The American journal of emergency medicine
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To evaluate early measurement of the arterial to end-tidal carbon dioxide (PaCO2-PetCO2) gap, a surrogate for physiologic dead space, and its association with clinical outcomes in intubated adults in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ An elevated PaCO2-PetCO2 gap is common in the post-intubation period in the ED, but not significantly associated with clinical outcomes.
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Synthetic cannabinoids (SC) are chemical substances, which activate cannabinoid receptors in a similar fashion to tetrahydrocannabinol, but with increased efficacy, and are used as illicit recreational drugs. ⋯ SC are potentially harmful drugs of abuse which can lead to life-threatening complications. Acute care personnel should be aware of the broad range of signs and symptoms of SC use. Testing with short turn around times is available to assess SC use.
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To evaluate the effect of methylene blue administered as a bolus on return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), lactate levels, vasopressor requirements, and markers of neurological injury in a clinically relevant pig model of cardiac arrest. ⋯ Treatment with a bolus of methylene blue during cardiac arrest and after resuscitation did not significantly improve hemodynamic function. A bolus of methylene blue did not yield the neuroprotective effects that have previously been described in animals receiving methylene blue as an infusion.
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This study interviewed adult patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) for various pain conditions enquiring about their preferred tool for reporting pain severity and preferred time interval between initial assessment and subsequent pain reassessments. ⋯ There was no influence found between the initial pain severity scores and the desired frequency of pain reassessment. However, associations were identified between the time for pain reassessment interval and age, sex, and geographical region. Patients with severe pain preferred PS or VRS while patients with mild/moderate pain preferred the NRS.
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The study aimed to measure emergency nurses' prevalence of cognitive biases when utilizing Emergency Severity Index (ESI). Moreover, the study aimed to measure the differences between cognitive biases and demographic variables. ⋯ Numerous cognitive biases are considerably existing among emergency nurses when prioritizing patients. Cognitive de-biasing measures can improve triage decisions among nurses that could enhance quality care and patient safety.