTRODUCTION: The Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS), alternatively referred to as the Antipsychotic Malignant Syndrome, is a potentially fatal condition that is infrequently observed and is linked to the administration of antipsychotic medications. This syndrome is characterized by a disturbance in consciousness, autonomic instability manifesting as hyperthermia, and muscular rigidity. The onset of this syndrome is typically within the initial month of treatment or following an escalation in the dosage of an antipsychotic medication...