The American journal of emergency medicine
-
Review Meta Analysis
Association between body mass index and clinical outcomes of patients after cardiac arrest and resuscitation: A meta-analysis.
Obesity as one of the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases increases mortality in general population. Several clinical studies investigated clinical outcomes in patients with different body mass index (BMI) after cardiac arrest (CA). Controversial data regarding BMI on clinical outcomes in those patients exist in those studies. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of BMI on survival condition and neurological prognosis in those patients. ⋯ Low BMI was associated with lower survival rate in CA patients. Overweight was associated with a higher survival rate and better neurological recovery. Clinical outcomes did not differ between obese and normal weight patients. Further studies are needed to explore the underlying mechanisms.
-
Review Meta Analysis
Ketamine versus ketamine pluses atropine for pediatric sedation: A meta-analysis.
The application of atropine for pediatric sedation in the emergency department remains controversial. Our objective was to perform a comprehensive review of the literature and assess the clinical indexes in groups with and without atropine use. ⋯ Based on the current evidence, the group receiving atropine had reduced hypersalivation and increased rash and tachycardia; no differences were observed in nausea, vomiting, desaturation, agitation and laryngospasm between the two groups. Given that some of the studies were of low quality, additional high-quality randomized controlled trials should be conducted to further verify these findings.
-
Review
Ventricular assist device in the emergency department: Evaluation and management considerations.
Ventricular assist devices (VAD) are being used at increasing rates in patients with severe, end-stage heart failure. Specific indications include VAD placement as a bridge to cardiac function recovery, a bridge to cardiac transplantation, or destination therapy (long-term support for patients ineligible for transplant). The assessment and management of the VAD patient is rather complex, requiring a basic knowledge of device structure and function. This article reviews the basic structure and function, discusses the approach to the VAD patient in the ED, and reviews the more common presentations and complications encountered in these technology-complex patients who are critically ill at baseline.
-
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using intravascular microbubbles has potential to revolutionize point-of-care ultrasonography by expanding the use of ultrasonography into clinical scenarios previously reserved for computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging, or angiography. ⋯ CEUS is a promising imaging technique for point-of-care applications in pediatric and adult patients and can be applied for patients with allergy to CT contrast medium or with impaired renal function. More high-quality CEUS research focusing on accuracy, patient safety, health care costs, and throughput times is needed to validate its use in emergency and critical care settings.