The American journal of emergency medicine
-
Anticoagulation is key to the treatment/prevention of thromboembolic events. The primary complication of anticoagulation is serious or life-threatening hemorrhage, which may necessitate prompt anticoagulation reversal; this could also be required for nonbleeding patients requiring urgent/emergent invasive procedures. The decision to reverse anticoagulation should weigh the benefit-risk ratio of supporting hemostasis versus post-reversal thrombosis. ⋯ In general, available guidelines are consistent in their recommendations, advocating administration of vitamin K and 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrates (4F-PCCs) rather than fresh frozen plasma to patients with VKA-associated intracranial hemorrhage and life-threatening bleeding, and specific reversal agents as essential therapy for DOAC reversal in those same severe conditions. However, guidelines also recommend off-label use of PCCs for DOAC reversal when specific reversal agents are unavailable. Limited recent evidence generally support the latter recommendation, but guidelines are likely to evolve as more data become available.
-
Following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, normal daily life in the United States (US) has changed dramatically. As the US population shifts to practice social distancing, there are undoubtedly changes in the pattern of traumatic injuries presenting to Emergency Departments across the US. This analysis aims to analyze previously undocumented trends on how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the pattern of vehicle related injuries in selected US states. ⋯ Incidence of vehicle collisions and vehicle related injuries have significantly decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The creation of improved public transport modalities and use of virtual/remote replacements for social activities could serve as long-term solutions to reduce vehicle collisions and vehicle related injuries.
-
Geriatric Emergency Medicine is an important frontier for study and innovation by emergency practitioners. The rapid growth of this patient population combined with complex medical and social needs has prompted research ranging from which tests and screening tools are most effective for geriatric evaluation to how we can safely manage pain in the elderly or address goals of care in the Emergency Department. This review summarizes emergency medicine articles focused on the older patient population published in 2019, which the authors consider critical to the practice of geriatric emergency medicine.
-
Hiccup is a condition caused by involuntary contraction of inspiratory muscles, especially the diaphragm. Although it is generally considered as a physiological. response, if hiccup persists for a long time, it can lead to many undesirable conditions such as depression, weight loss, insomnia, and fatigue. A 35-year-old male patient was admitted to our emergency department with hiccup lasting for 15 h. ⋯ No complications related to the process were detected. This is the first case in the literature demonstrating the use of intradermal injection to terminate hiccups. The intradermal injection approach can be administered in cases of hiccups that do not respond to medical treatment.