J Emerg Med
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The use of supplemental oxygen (SO) for procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA) is recommended in many guidelines, but the evidence of SO for the elderly is limited. ⋯ In a propensity-matched analysis, SO was associated with a lower incidence of hypoxia in elderly patients during ED PSA.
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Procedural sedation is commonly practiced by emergency physicians to facilitate patient care in the emergency department (ED). Although various guidelines have modernized our approach to procedural sedation, many procedural sedation guidelines and practices still often require that patients be discharged into the care of a responsible adult. ⋯ There is no pharmacodynamic or pharmacokinetic basis to require discharge in the care of a responsible adult after procedural sedation. Thoughtful medication selection and the use of evidence-based pre- and postprocedure protocols in the ED can help circumvent this requirement, which likely disproportionally impacts patients who are of low socioeconomic status or undomiciled.
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Status epilepticus is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and is divided into convulsive status epilepticus and nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE). ⋯ An understanding of the presentation and management of NCSE can assist emergency clinicians in the care of these patients.
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Opioid overdose deaths in 2021 were the highest ever, driven by fentanyl and polysubstance use. ⋯ Most participants had UDS specimens containing multiple substances; a high proportion had fentanyl, stimulants, and buprenorphine. Regional differences were noted. Given the increased risk of death with fentanyl and polysubstance use, ED providers should be providing risk reduction counseling, treatment, and referral.