The American journal of emergency medicine
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N95 respirator masks may not provide adequate protection during chest compressions, even when resuscitators have passed quantitative fit testing.
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Although there is no consensus on how to use an electrocardiogram (ECG) in patients with hyperkalemia, physicians often obtain it in the acute setting when diagnosing and treating hyperkalemia. The objective of this study is to evaluate if physicians are able to detect hyperkalemia based on the ECG. ⋯ An ECG is not a sensitive method of detecting hyperkalemia and should not be relied upon to rule it out. However, the ECG has a high specificity for detecting hyperkalemia and could be used as a rule in test.
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Cauda equina syndrome (CES) may be a devastating disease with the potential for significant patient morbidity. It is essential for emergency clinicians to be aware of how to effectively diagnose and manage this condition. ⋯ Cauda equina syndrome can be a difficult diagnosis. However, knowledge of the history and examination findings, imaging, and treatment can assist the emergency clinician in optimizing management of this condition.
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Case Reports
Intubation and intensive care after laminaria anaphylaxis in second-trimester abortion.
Laminaria are cervical dilators inserted for several days preceding second-trimester abortions and other uterine procedures. Our patient was intubated after a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction to laminaria prior to her surgical abortion. ⋯ Patients may present obtunded, in shock, without records or proxy, and with no external evidence of the allergen's location or continued presence. Emergency and critical care physicians may consider this etiology in obtunded women with anaphylaxis who are responding poorly to standard care.
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There is an increasing focus in the emergency department (ED) on addressing the needs of persons with cognitive impairment, most of whom have multiple chronic conditions. We investigated which common comorbidities among multimorbid persons with cognitive impairment conferred increased risk for ED treat and release utilization. ⋯ These results show that multimorbid cognitively impaired older adults with depression or osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis are at higher risk of ED treat and release visits. Future ED research with multimorbid cognitively impaired persons may explore behavioral aspects of depression and/or pain and flairs associated with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, as well as the role of informal caregivers in the care of these conditions.