The American journal of emergency medicine
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This study aimed to analyze the risk factors for stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) and assess the predictive effect of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) on acute SAP. ⋯ The risk factors for SAP were multifaceted. Cerebral hemorrhage, indwelling nasogastric tube, and high NLR were independent risk factors. An early NLR had a predictive effect on the occurrence of SAP in patients with acute stroke.
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Background Violence is an increasingly common and significant problem for youth worldwide. Youth who rely on treatment at urban EDs are more likely to die as the result of violence than any other disease/condition for which they seek care. The first step in helping youth that are at risk, is identifying them. ⋯ Children who were male, non-white, and had been hurt at home or school reported the highest VPET scores. Conclusion VPET has sufficiently strong psychometric function and performs well as a screening tool to predict future violence exposure for youth ages 8-17. Five questions on the VPET screening tool are independently predictive of violence reported at 6 months and four questions at 3 months.
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Observational Study
Impact of a shelter-in-place order during the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of opioid overdoses.
Since the beginning of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States, there have been concerns about the potential impact of the pandemic on persons with opioid use disorder. Shelter-in-place (SIP) orders, which aimed to reduce the spread and scope of the virus, likely also impacted this patient population. This study aims to assess the role of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of opioid overdose before and after a SIP order. ⋯ The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated SIP order were associated with a statistically and clinically significant increase in the proportion of opioid overdoses in relation to the overall change in total ED visits.
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Chest pain is one of the most common reasons for emergency department visits worldwide, and troponins play a central role in diagnosing acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in these patients. Hence, the tests for these molecules are imperative in triage for ACS. ⋯ Further, no guidelines exist for interpreting the results in patients with CKD. We identified studies that compared the relative efficacy, sensitivity, and specificity of tests for troponin T and I in patients with CKD to understand the practical problems in the clinical interpretation of these results in the specific setting of CKD and highlight the measures to be taken into consideration.
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Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a known complication in patients with ventricular assist devices (VAD). We present a case of a 42-year-old male with a VAD and on warfarin who presented to the emergency department with ICH necessitating anticoagulant reversal. An attenuated dose of 15 units/kg of 4-factor prothrombin complex-concentrates (4F-PCC) was given and the patient's coagulation profile was subsequently assessed using rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM®) to determine appropriateness of reversal. ROTEM® analysis showed adequate reversal at the time of assessment and the patient ultimately returned home without further functional deficits, highlighting the role of ROTEM® to guide anticoagulation reversal in the VAD patient population.