The American journal of emergency medicine
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ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) guidelines encourage monitoring of false positives (Code STEMI without culprit) but ignore false negatives (non-STEMI with occlusion myocardial infarction [OMI]). We evaluated the hospital course of emergency department (ED) patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) using STEMI vs OMI paradigms. ⋯ STEMI criteria miss a majority of OMI, and discharge diagnoses highlight false positive STEMI but never false negative STEMI. The OMI paradigm reveals quality gaps and opportunities for improvement.
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Exploratory pediatric cannabis poisonings are increasing. The aim of this study is to provide a national assessment of the frequency and trends of diagnostic testing and procedures in the evaluation of pediatric exploratory cannabis poisonings. ⋯ We found no change in the proportion of encounters associated with ancillary testing, despite increases in exploratory cannabis poisonings over the study period. Given the increasing rate of pediatric cannabis poisonings, emergency providers should consider this diagnosis early in the evaluation of a pediatric patient with acute change in mental status. While earlier use of urine drug screening may reduce ancillary testing and invasive procedures, even a positive urine drug screen does not rule out alternative pathologies and should not replace a thoughtful evaluation.
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Ultrasound-guided intravenous line placement is utilized often in the emergency department for venous access in patients whose veins are difficult to cannulate by traditional methods. This study aims to identify specific interventions that will augment venous cross-sectional area. ⋯ This study identified several potential interventions for maximizing venous cross-sectional area on ultrasound. All the tested interventions resulted in statistically significant increases in cross-sectional area. Arm positioning did not show significant changes in most interventions, with the exception of the CAT tourniquet. Further studies should be performed on how these maneuvers affect success in ultrasound-guided intravenous line placement.
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The Hybrid emergency room (ER) is a novel resuscitation room that includes a whole-body computed tomography scanner and angiography system, which enables physicians to seamlessly conduct resuscitation, diagnosis and therapeutic interventions without patient transfer. This study aimed to assess the impact of the Hybrid ER on mortality in patients with ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest. ⋯ Installation of the Hybrid ER was associated with a reduced time to ECPR and PCI and with a possible improvement in survival in patients with ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest.
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Andexanet alfa (AA) is approved for reversal of factor Xa inhibitor (FXaI) bleeds; however, there are limited reports of its use for gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) in real-world populations. The objective of this study was to report real-world utilization and evaluation of the effectiveness of AA for FXaI-associated GIB. ⋯ In this multicenter, single arm, real-world observational analysis of patients with factor Xa inhibitor associated GIB most patients achieved good hemostasis following administration of AA. There was a 9% 30-day thrombotic event rate. The lack of a control group limits the strength of the conclusions that can be drawn from this study.