The American journal of emergency medicine
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Patients presenting to emergency departments (EDs) for primary management of chronic or recurrent nonmalignant pain conditions and their physicians frequently report dissatisfaction, in part because of the impressions created by a small percentage of such patients that frequently visit EDs requesting opioids. Treating such patients with opioids is contrary to many published guidelines, but refusing them increases dissatisfaction. ⋯ Emphasis will be shifted to home management and the family doctor's office. If successful, the system will minimize ED visits by frequent attendees seeking medication for pain control, and should also decrease overall expenditure to the health care system.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Intramuscular prochlorperazine versus metoclopramide as single-agent therapy for the treatment of acute migraine headache.
To compare the efficacy of intramuscular prochlorperazine and metoclopramide in the short-term treatment of migraine headache in the emergency department 86 eligible adult patients with moderate to severe migraine headache were evaluated prospectively at a university-affiliated community hospital. After randomization, each subject received a 2-mL intramuscular injection of sterile saline, prochlorperazine (10 mg), or metoclopramide (10 mg). No other analgesics were administered during the 60-minute study period; patient assessment of relief was followed using visual analog scales. ⋯ Similarly, symptoms of nausea and vomiting were significantly relieved in the prochlorperazine group (chi 2 = 17.1, P < .001). However, rescue analgesic therapy was necessary in the majority of patients treated with prochlorperazine (16/28) and metoclopramide (23/29) after the 60-minute study period. Although intramuscular prochlorperazine appears to provides more effective relief than metoclopramide, these results do not recommend either drug as single-agent therapy for acute migraine headache.
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A study was undertaken to determine the extent to which physician assistants (PAs) and/or nurse practitioners (NPs) are a source of health care delivery in emergency departments (EDs) in the United States. The National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Survey (NHAMCS) uses a multistage probability sample that examines patient visits within EDs. The sample included 437 hospitals with EDs. ⋯ When types of visits are analyzed, including reasons for ED care, diagnosis, and treatment, it appears that visits associated with care by ED-based PA/NPs are similar to all ED visits, including those attended by emergency medicine physicians. More studies are needed to better understand the role of PAs and/or NPs in various ED settings. Recruitment and use of PAs and NPs may be a cost-effective strategy for improved delivery of emergency services.