Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians open
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J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open · Apr 2021
COVID-19: A new barrier to treatment for opioid use disorder in the emergency department.
Start Treatment and Recover (STAR) is an emergency department (ED) program that expands access to medication for opioid use disorder by identifying patients with opioid use disorder and offering ED-initiated buprenorphine/naloxone and rapid access to outpatient treatment. We sought to determine the impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on STAR and the patients with opioid use disorder it serves. ⋯ Although overall ED visits declined during the pandemic period, the percentage of patients presenting with opioid use disorder or overdose remained constant, yet there was a dramatic decline in enrollment in ED-initiated medication for opioid use disorder and an increase in statewide monthly opioid-related fatalities. Strategies to maintain medication for opioid use disorder treatment options must be implemented for this vulnerable population during the ongoing pandemic.
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J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open · Feb 2021
Public perspectives on firearm sales in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, firearm sales surged to record-breaking levels in the United States. The purpose of this study was to conduct a national assessment of the views of Americans on the change in firearm sales, the perceived impact of the changes in sales, and how these perceptions differ by a recent purchase of a firearm. ⋯ This study delineated the characteristics of those who purchased a firearm during the pandemic and the reasons for such purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional research is needed to understand the long-term impact of firearm sales during the pandemic on public health.
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J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open · Feb 2021
ReviewExtracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation for refractory cardiac arrest: a scoping review.
Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is an emerging concept in cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Recent research has documented a significant improvement in favorable outcomes, notable survival to discharge, and neurologically intact survival. ⋯ This scoping review highlights the need for high-quality studies to increase the level of evidence and reduce knowledge gaps to change the paradigm of care for patients with shock-refractory cardiac arrest.
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J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open · Feb 2021
ReviewExtracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation for adults with shock-refractory cardiac arrest.
Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation has increasingly emerged as a feasible treatment to mitigate the progressive multiorgan dysfunction that occurs during cardiac arrest, in support of further resuscitation efforts. ⋯ Current clinical evidence is mostly drawn from observational studies, with their potential for confounding selection bias. Although studies without controls cannot supplant case-control or cohort studies, several ECPR studies without a control group show successful resuscitation with impressive results that may provide valuable information to inform a comparison.
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J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open · Feb 2021
Delayed emergencies: The composition and magnitude of non-respiratory emergency department visits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 has been associated with excess mortality among patients not diagnosed with COVID-19, suggesting disruption of acute health care provision may play a role. ⋯ COVID-19 has resulted in significant avoidance of ED care, comprising a mix of deferrable and high severity care. Hospital and public health pronouncements should emphasize appropriate care seeking.