Annals of emergency medicine
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The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the largest in history. Ebola viral disease is a severe and fatal illness characterized by a nonspecific viral syndrome followed by fulminant septic shock and coagulopathy. ⋯ Because a case of Ebola viral disease was confirmed in the United States on September 30, 2014, emergency medicine providers should be knowledgeable about it for a number of reasons: we are being called on to answer questions about Ebola and allay public fears, we are likely to be first to encounter an infected patient, and there are increasing numbers of US emergency physicians working in Africa who risk coming in direct contact with the disease. This article seeks to provide emergency physicians with the essential and up-to-date information required to identify, evaluate, and manage Ebola viral disease and to join global efforts to contain the current outbreak.
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We estimate the prevalence of malnutrition among older patients presenting to an emergency department (ED) in the southeastern United States and identify subgroups at increased risk. ⋯ Among a random sample of cognitively intact older ED patients, more than half were malnourished or at risk for malnutrition, and the majority of malnourished patients had not previously received a diagnosis. Higher rates of malnutrition among individuals with depression, difficulty eating, and difficulty buying groceries suggest the need to explore multifaceted interventions.