Emergency medicine clinics of North America
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Patients commonly present to the emergency department with anorectal complaints. Most of these complaints are benign and can be managed conservatively; however, there are a few anorectal emergencies that clinicians must be aware of in order to prevent further complications. The history and physical examination are especially important so that critical disorders can be recognized and specific treatment plans can be determined. It is important to maintain a broad differential diagnosis of anorectal disease and to distinguish benign from serious processes.
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There is an epidemic of opioid abuse. This article discusses the history of opioid use. ⋯ Naloxone has made a profound impact in the care of these patients if they present for medical care early enough. This paper discusses naloxone pharmacodynamics, its use in the medical setting, and how its use is now being expanded to include nontraditional providers with take home naloxone programs.
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The chief complaint of abdominal pain accounts for 5% to 10% of all presentations in the emergency department. With such broad differential and diagnostic modalities available, this article focuses on a systematic approach to evaluating abdominal pain, essential to providing patients with efficient and accurate care.
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Abdominal vascular catastrophes are among the most challenging and time sensitive for emergency practitioners to recognize. Mesenteric ischemia remains a highly lethal entity for which the history and physical examination can be misleading. Laboratory tests are often unhelpful, and appropriate imaging must be quickly obtained. ⋯ Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm likewise may present in a cryptic fashion. A specific type of ruptured aneurysm, the aortoenteric fistula, often masquerades as the more common routine gastrointestinal bleed. The astute clinician recognizes that this is a more lethal variant of gastrointestinal hemorrhage.
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Abdominal pain in the elderly can be a challenging and difficult condition to diagnose and treat. The geriatric population has significant comorbidities and often takes polypharmacy that can mask symptoms. The presentation of common conditions can be different than that in the younger population, often lacking the traditional indicators of disease, making it of pivotal importance for the clinician to consider a wide differential during their workup. It is also important to consider extra-abdominal abnormality that may manifest as abdominal pain.