J Emerg Med
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Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura is a hematological emergency and diagnostic challenge. The critical determinant of outcome is timely diagnosis and treatment. ⋯ It is essential for the emergency physician to be aware of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura's range of presentations, diagnostic criteria, and treatment.
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Workplace violence (WPV) has increasingly become commonplace in the United States (US), and particularly in the health care setting. Assaults are the third leading cause of occupational injury-related deaths for all US workers. Among all health care settings, Emergency Departments (EDs) have been identified specifically as high-risk settings for WPV. ⋯ Violence against ED health care workers is a real problem with significant implications to the victims, patients, and departments/institutions. ED WPV needs to be addressed urgently by stakeholders through continued research on effective interventions specific to Emergency Medicine. Coordination, cooperation, and active commitment to the development of such interventions are critical.
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Comparative Study
Substituting whole blood for urine in a bedside pregnancy test.
Point-of-care testing for rapid detection of pregnancy in women of reproductive age is common practice in the emergency department. Commercially available rapid human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) immunoassays are validated for use with urine and serum, but not whole blood. ⋯ Using a standard point-of-care qualitative hCG immunoassay kit, whole blood may be used for rapid detection of pregnancy with similar, or greater, accuracy than urine.
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Review Case Reports
Hyperglycemia-induced hemiballismus hemichorea: a case report and brief review of the literature.
Metabolic conditions, including hyperglycemia, can have various neurological presentations. Hemiballismus hemichorea is a rare manifestation reported to occur with severe hyperglycemia and is reversed in most cases with control of sugars. ⋯ Important differential diagnoses that need to be evaluated are discussed.