The American journal of emergency medicine
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Letter Case Reports
The importance of lead aVR interpretation by emergency medicine physicians.
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Multicenter Study
Factors influencing the development of antibiotic associated diarrhea in ED patients discharged home: risk of administering intravenous antibiotics.
Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) and Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) are well-known outcomes from antibiotic administration. Because emergency department (ED) visits frequently result in antibiotic use, we evaluated the frequency of AAD/CDI in adults treated and discharged home with new prescriptions for antibiotics to identify risk factors for acquiring AAD/CDI. ⋯ Intravenous antibiotic therapy administered to ED patients before discharge was associated with higher rates of AAD and with 2 cases of CDI. Care should be taken when deciding to use broad-spectrum IV antibiotics to treat ED patients before discharge home.
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Comparative Study
Central venous saturation in septic shock: co-oximetry vs gasometry.
Central venous oxygen saturation calculated by gasometry (Gaso-Scvo2) is more available than central venous oxygen saturation measured by co-oximetry (Co-oxy-Scvo2) in environments with less resources and underdeveloped countries. Therefore, we aimed to determine the agreement between Co-oxy-Scvo2 and Gaso-Scvo2 and between central venous oxygen tension measured by gasometry (Gaso-Pcvo2) and Co-oxy-Scvo2, respectively. ⋯ The reliability of Gaso-Scvo2 determination during the resuscitation phase of septic shock is not acceptable. There is a good agreement between a Gaso-Pcvo2 more than 40 mm Hg and a Co-oxy-Scvo2 greater than or equal to 70%. Our results suggest that given these limitations, Gaso-Scvo2 results should be interpreted with caution, helped by Gaso-Pcvo2 measurements and in context with other perfusion parameters.
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Observational Study
The inaccuracy of determining overcrowding status by using the National ED Overcrowding Study Tool.
Emergency department (ED) crowding has become more common, and perceptions of crowding vary among different health care providers. The National Emergency Department Overcrowding Study (NEDOCS) tool is the most commonly used tool to estimate ED crowding but still uncertain of its reliability in different ED settings. ⋯ Using the NEDOCS tool to determine ED crowding might be inaccurate in an extremely high-volume ED setting.