Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Ibuprofen + acetaminophen versus ibuprofen alone for acute low back pain. An ED-based randomized study.
Patients with low back pain (LBP) are often treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs are modestly effective for LBP, but many patients with LBP continue to suffer despite treatment with these medications. We compared pain and functional outcomes 1 week after emergency department (ED) discharge among patients randomized to a 1-week course of ibuprofen plus acetaminophen versus ibuprofen plus placebo. ⋯ Among ED patients with acute, nontraumatic, nonradicular LBP, adding acetaminophen to ibuprofen does not improve outcomes within 1 week.
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Multicenter Study
Impact of timing of pre-procedural opioids on adverse events in procedural sedation.
The risk of respiratory depression is increased when opioids are added to sedative agents. In our recent multicenter emergency department (ED) procedural sedation cohort, we reported a strong association between preprocedural opioids and sedation-related adverse events. We sought to examine the association between timing of opioids and the incidence of adverse sedation outcomes. ⋯ Timing of opioids was significantly associated with the risk of oxygen desaturation and vomiting. Being aware of this increased risk will help clinicians prepare for sedation and the potential need for patient rescue.
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The Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine Chair Development Program (CDP) was started in 2014 to provide emergency medicine (EM) chairs and leaders who aspired to become academic chairs with EM-specific leadership training. Each class participated in a 1-year program, with five sessions taught primarily by EM leaders. Data from the first 5 years of the CDP are provided. ⋯ Twenty participants who were not chairs at entry have become EM chairs. Ratings of the CDP based on a survey of participants with a 94% response rate were very favorable. The CDP has been a popular and successful vehicle to increase leadership skills and prepare EM leaders for academic chair positions.