The American journal of emergency medicine
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Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) may suffer several complications after the acute event, including dysrhythmias and heart failure (HF). These complications place patients at risk for morbidity and mortality. ⋯ This review discusses considerations of ED management of dysrhythmias and HF associated with AMI.
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Emergency Department (ED) utilization accounts for a large portion of healthcare services in the US. Disturbance of circadian rhythms may affect mental and behavioral health (MBH) conditions, which could result in increased ED visits and subsequent hospitalizations, thus potentially inducing staffing shortages and increasing ED wait time. Predicting the burden of ED admissions helps to better plan care at the EDs and provides significant benefits. This study investigates if increased ED visits for MBH conditions are associated with seasonality and changes in daylight savings time. ⋯ Data do not provide conclusive evidence of a uniform seasonal increase in ED visits for MBH conditions. Variation in ED MBH visits may be due to secular trends, such as socioeconomic factors. Future research should explore contemporaneous associations between time-driven events and MBH ED visits. It will allow for greater understanding of challenges regarding psychiatric patients and opportunities for improvement.
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Multicenter Study
Emergency department visits for electric scooter-related injuries after introduction of an urban rental program.
Providers in Salt Lake City emergency departments (EDs) anecdotally noted a significant number of electronic scooter (e-scooter)-related injuries since the launch of e-scooter rentals in the downtown area in June 2018. The aim of this study was to quantify and characterize these injuries. ⋯ Since the launch of e-scooter share programs in Salt Lake City, we have seen a substantial increase in e-scooter related trauma in our EDs. Of particular note is the number of patients with major head injuries and major musculoskeletal injuries.
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Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present more frequently to the emergency department (ED) than children with normal development, and frequently have injuries requiring procedural sedation. Our objective was to describe sedation practice and outcomes in children with ASD in the ED. ⋯ Children with autism in the ED commonly received sedation; one in four of which were for non-painful diagnostic procedures or physical examination. Over one-third received sedation via a non-parenteral route for intended minimal sedation. Sedative medication dosing and observed adverse events were similar to those reported previously in children without ASD. Emergency providers must be prepared to meet the unique sedation needs of children with ASD.
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This report describes changes in blood and urine concentrations of glyphosate potassium over time and their correlations with clinical symptoms in a patient with acute glyphosate potassium poisoning. ⋯ Glyphosate potassium poisoning causes hyperkalemia. Blood concentrations of glyphosate were decreased rapidly by 16 h after admission, and urine concentrations were also decreased by 6 h after admission.