The American journal of emergency medicine
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Emergency department (ED) care coordination plays an important role in facilitating care transitions across settings. We studied ED care coordination processes and their perceived effectiveness in Maryland (MD) hospitals, which face strong incentives to reduce hospital-based care through global budgets. ⋯ EDs have responded to the value-based care incentives of MD's global budgeting program with investments to enhance care coordination staffing and a variety of initiatives targeting specific patient populations. Although the observed care coordination initiatives were broadly perceived to produce positive results, MD's global budgeting policies were also perceived to produce barriers to optimizing ED care. Further research is needed to determine the association of the various strategies to improve ED care coordination with patient outcomes to inform practice leaders and policymakers on the efficacy of the various approaches.
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Evaluate the appropriateness of the timing of serum samples collected in the emergency department (ED) for tacrolimus (TAC) measurement. ⋯ Inappropriate sample collection for TAC measurements was common in the ED, resulting in frequent repeat laboratory draws and increased healthcare costs.
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We report a case of neurogenic pulmonary edema in a patient who sustained a severe traumatic brain injury in a motorbike accident and review the current literature with regards to the management of neurogenic pulmonary edema (NPE). ⋯ Neurogenic pulmonary edema is a potentially life-threatening complication of severe brain injury and should be recognised early to facilitate management.
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Case Reports
Probable parenteral and oral contrast-induced Steven Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis: A case report.
We report a case of contrast-inducted Steven Johnson Syndrome (SJS)/Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN). The patient had received parenteral iopamidol and oral iohexol five days prior. The patient's chief complaint at the Emergency Department (ED) presentation was shortness of breath and blisters throughout body. ⋯ Complete metabolic panel was normal with serum creatinine 0.77 mg/dL. The patient was initially treated with diphenhydramine, methylprednisolone, ondansetron, sodium chloride, lorazepam and oxycodone-acetaminophen. Hemotology/Oncology and Trauma/Burn consult identified possible SJS/TEN and the patient was transferred to another facility for dermatologic/burn follow up.
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Congenital hypothyroidism is rare and is screened for in the United States during the newborn period in order to prevent a treatable cognitive delay. Myxedema coma is a complication due to severe hypothyroidism resulting from failure of homeostatic processes, causing altered mental status, generalized edema, and vital sign abnormalities. Treatment of myxedema coma consists of supportive care and hormone replacement. We describe a case of congenital hypothyroidism presenting as myxedema coma in an immigrant teenager.