The American journal of emergency medicine
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Spontaneous cervical artery dissection (sCAD) is a serious condition that carries with it a high rate of morbidity and mortality. ⋯ An understanding of sCAD can assist emergency clinicians in diagnosing and managing this potentially deadly disease.
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Acute diverticulitis is a condition commonly seen in the emergency department (ED). Therefore, it is important for emergency medicine clinicians to be aware of the current evidence regarding the diagnosis and management of this disease. ⋯ An understanding of literature updates can improve the ED care of patients with acute diverticulitis.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Chest compression quality comparing 1-min vs 2-min rotation of rescuers wearing N95 masks.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performed by rescuers wearing well-sealed respirators such as N95 masks, was associated with significant reduction in the chest compression rate and depth. This was attributed to fatigue during the standard 2-min rescuer rotations. We hypothesized that in such situations, rotating rescuers every one minute, instead of the standard two minutes would improve CPR quality. ⋯ During CPR performed by rescuers wearing N95 masks, the quality of CPR appears to be superior with rescuers rotating at 1-min instead of 2-min intervals. More frequent rotation was also associated with less rescuer fatigue.
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Falls that occur within a hospital setting are difficult to predict, however, are preventable adverse events with the potential to negatively impact patient care. Falls have the potential to cause serious or fatal injuries and may increase patient morbidity. Many hospitals utilize fall "predictor tools" to categorize a patient's fall risk, however, these tools are primarily studied within in-patient units. The emergency department (ED) presents a unique environment with a distinct patient population and demographic. The Memorial Emergency Department Fall Risk Assessment Tool (MEDFRAT) has shown to be effective with predicting a patient's fall risk in the ED. This IRB-approved study aims to assess the predictive validity of the MEDFRAT by evaluating the sensitivity and specificity for predicting a patient's fall risk in an emergency department at a level 1 trauma center. ⋯ This study confirms the validity of the MEDFRAT as an acceptable tool to predict in-hospital falls in a level 1 trauma center ED. Accurate identification of patients at a high risk of falling is critical for decreasing healthcare costs and improving health outcomes and patient safety.
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Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) represent an enormous public health burden in the United States. Emergency departments (EDs) are a significant source of medical care, particularly for vulnerable patient populations. Guidelines for the treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis have evolved and now recommend doxycycline 100 mg orally twice daily for 7 days as the primary regimen for adults. However, the single-dose azithromycin regimen can be given during the ED visit, while the new regimen has nonadherence hurdles. The purpose of this study will be determining the rate of ED discharge prescription pick ups of doxycycline for Chlamydia trachomatis infection at two discharge pharmacies. ⋯ Majority of patients who received prescriptions from the in-hospital discharge pharmacy picked up their prescriptions.