The American journal of emergency medicine
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Delirium tremens (DT) is the severest form of alcohol withdrawal syndrome, frequently after alcohol withdrawal seizures. Delirium tremens occurs in a small proportion of patients with alcohol withdrawal seizures; nevertheless, early identification of high-risk patients is important for intensive preventive management of unexpected episodes due to agitation and its associated increased mortality. However, there are limited studies on clinical predictors of the development of DT in patients with alcohol withdrawal seizures. ⋯ The study indicated that some easily determined parameters are potential clinical predictors for the development of DT in patients with alcohol withdrawal seizures. These findings would be helpful in clinical identification and management patients at high risk for DT.
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The populations of many developed countries have been aging in recent years, resulting in increasing numbers of elderly-related injuries. Conventionally regarded as minor, injuries from ground-level falls are now associated with a higher risk of death for elderly people. ⋯ The effects of age and RTS on inhospital mortality of patients after ground-level falls differed by sex.
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Both inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter and the degree of inspiratory collapse are used in the estimation of right atrial pressure. ⋯ Inferior vena cava diameter correlated significantly with NT-proBNP in patients with HF. Inferior vena cava diameter may be a useful variable in determining a patient's volume status in the setting of HF and may also enable clinicians to distinguish patients with decompensated HF from those with compensated HF.
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The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines strongly recommend a noninvasive intracranial vascular study such as computed tomographic (CT) angiogram in acute stroke patient if endovascular treatment is contemplated. ⋯ A relatively high proportion of patients have preprocedure recanalization or worsening between CT angiogram and cerebral angiogram in acute ischemic stroke patients selected for endovascular treatment.