J Emerg Med
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Observational Study
Exploratory Descriptive Analysis of Smart Speaker Utilization in the Emergency Department During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
In March 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights stated that they would use discretion when enforcing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regarding remote communication technologies that promoted telehealth delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was in an effort to protect patients, clinicians, and staff. More recently, smart speakers-voice-activated, hands-free devices-are being proposed as productivity tools within hospitals. ⋯ Smart speakers showed notable engagement, primarily being used for patient communication and entertainment. Future studies should examine content of patient care conversations using these devices, effects on frontline staff wellbeing, productivity, patient satisfaction, and even explore opportunities for "smart" hospital rooms.
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Organic acidemias are rare genetic mutations, most commonly identified in the newborn period. Late-onset presentations present a diagnostic conundrum. Early identification and appropriate management can be lifesaving. ⋯ We describe the case of a 3-year-old boy who presented to urgent care with 2 days of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea followed by respiratory distress, shock, and encephalopathy. Brisk recognition of his shock state led to an urgent transfer to a tertiary care pediatric emergency department by air where his shock was treated and hyperammonemia was uncovered, leading to the diagnosis of late-onset propionic acidemia, which was subsequently managed with a good outcome. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Late-onset presentations of inborn errors of metabolism, including organic acidemias, represent one of the most challenging pediatric cases an emergency physician can encounter. This case reviews the management and diagnosis of a late-onset inborn error of metabolism and emphasizes how prompt diagnosis and treatment can lead to a favorable outcome.
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Mayo Clinic's virtual hybrid hospital-at-home program, Advanced Care at Home (ACH) monitors acute and post-acute patients for signs of deterioration and institutes a rapid response (RR) system if detected. ⋯ The use of an ACH RR team was effective at limiting both escalations back to an ED and hospital readmissions, as 83% of deteriorating patients were successfully stabilized and managed in their homes. Implementing a hospital-at-home RR team can reduce the need for ED use by providing critical resources and carrying out required interventions to stabilize the patient's condition.
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Substance use-related morbidity and mortality rates are at an all-time high in the United States, yet there remains significant stigma and discrimination in emergency medicine about patients with this condition. ⋯ The findings showed that Black patients with substance use disorder are waiting 35% longer, on average, than White patients with the same condition. This is concerning, given that emergency medicine is a critical frontline of care, and often the only source of care, for these patients. Furthermore, longer wait times can increase the likelihood of leaving the ED without being seen. Programs and policies should address potential stigma and discrimination among providers, and EDs should consider adding people with lived experiences to the staff to serve as peer recovery specialists and bridge the gap for care.
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Spit restraint devices, also referred to as spit hoods, spit masks, or spit socks, are used by law enforcement and medical personnel to minimize transmission of communicable disease from bodily fluids from agitated individuals. Several lawsuits have implicated spit restraint devices as contributing to the death of individuals who are physically restrained by means of asphyxiation due to saturation of the mesh restraint device with saliva. ⋯ In healthy adult subjects, there were no statistically or clinically significant differences in ventilatory or circulatory parameters while wearing the saturated spit restraint.