The American journal of emergency medicine
-
Kidney function can affect the permeability of the blood-brain barrier; thus, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) may alter the effects of targeted temperature management (TTM) on the neurological outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients. We aimed to investigate whether the interaction effect of TTM on outcomes after OHCA was observed among patients with and without ESRD. ⋯ The interaction effect between ESRD and TTM on neurologic outcome was positive in adult OHCA initial survivors with presumed cardiac etiology.
-
Observational Study
Clinical practice of pre-hospital analgesia: An observational study of 20,978 missions in Switzerland.
Pain is a frequent problem faced by emergency medical services (EMS) in pre-hospital settings. This large observational study aims to assess the prevalence of sufficiently provided analgesia and to analyze the efficacy of different analgesics. Moreover, we evaluated if quality of analgesia changed with an emergency physician on scene or depended on paramedics' gender. ⋯ Pre-hospital analgesia is mostly adequate, especially when done with ketamine or fentanyl. Female paramedics provided better analgesia and in selected patients, an emergency physician on scene improved quality of analgesia in critical patients.
-
Case Reports
Bodybuilding supplements leading to copper toxicity, encephalopathy, fulminant hepatic failure and rhabdomyolysis.
Millions of people worldwide use nutritional and dietary supplements, such as vitamins and minerals. These and other performance-enhancing substances are also used by high school, college, and professional athletes, bodybuilders, and amateur sports enthusiasts. ⋯ Emergency physicians and nurses should be aware of these potential deleterious effects and inquire about supplement use by patients with unexplained multiorgan failure. Family, friends, or acquaintances should be asked to bring the actual products to the hospital for analysis.
-
Early diagnostic prediction in patients with small bowel obstruction (SBO) can improve time to definitive management and disposition in the emergency department. We sought to develop a nomogram to leverage point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) and maximize accuracy of prediction of SBO diagnosis. ⋯ A unique nomogram incorporating patient age, physician pretest probability of SBO, and POCUS measurements of small bowel diameter and the presence of free intraperitoneal fluid between bowel loops was developed to accurately predict the diagnosis of SBO in the emergency department. The nomogram should be externally validated in a novel cohort of patients at risk for SBO to better assess predictability and generalizability.
-
Observational Study
The NACA score as a predictor of ventricular cardiac arrhythmias - A retrospective six-year study.
Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) conducts the evaluation of a patient's condition using NACA score before transporting the patient to hospital. The conditions inside the rescue helicopter limit or even make it impossible to conduct some medical procedures. An appropriate classification of the patient may lead to a lower possibility of occurrence of adverse events during the flight. The aim of the research was to evaluate the correlation of NACA score with the cardiac arrhythmia that may be life threatening. ⋯ NACA score allows to predict the risk of occurrence of ventricular arrhythmia of the myocardium as well as cardiac arrest. The possibility of occurrence of a life-threatening rhythm is significantly higher in patients classified as NACA IV or higher.