The American journal of emergency medicine
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Review Meta Analysis
Efficacy of second-line anticonvulsant agents with adult status epilepticus: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Status epilepticus (SE) is potentially life-threatening, however, it is unclear which antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) should be used as second-line AEDs. ⋯ PHB may have been the most effective for seizure termination as second-line AEDs in adult patients with SE. However, the certainty of almost all comparisons was "very low", and careful interpretation is essential.
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Emergency Department (ED) Observation Units (OU) can provide safe, effective care for low risk patients with intracranial hemorrhages. We compared current ED OU use for patients with subdural hematomas (SDH) to the validated Brain Injury Guidelines (BIG) to evaluate the potential impact of implementing this risk stratification tool. ⋯ In a level 1 trauma center with an established observation unit, current clinical care processes missed very few patients who could be discharged or placed in ED OU for SDH. Hospital admissions in BIG 1/2 were driven by co-morbidities and/or injuries, limiting applicability of BIG to this population.
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The incidence of infection in open tibial shaft injuries varies with the severity of the injury with rates ranging from roughly 2% for Gustilo-Anderson type I to nearly 43% for type IIIB fractures. As with all fractures, timely antibiotics administration in the emergency department (ED) is an essential component of fracture management and infection prevention. This study identifies factors associated with the expedient administration of antibiotics for open tibial shaft fractures. ⋯ Earlier antibiotic delivery is associated with non-overnight arrival at the ED, arrival via EMS, and a coordinated trauma activation. Our findings indicate that in cases where administering antibiotics is critical to achieving positive outcomes, it is advisable to initiate a coordinated trauma response. Furthermore, hospital personnel should be attentive to the need for rapid administration of antibiotics to patients with open fractures who arrive via walk-in or during late-night hours.