The American journal of emergency medicine
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Neutropenia is defined as an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) < 1500 cells/microL and may be discovered incidentally in an asymptomatic, afebrile patient. ⋯ Understanding the approach to incidental neutropenia can improve patient care. Critically ill or febrile patients should be admitted, but select patients may be discharged.
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To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of fentanyl and ketamine via Breath Actuated Nebulizer (BAN) for analgesia in the prehospital setting. ⋯ We found no statistically significant difference in the analgesic treatment effect for the overall fentanyl and ketamine groups. Subgroup analysis of patients treated for traumatic pain showed greater analgesia for ketamine via BAN over fentanyl. Given the ease of administration and lack of need for intravenous access, ketamine via BAN is a reasonable and effective choice for prehospital pain management.
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There is a paucity of research comparing the prognosis of patients with carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning only and CO poisoning with other toxic exposures. This study compared a group of patients with CO poisoning only and a group of patients with CO poisoning combined with other toxic exposures in terms of mortality and morbidity (ischemic stroke, venous thromboembolism (VTE), and myocardial infarction). ⋯ CO poisoning plus other toxic exposures was associated with a higher risk for long-term mortality and VTE compared with CO poisoning alone. Active screening for VTE in the acute stages of CO poisoning plus other toxic exposures and ongoing monitoring for the occurrence of long-term mortality are necessary.
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The number of emergency department (ED) visits has been on steady increase globally. Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, including Large Language Model (LLMs)-based generative AI models, have shown promise in improving triage accuracy. This study evaluates the performance of ChatGPT and Copilot in triage at a high-volume urban hospital, hypothesizing that these tools can match trained physicians' accuracy and reduce human bias amidst ED crowding challenges. ⋯ ChatGPT and Copilot outperform traditional nurse triage in identifying high-acuity patients, but real-time ED capacity data is crucial to prevent overcrowding and ensure high-quality of emergency care.