J Emerg Med
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Burn injuries in geriatric patients are common and may have significant associated morbidity and mortality. Most research has focused on the care of hospitalized patients after admission to burn units. Little is known about the clinical characteristics of geriatric burn victims who present to the emergency department (ED) and their ED assessment and management. ⋯ Better understanding of ED care for geriatric burn injuries may identify areas in which to improve emergency care for these vulnerable patients.
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Febrile neonates undergo lumbar puncture (LP), empiric antibiotic administration, and admission for increased risk of invasive bacterial infection (IBI), defined as bacteremia and meningitis. ⋯ Thirty percent of febrile neonates met low-risk criteria, age > 18 days, reassuring RC and YOS, and could avoid LP and empiric antibiotics. Our low-risk guidelines may improve patient safety and reduce health care costs by decreasing lab testing for cerebrospinal fluid, empiric antibiotic administration, and prolonged hospitalization. These results are hypothesis-generating and should be verified with a randomized prospective study.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Comparison of Tele-Education and Conventional Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training During COVID-19 Pandemic.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performed by lay rescuers can increase a person's chance of survival. The COVID-19 pandemic enforced prevention policies that encouraged social distancing, which disrupted conventional modes of health care education. Tele-education may benefit CPR training during the pandemic. ⋯ Tele-education offers a pragmatic and reasonably effective alternative to conventional CPR training during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Observational Study
Prevalence and Categorization of Drug-Related Problems in the Emergency Department.
Drug-related problems (DRPs) are common among patients seen in the emergency department (ED), but the true incidence is not clear. ⋯ A substantial proportion of ED visits are associated in part or in total with DRPs. Adverse drug reactions and cardiovascular medications are the most common category and medication class implicated, respectively.
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The use of sedative and analgesic agents is required for procedural sedation in the emergency department (ED). Agents such as ketamine and propofol are commonly used for procedural sedation. This is likely due to clinical experience with these agents, as well as optimal pharmacologic properties when used in combination with one another. Methohexital, a barbiturate, is less frequently used due to concerns for adverse events associated with this drug class. ⋯ Methohexital is a safe and effective option for procedural sedation for musculoskeletal procedures in the ED when compared with ketamine and propofol.