The American journal of emergency medicine
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Among patients with a known peanut allergy, previous studies suggest low carrying rates of epinephrine auto-injectors (EAIs) and hesitancy to self-administer epinephrine upon anaphylaxis onset. Given the high prescription rates of epinephrine and prevalence of peanut allergies, it is important to identify rates of on-scene EAI use and affecting factors. ⋯ This study selected for individuals diagnosed with anaphylaxis, meaning EAI use should have been observed nearly 100% of the time. An administration rate of 22.6% observed among individuals not identified as health care professionals suggests that the majority of patients prescribed epinephrine have not used their EAIs, even when presented an opportunity for application. The administration rate of 100% observed among health care professionals indicates that comfort with EAIs facilitates willingness to administer on-scene. EAIs can range up to $900 in expense, thus physicians should employ EAI training devices and other training strategies.
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The opioid epidemic has altered normative clinical perceptions on addressing both acute and chronic pain, particularly within the Emergency Department (ED) setting, where providers are now confronted with balancing pain management and potential abuse. This study aims to examine patient sociodemographic and ED clinical characteristics to comprehensively determine predictors of opioid administration during an ED visit (ED-RX) and prescribing upon discharge (DC-RX). ⋯ These findings demonstrate the utility of machine learning for understanding clinical predictors of opioid administration and prescribing in the ED, and its potential in informing standardized prescribing recommendations and guidelines.
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Observational Study
A pilot study examining the use of ultrasound to measure sarcopenia, frailty and fall in older patients.
The importance of this study is to devise an efficient tool for assessing frailty in the ED. The goals of this study are 1) to correlate ultrasonographic (US) measurements of muscle thickness in older ED patients with frailty and 2) to correlate US-measured sarcopenia with falls, subsequent hospitalizations and ED revisits. ⋯ US measurements of sarcopenia in older patients had mild to moderate associations with frailty, falls and subsequent hospitalizations. Further investigation is needed to confirm these findings.
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Observational Study
Short- and intermediate-term effects of a hospital-integrated walk-in clinic on emergency department-visits and case mix.
Emergency department (ED) admissions have been rising over the last decades, especially in countries without any effective gate-keeping functions. Integration of walk-in clinics into the hospital might reduce ED-visits. Over a longer period, however, the additional service of a walk-in clinic might attract even more patients, nullifying an initial decrease in patients for the ED. ⋯ After the introduction of the walk-in clinic, ED-visits declined significantly. This remained stable over a two-year period. Reduction in ED-visits was mainly due to low-acuity patients not requiring admission to the hospital.