Clinical toxicology : the official journal of the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology and European Association of Poisons Centres and Clinical Toxicologists
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Clin Toxicol (Phila) · Aug 2018
Accidental pharmacological poisonings in young children: population-based study in three settings.
Pharmacological poisonings in young children are avoidable. Previous studies report calls to poisons centres, presentations to emergency departments (ED) or hospital admissions. There are limited data assessing concurrent management of poisonings across all three settings. We aimed to describe accidental pharmacological poisonings in young children across our Poisons Information Centre (PIC), EDs and hospitals. ⋯ Poisonings reported to PIC and hospitals declined, however, non-urgent ED presentations increased. Strategies to reduce therapeutic errors and access to medicines, and education campaigns to improve Poisons Centre call rates to prevent unnecessary ED presentations are needed.
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Clin Toxicol (Phila) · Aug 2018
Serum neuron-specific enolase levels at presentation and long-term neurological sequelae after acute charcoal burning-induced carbon monoxide poisoning.
This study aimed to investigate whether clinical parameters and serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels measured at emergency department (ED) presentation help stratify the risk of acute or delayed persistent severe neurological sequelae after acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning induced by charcoal burning. ⋯ Serum NSE levels at presentation were not correlated with the risk of acute or delayed persistent neurological sequelae. Further studies with blood sampling at optimal time points and serial measurements should be conducted. Age, initial GCS score, and CRP levels may be risk factors for persistent severe neurological sequelae.
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Clin Toxicol (Phila) · Aug 2018
Impact of a chronic pain management pathway on opioid administration and prescribing in an Emergency Department.
Prescription opioid abuse and misuse is a significant public health crisis. In 2012, an opioid prescribing pathway for patients with chronic pain presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) was implemented. The objective of this study is to determine the impact of the pathway for administration of opioids in the ED as well as the prescribing of opioids for home use after discharge. ⋯ After the implementation of a chronic pain management pathway in an ED, there is a decrease noted in opioids administered to patients with chronic pain both in the ED and prescriptions on discharge. In patients presenting with acute pain, there was no change in administration or prescription of opioids.