J Emerg Med
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Review Randomized Controlled Trial
What is the Best Agent for Rate Control of Atrial Fibrillation With Rapid Ventricular Response?
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common dysrhythmia associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although many patients have stable AF, some patients can present with a rapid ventricular response (RVR). In these patients, it is important to lower their heart rate. However, there are several options available for rate control in the emergency department setting. ⋯ Based upon the available literature, diltiazem likely achieves rate control faster than metoprolol, though both agents seem safe and effective. Clinicians must consider the individual patient, clinical situation, and comorbidities when selecting a medication for rate control.
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Point-of-care ultrasound is a fundamental tool in the emergency department when managing the critically ill patient. Determining a patient's hemodynamic status at the bedside can better guide resuscitation efforts. The left ventricular outflow tract velocity-time integral (VTI) is a validated, noninvasive, and rapidly acquired echocardiographic measurement that is analogous to stroke volume. ⋯ VTI is an objective tool for clinicians to assess the hemodynamic status of critically ill patients. Understanding the acquisition of VTI and proper application in the context of the patient's history, clinical examination, and other bedside ultrasound findings, should be reviewed within the emergency medicine residency ultrasound curriculum. This article provides a simple four-step protocol, as well as bedside applications and potential limitations for VTI in the ED.
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Much controversy surrounds the use of orthostatic vital signs (OVS), including their indications, performance, and interpretation. This can lead to conflict between nurses, physicians, and consultants. This article summarizes the evidence for OVS in selected emergency department (ED) indications and the basis for a rapid measurement protocol. ⋯ OVS are useful in selected patients, in a variety of frequent presentations, but their indications and implications for a patient's care are subject to physician interpretation. Given their ease of measurement and effect on decision-making, physicians may consider measuring them early in the evaluation of selected patients.
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Urinomas are rare and generally result from trauma to any part of the urinary collecting system. Appropriate imaging is crucial in the timely diagnosis and management of urinomas and for ruling out other etiologies such as subcapsular renal hematomas and perinephric abscesses. ⋯ A 31-year-old woman with no past medical history or known trauma presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with a week of right flank pain, abdominal pain, and intermittent fevers. On point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), she was found to have a complex right perinephric collection, later confirmed with computed tomography (CT) imaging. She was treated with intravenous (IV) antibiotics and discharged after a 3-day hospital admission with instructions to follow up with Urology. A day later, she was readmitted with worsening bilateral flank pain and persistent fevers. Image-guided percutaneous aspirations of her bilateral perinephric fluid collections revealed both urine and blood. A right ureteral stent was then placed with ultimate resolution of her symptoms. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Urinomas without history of trauma are rare and should be on the differential for patients presenting with flank pain and infectious symptoms. Urinomas or other expanding perinephric fluid collections can result in superimposed infection, rupture, secondary hypertension, and renal failure. Here, we present an atypical case of atraumatic bilateral renal subcapsular urinomas with hemorrhagic components in a young and healthy woman. Our case further outlines the utility of POCUS in the ED for the timely diagnosis and management of this disease process.