European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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Atrial fibrillation (AF) causes numerous visits to emergency departments (EDs). We evaluated the thromboembolic and bleeding risk profile and use of oral anticoagulation (OAC) therapy among patients presenting with symptomatic AF to ED. ⋯ These data showed that OAC was prescribed frequently to patients with symptomatic AF and risk factors for stroke. However, in patients using warfarin, international normalized ratio was not at the therapeutic level in a large proportion of the patients with previously diagnosed AF.
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Angio-oedema is a transitory, localized, noninflammatory oedema of subcutaneous tissue or mucous. When the oedema affects the mouth, lips, tongue or larynx, it can result in fatal asphyxiation in the absence of specific treatment. Oedema secondary to plasma extravasation is usually mediated by either histamine or bradykinin. ⋯ The 11 recommendations were related to triage on admission, a step-by-step diagnostic protocol, definition of attack severity, discouragement of instrumental examination, prioritization of treatment for severe attacks according to clinical signs and anticipation of access to specific treatments by the hospital. Angio-oedema of the upper airways can be fatal and requires anticipation by the emergency department. A search for the aetiology, an evaluation of clinical symptoms and the availability of the treatments are challenges justifying these recommendations.
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Comparative Study
Disaster preparedness and response improvement: comparison of the 2010 Haiti earthquake-related diagnoses with baseline medical data.
Disaster medicine research generally lacks control groups. This study aims to describe categories of diagnoses encountered by the Belgian First Aid and Support Team after the 2010 Haiti earthquake and extract earthquake-related changes from comparison with comparable baseline data. The hypothesis is that besides earthquake-related trauma, medical problems emerge soon, questioning an appropriate composition of Foreign Medical Teams and Interagency Emergency Health Kits. ⋯ This is the first comparison of postearthquake diagnoses with baseline data. Within 2 weeks after the acute phase of an earthquake, respiratory, digestive and ophthalmological problems will emerge to the prejudice of trauma. This fact should be anticipated when composing Foreign Medical Teams and Interagency Emergency Health Kits to be sent to the disaster site.
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Multicenter Study
OBESICA study: relationship between BMI and acute heart failure outcome.
The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between BMI and outcome of acute heart failure (AHF). ⋯ BMI seems to be related to AHF and death, although this relationship disappeared on considering other prognostic factors and confounding variables. This finding limits the use of BMI by emergency physicians when estimating the risk of emergency department reconsultation or death in AHF patients.