Annals of emergency medicine
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To determine the incidence and risk factors of clinically relevant adverse drug interactions occurring in emergency department patients. ⋯ Clinically relevant adverse drug interaction was significantly less from medication administered or prescribed in the ED than from current medication.
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A 40-year-old woman who ingested a 35% hydrogen peroxide solution presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain. Acute abdominal series showed gas in the portal vein system. The patient was admitted and treated conservatively. She was released after five days in the hospital with no major sequelae.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Comparison of a new pressurized saline canister versus syringe irrigation for laceration cleansing in the emergency department.
Studies have documented the efficacy of normal saline irrigation in decreasing wound infection rates. Wounds traditionally are irrigated using a syringe and needle with manual injection of fluid, a time- and labor-intensive method. We compared irrigation times and infection rates for wounds cleansed with syringe irrigation versus a new, single-use canister of pressurized (8 psi) sterile normal saline. ⋯ Syringe irrigation times were nearly twice as long as the pressurized canister irrigation times. Use of the pressurized canister facilitates ease of irrigation and markedly decreases the time involved in this traditionally labor-intensive activity. In addition, delivery of the saline is no longer operator dependent, ensuring generation of pressures appropriate for wound cleansing. The pressurized canisters may be useful in standardizing irrigation in wound management research.
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To determine the magnitude of the changes in serum potassium, magnesium, and phosphate during the treatment of acute bronchospasm with repeated doses of beta-adrenergic agonists. ⋯ Aggressive administration of nebulized albuterol during the emergency treatment of acute bronchospasm is associated with statistically significant decreases in serum potassium, magnesium, and phosphate. The mechanism and clinical significance of these findings are unknown and warrant further study.
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The widespread use of household bleach (5.25% sodium hypochlorite) as a disinfectant by IV drug users may cause an increase in the number of IV injections of this substance. We report the case of a 31-year-old man who injected less than 1 mL of bleach and then experienced transient left-sided chest pain and vomiting. ⋯ This report is similar to the only other reported case in the medical literature of an IV injection of a small amount of bleach. Based on these two reports, household bleach appears to be safe when used as a disinfectant by IV drug users, but more studies are needed.