The American journal of emergency medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The effect of nebulized magnesium sulfate in the treatment of moderate to severe asthma attacks: a randomized clinical trial.
Thirty percent of people with asthma do not respond to standard treatment, and complementary therapies are needed. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of inhaled magnesium sulfate on the treatment response in emergency department (ED) patients with moderate to severe attacks of asthma. ⋯ Adding nebulized magnesium sulfate to standard therapy in patients with moderate to severe asthma attacks leads to greater and faster improvement in PEFR, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation and respiratory rate. It also reduces hospitalization rates in this patient population.
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Letter Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of two chest compression techniques when using CBRN-PPE: a randomized crossover manikin trial.
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Observational Study
Effect of predischarge blood pressure on follow-up outcomes in patients with severe hypertension in the ED.
Although emergency department (ED) patients with asymptomatic severe hypertension (ASH) generally have no serious short-term hypertension-related adverse events, it is unclear whether persistently high discharge blood pressure (BP) affects the outcome due to the dynamic nature of BP. ⋯ Predischarge BP value is not associated with immediate serious adverse events and does not affect short-term BP control in ED patients with ASH. Further study on the need to lower BP during the ED stay and on antihypertensive prescriptions for these patients is required.
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Clinical Trial
A prehospital screening tool utilizing end-tidal carbon dioxide predicts sepsis and severe sepsis.
To determine the utility of a prehospital sepsis screening protocol utilizing systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria and end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2). ⋯ A prehospital screening protocol utilizing SIRS criteria and ETCO2 predicts sepsis and severe sepsis, which could potentially decrease time to therapeutic intervention.
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Although the clinical findings of scorpion stings are often mild, they may lead to multiorgan failure and even cardiogenic shock. The toxin has both local and systemic effects. ⋯ The toxins have been implicated in a number of cardiac arrhythmias, including torsade de pointes, long QT syndrome, and atrial fibrillation. Here, we present a 90-year-old woman with no history of drug use or complaints due to dysrhythmias who developed atrial fibrillation after being stung by a scorpion.