Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Letter Randomized Controlled Trial
The Adjunctive Effect of Intravenous Magnesium Sulfate in Acute Exacerbation of COPD: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.
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Malnutrition is a potentially remediable condition that when untreated contributes to poor health and economic outcomes. While assessment of malnutrition risk is improving, its identification rate and economic burden in emergency departments (EDs) is largely unknown. We sought to determine prevalence and economic burden of diagnosed malnutrition among patients presenting to U.S. EDs. ⋯ While malnutrition is currently diagnosed at a low rate in U.S. EDs, the economic burden of malnutrition is substantial in this care setting. Given the potential for systematic malnutrition screening and treatment protocols to alleviate this burden, future research is warranted.
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While guidelines recommend outpatient management of patients with low-risk pulmonary embolism (PE), little is known about the disposition of patients with PE diagnosed in United States emergency departments (EDs). We sought to determine disposition practices and subsequent health care utilization in patients with acute PE in U.S. EDs. ⋯ Despite guidelines promoting outpatient management, few patients are currently discharged home in the United States; however, practice varies widely across hospitals. Return visit rates were high but most did not result in hospitalization.
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The objective was to provide a longitudinal assessment of anxiety levels and work and home concerns of U.S. emergency physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ While exposure to suspected COVID-19 patients was nearly universal, stress levels in emergency physicians decreased with time. At both initial and follow-up assessments, women were more likely to test positive on the PC-PTSD-5 screener compared to men.
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Despite concern that the global pandemic will worsen depression and suicide rates, there remain little data on its actual effect. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicidal ingestions reported to the California Poison Control System (CPCS). ⋯ Despite concern for worsening suicidality, calls regarding suicidal ingestions to the nation's largest poison control center decreased during the COVID era compared to the pre-COVID era. This study provides evidence that the pandemic's effects on modern society remain difficult to predict. Further effort is needed to understand how pandemic will affect American's mental health.