J Emerg Med
-
Because more than one-third of the U.S. population visits an emergency department (ED) any given year, public health interventions in the ED can have major population-level impacts. ⋯ Interest in obtaining kiosk-delivered education on hypertension predominated. Kiosks are versatile tools that could be used in ED settings to provide health education services.
-
In the past couple of years, there has been an outbreak of synthetic cannabinoid (SC) use in major cities in the United States. Patients can present with various symptoms affecting the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. The effects of endocannabinoid on contractility and Ca(2+) signaling have been shown through both cannabinoid receptors and a direct effect on ion channels. These effects result in abnormalities in ionotropy, chronotropy, and conduction. ⋯ Here we report on two cases of SC abuse and abnormalities in the cardiovascular system. These cases raise concerns about the adverse effects of SCs and the possibility of QTc prolongation and subsequent complications when using antipsychotic medication in the presence of SC abuse. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Given the rise in SC use and the potential effect on the cardiovascular system, physicians need to be mindful of potential cardiac complications, such as QTc prolongation and torsade de pointe, especially when administering medications that have the potential to cause QTc prolongation.
-
Hand trauma is a top presenting complaint to hospital emergency departments (EDs) and can become costly if not treated effectively. The cornerstone for initial management of the traumatized hand is application of a splint. Improving splinting practice could potentially produce tangible benefits in terms of quality of care and costs to society. ⋯ Appropriate hand splinting practice is essential for hand trauma management. Our results show that an educational intervention can successfully improve splinting practice. This quality of care initiative was low-cost and demonstrated persistence at 1 year of follow-up.