The American journal of emergency medicine
-
Multicenter Study Observational Study
Fixed-dose prothrombin complex concentrate for emergent warfarin reversal among patients with intracranial hemorrhage.
Four-factor prothrombin complex concentrate (4PCC) is the preferred reversal agent for warfarin reversal, although the ideal dose is unknown. Fixed-dose 4PCC offers simplified dosing compared to standard-dosing algorithms with potentially lower risks of thromboembolic complications given lower doses are typically utilized. ⋯ A fixed-dose 4PCC regimen of 2000 units among patients with ICH was as effective as standard-dose 4PCC for INR reversal among patients with ICH. However, fixed-doses of 2000 units at times exceeded standard 4PCC doses which may be contradictory to the goals of fixed-dose 4PCC for warfarin reversal.
-
Multicenter Study
Flattening the other curve: Reducing emergency department STEMI delays during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) reperfusion delays despite reduced emergency department (ED) volumes. However, little is known about ED contributions to these delays. We sought to measure STEMI delays and ED quality benchmarks over the course of the first two waves of the pandemic. ⋯ Both DTE and ETA metrics worsened during the first wave of the pandemic, revealing how it negatively impacted the triage and diagnosis of STEMI patients. But these normalized after the first wave and were unaffected by the second wave, indicating that nurses and physicians adapted to the pandemic to maintain STEMI quality of care. DTE and ETA metrics can help EDs identify delays to reperfusion during the pandemic and beyond.
-
The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for two highly effective Sars-CoV-2 (COVID-19) vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. ⋯ She developed thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and no other cause was found. To our knowledge this is the first case in the United States of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura after receiving the Ad26. COV2-S COVID-19 vaccine.
-
Cardiac output (CO) responses to acute changes in body position and Valsalva maneuver (VM) were proposed to assess cardiac contractile reserve. We investigated the value of sitting position (SP), leg raising (LR), and VM for identifying heart failure (HF) in patients with undifferentiated dyspnea. ⋯ the diagnosis of HF can be aided with use of analyzing the effect of VM on non-invasively measured CO among patients admitted to the ED with undifferentiated dyspnea. Diagnostic yield of SP and LR was poor.
-
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) accounts for 16% of all leukemias in children. Prognosis in the pediatric population is better than that of older populations, with a younger age at diagnosis being a favorable prognostic factor [1]. Diplopia is a rare first presenting sign of AML. ⋯ Peripheral smear showed increased blast cells >10%. This patient was ultimately diagnosed with AML. This case demonstrates an atypical presentation of AML and urges a thorough work up for patients presenting with unexplained diplopia.