Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Intravenous acetaminophen does not reduce morphine use for pain relief in emergency department patients: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Pain is one of the main reasons to present to emergency departments (EDs). Opioids are indispensable for acute pain management but are associated with side effects, misuse, and dependence. The aim of this study was to test whether a single dose of intravenous (IV) acetaminophen (paracetamol) can reduce the use of morphine for pain relief and/or morphine-related adverse events (AEs). ⋯ In ED patients, acetaminophen had no additional effect on pain control or morphine-sparing effect at the time of first morphine administration. Titrated morphine with the algorithm used was highly effective, with 80% of all patients reporting pain relief within 60 min of starting therapy.
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Although more guideline-adherent care has been described in pediatric compared to adult trauma centers, we aimed to provide a more detailed characterization of management and resource utilization of children with intra-abdominal injury (IAI) within pediatric centers. Our primary objective was to describe the epidemiology, diagnostic evaluation, and management of children with IAI across U.S. children's hospitals. Our secondary objective was to describe the interhospital variation in surgical management of children with IAI. ⋯ Most children with IAI are managed nonoperatively, and most children's hospitals manage children with IAI similarly. These data can be used to inform future benchmarking efforts across hospitals to assess concordance with guidelines for the management of children with IAI.
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Professional fulfillment and the mitigation of burnout can enhance clinician well-being and the resiliency of the health care organization. This study examined the extent to which specific individual and workplace factors are associated with professional fulfillment and burnout among a national sample of academic emergency physicians. ⋯ Individual and workplace factors that contributed to professional fulfillment and burnout were identified, with meaningfulness of clinical work demonstrating the strongest association with both occupational phenomena. Knowledge of which factors are most impactful in promoting professional fulfillment and mitigating burnout may be useful in guiding efforts to enhance clinician well-being.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, a substantial number of emergency health care workers (HCWs) have screened positive for anxiety, depression, risk of posttraumatic stress disorder, and burnout. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the impact of COVID-19 on emergency care providers' health and well-being using personal perspectives. We conducted in-depth interviews with emergency physicians, emergency medicine nurses, and emergency medical services providers at 10 collaborating sites across the United States between September 21, 2020, and October 26, 2020. ⋯ Future preparedness efforts should include mechanisms to support frontline HCWs when faced with ethical challenges in addition to an adverse working environment caused by a pandemic such as COVID-19.
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The intersection of emergency medicine (EM) and palliative care (PC) has been recognized as an essential area of focus, with evidence suggesting that increased integration improves outcomes. This has resulted in increased research in EM PC. No current framework exists to help guide investigation and innovation. ⋯ There are several key domains and associated questions that can help guide future research in ED PC. Focus on these areas, and answering these questions, offers the potential to improve the emergency care of patients with PC needs.