Emergency medicine clinics of North America
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Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. · Nov 2014
ReviewEmergency Department Antimicrobial Considerations in Severe Sepsis.
Severe sepsis and septic shock are common problems in the emergency department patient population and require expert clinical skill by members of the emergency department team to maximize optimal patient outcomes. Although various guidelines have been developed for the management of these patients, issues around antimicrobial-related considerations in critically ill patients require further evidence-based attention. In this review article, important factors related to patient illness, microorganism, timing of antimicrobial administration, and source control are discussed.
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Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. · Nov 2014
ReviewEarly Identification and Management of Patients with Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock in the Emergency Department.
Severe sepsis and septic shock have great relevance to Emergency Medicine physicians because of their high prevalence, morbidity, and mortality. Treatment is time-sensitive, depends on early identification risk stratification, and has the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes. In this article, we review the pathophysiology of, and evidence basis for, the emergency department management of severe sepsis and septic shock.
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Palliative and end-of-life care, once the purview of oncologists and intensivists, has also become the responsibility of the emergency physician. As our population ages and medical technology enables increased longevity, it is essential that all medical professionals know how to help patients negotiate the balance between quantity and quality of life. Emergency physicians have the opportunity to educate patients and their loved ones on how to best accomplish their goals of care while also enhancing quality of life through treatment of symptoms. The emergency physician must be aware of the ethical and medico-legal parameters that govern decision making.
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To effectively treat an aging and increasingly complex patient population, emergency physicians and other acute-care providers must be comfortable with the use of vasopressors, inotropes, and chronotropes. These medicines are used to augment the cardiovascular function of critically ill patients. ⋯ For the emergency physician, these agents are used with the explicit goal of preserving vital organ perfusion during acute and severe illness. This article reviews the physiologic receptors targeted by such drugs, common agents used, and specific clinical indications for their use.
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Neurotrauma continues to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Prevention of primary neurologic injury is a critical public health concern. ⋯ Critical care management of the patient with neurotrauma is focused on the prevention of secondary injuries. Much research is still needed for potential neuroprotection therapies.