The American journal of emergency medicine
-
Dextromethorphan polistirex is an extended-release formulation of dextromethorphan hydrobromide, marketed as Delsym® (Reckitt; Parsippany, NJ), with a duration of action roughly two to three times that of the standard formulation. The polistirex binder is responsible for the prolonged duration of action by slowing the release of active ingredient; the liberated dextromethorphan has unchanged pharmacokinetics and clinical effects. A 23-month-old male presented following a 900 mg (71.4 mg/kg) dextromethorphan polistirex ingestion 90 min prior. ⋯ Life threatening overdoses are rare. The toxic dextromethorphan dose and blood concentration as well as the toxicokinetics of the polistirex formulation are not well defined. Our case suggests that a blood dextromethorphan concentration exceeding 100 ng/mL can be toxic in this age group, however further study is needed.
-
Following initial stabilization, critically ill children often require transfer to a specialized pediatric hospital. While the use of specialized pediatric transport teams has been associated with improved outcomes for these patients, the additional influence of transfer mode (helicopter or ground ambulance) on clinical outcomes remains unknown. ⋯ Among critically ill pediatric patients without traumatic injuries transported by a specialty team, those patients who would have been transferred by helicopter if available but were instead transferred by ground ambulance reached their site of definitive care approximately 2.5 h later. Helicopter transport for these patients was not associated with in-hospital mortality, but was potentially associated with reduced hospital length of stay.
-
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) seen in the emergency department are commonly treated as an outpatient with oral antibiotics. Given that antibiotics are available for over-the-counter purchase in Mexico, there is speculation that potential misuse and overuse of antibiotics in United States-Mexico border areas could lead to antibiotic resistance patterns that would render some empiric treatments for UTIs less effective. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) guideline-recommended antibiotics for treatment of outpatient UTI diagnosed in the emergency department. Data were collected from a county hospital on the U.S.-Mexico border with a metropolitan area of over 2 million people. Secondary analysis included frequency of urine culture isolated, resistance rates of urine pathogens, and prescriber habits. ⋯ Our findings suggest that, while part of standard IDSA guidelines, fluoroquinolones and TMP-SMX are not ideal empiric antibiotics for treatment of outpatient UTI in the U.S.-Mexico border region studied due to high resistance rates. Although not listed as first line agents per current IDSA recommendations, 2nd and 3rd generation cephalosporins, and amoxicillin/clavulanate would be acceptable options given resistance patterns demonstrated in accordance with IDSA allowance for tailoring selection to local resistance. Nitrofurantoin appears to be consistent with recommendations and demonstrates a favorable resistance profile for treatment of outpatient UTI within this region.
-
Hospital-based emergency departments have been a sustained source of overall hospital utilization in the United States. In 2019, an estimated 150 million hospital-based emergency department (ED) visits occurred in the United States, up from 90 million in 1993, 108 million in 2000 and 137 million in 2015. This study analyzes hospital ED visit registration data pre and post to the COVID-19 pandemic describe the impact of on hospital ED utilization and to assess long-term implications of COVID and other factors on the utilization of hospital-based emergency services. ⋯ There is a wide range of potential long-term implications of the observed reduction in the demand for hospital-based emergency services not only for emergency physicians, but for hospitals, health plans and consumers.
-
Electrical storm is defined as three or more sustained episodes of ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, or appropriate cardioverter-defibrillator shocks during a 24-h period. These patients are notoriously difficult to manage. We present a case secondary to Chagas disease that was responsive to lidocaine. Although an uncommon presentation, given the large-scale population movement from South America, Chagas has an increased incidence and is an important diagnostic consideration in patients with new onset heart failure, arrhythmia, or electrical storm.