The American journal of emergency medicine
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Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) are a leading cause of mortality in the United States. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered the landscape of response to OHCAs, particularly with regard to providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). We aimed to describe, characterize, and address the attitudes and concerns of healthcare workers towards CPR of OHCA patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected healthcare workers' attitudes towards performing CPR for OHCA. Confidence levels and willingness to perform CPR increased over time during the study period. Efforts should be directed towards the creation of standardized and evidence-based guidelines for CPR during COVID-19, as well as increasing knowledge regarding risks of infection and effective use of PPE during resuscitation.
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Fever is a physiologic response to a wide range of pathologies and one of the most common complaints and clinical signs in the emergency medicine department (ED). The association between fever magnitude and clinical outcomes has been evaluated in specific populations with inconsistent results. ⋯ Among febrile patients admitted to the hospital, BT > 39.5 °C was associated with adverse clinical course, as compared to patients with lower-grade fever (38.0-38.1 °C). These patients should be flagged on arrival to the ED and likely warrant more aggressive evaluation and treatment.
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Delays in care for patients with acute cardiac complaints are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to quantify rural and urban differences in prehospital time intervals for patients with cardiac complaints. ⋯ Rural patients with acute cardiac complaints experienced longer prehospital time than urban patients, even after accounting for other key variables, such as loaded mileage.
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Observational Study
Right ventricular dysfunction in acute heart failure from emergency department to discharge: Predictors and clinical implications.
Among acute heart failure (AHF) inpatients, right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) predicts clinical outcomes independent of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Prior studies have not accounted for congestion severity, show conflicting findings on echocardiography (echo) timing, and excluded emergency department (ED) patients. We describe for the first time the epidemiology, predictors, and outcomes of RVD in AHF starting with earliest ED treatment. ⋯ In this observational study, RVD was common in AHF, and predicted by congestion on LUS, LVEF, RVSP, and comorbidities from ED arrival through discharge. 30-day death or AHF-rehospitalization was associated with RVD at ED arrival and ΔLUS severity, but not LVEF.
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Computed tomography (CT) is a commonly used imaging modality in Emergency Departments (EDs), however its use is questionable in many low yield settings. The Emergency CT Head score (ECHS) is a recently published clinical tool that assists in stratifying the need for CT brain (CTB) for patients presenting without a history of trauma. We sought to validate this tool in an Australian ED setting. ⋯ Further research and validation is required in order to safely implement the ECHS clinical score in the Australian ED setting.