International journal of emergency medicine
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One of the highest rates of illicit cocaine consumption in Europe is in Spain. Our objective was to study the incidence and impact of undisclosed cocaine consumption in patients attending the emergency department (ED) for trauma or chest pain. ⋯ Thirty percent of eligible patients participated. Of 75 cases, 61.3% had trauma and 38.7% chest pain; 25% presented a positive test for drugs. Cocaine was present in 13.3% and cannabis in the same proportion. No differences were found regarding positive cocaine test and chief complaint, ED or hospital stay, or additional tests. Cocaine-positive patients were significantly younger.
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The purpose of this study is to identify the rate of emergency department (ED) intubation and the mortality associated with ED intubation. ⋯ The mortality after an ED intubation in our study population was relatively high. Further studies need to confirm these findings and help identify predictors of mortality.
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Skin and soft tissue infections are a common admission diagnosis to emergency department (ED) observation units (OU). Little is known about which patients fail OU treatment. ⋯ Among OU patients treated for skin and soft tissue infections, women were twice as likely to require hospitalization and patients with a WBC > 15,000 on presentation to the ED, regardless of gender, were 4 times more likely to require hospitalization.
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The patient with difficult airways is a common challenge for emergency physicians. ⋯ Emergency physicians manage most of the difficult airways successfully (68.8%). However, the success rate can be further improved through the more frequent use of the bougie or other rescue device. A possible suggestion would be for the emergency physician to use the bougie after the second or third attempt at direct orotracheal intubation.
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While epilepsy is a well-characterized disease, the majority of emergency department (ED) visits for "seizure" involve patients without known epilepsy. The epidemiology of seizure presentations and national patterns of management are unclear. The aim of this investigation was to characterize ED visits for seizure in a large representative US sample and investigate any potential impact of race or ethnicity on management. ⋯ Seizures account for 1% of ED visits (1 million annually). Seizure accounts for higher proportions of ED visits among infants and toddlers, males and Blacks. Racial/ethnic disparities in neuroimaging and hospital admission merit further investigation.