The American journal of emergency medicine
-
Caffeine poisoning is relatively rare, and a near-fatal caffeine overdose is highly uncommon. We present an 18-year-old male who attempted suicide with 295 mg/kg pure caffeine powder (lethal oral dose: 150-200 mg/kg) and was successfully rescued. ⋯ Then, hemodialysis ultimately eliminated serum caffeine and completely alleviated caffeine-related central nervous system toxicity. We discuss the clinical symptoms, management and toxicodynamics based on the concentration of caffeine and its metabolites in serum and urine.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Sub dissociative dose of ketamine with haloperidol versus fentanyl on pain reduction in patients with acute pain in the emergency department; a randomized clinical trial.
Ketamine is known to be an effective factor in reducing pain without significant side effects. ⋯ Ketamine works better than fentanyl in controlling acute pain, and limited side effect of agitation can be controlled if injected with haloperidol. Due to its better function and fewer side effects, it seems that in controlling acute pain, Ketamine along with Haloperidol can be a good alternative to opioids.
-
Healthcare facilities and medical providers are not immune to aggression and threat from terrorists, criminals and rogue states. The concept of Hybrid Warfare is often described as a mix of conventional warfare, irregular warfare, terrorism, criminality and different types of other hybrid threats such as cyberattacks and drone technology. Healthcare systems can either be primary or secondary targets of hybrid warfare with potentially devastating consequences. ⋯ Clinicians and healthcare managers of all levels should have a basic knowledge of the different components of hybrid warfare so as to mitigate effects of an attack. It is suggested that an emergency department do not aim to create totally new solutions for hybrid threats but use an all hazards approach and the available guidelines for handling generic threats. However, there must be a preparedness for the different ways hybrid warfare can play out, how the threats can be combined in synergistic ways and the potential compounding effects on healthcare and society.
-
Case Reports
Neurologic toxicity of carbamazepine in treatment of trigeminal neuralgia: A case report.
Carbamazepine is a medication used to treat a variety of neurological and psychiatric conditions including seizure disorders, neuropathic pain syndromes, and bipolar disorder. Unfortunately, its pharmacokinetics and side effect profile may lead to significant toxicities due to its sodium channel blockade. ⋯ In this article, we describe a case of a 40-year-old female who presented to a local emergency department with focal neurological deficits after repeated supratherapeutic dosing of carbamazepine.. This case highlights a key cerebrovascular accident mimic that emergency physicians should consider from acute toxicity that can be seen with carbamazepine in a patient who was taking the medication as prescribed.
-
The most common presenting complaint to the emergency department (ED) is pain. Several studies have shown that a large proportion of ED patients either receive no or sub-optimal analgesia. Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pumps used in the post-operative setting has shown to decrease total opioid consumption and has increased patient and nurse satisfaction. ⋯ The quality, the differences in study methods and outcome measures used, and heterogeneity of the studies performed to date do not provide adequate evidence to support its widespread use in the ED. Well-designed studies conducted in the ED are still needed to evaluate the ideal patient population to whom these PCAs may provide the most benefit as well as a robust cost-analysis to ensure feasibility of use in the future.