J Emerg Med
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The loss of pulses after successful return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is known as rearrest (RA). The causes of RA are not well understood. ⋯ Shock pause length was inversely associated with RA when shock pause intervals were limited to 30 s or less. Shock pauses and RA were not associated when all durations of shock pauses were considered.
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Difficulty with intubation is not uncommon in the emergency setting. Video laryngoscopes (VLs) are commonly used to manage the difficult airway in the emergency department (ED). Intubation using a flexible bronchoscope, while considered the gold standard for managing the anticipated difficult airway in the operating room, is not commonly used in the ED. ⋯ We present a case describing VL-assisted flexible scope intubation performed in the ED as a novel feasible approach to managing the difficult airway. A 65-year-old male, post cardiac arrest, with multiple unsuccessful attempts at prehospital intubation had rapid sequence intubation (RSI) performed and, despite obtaining a view with a King Vision™ VL, the skilled operator was unable to advance the endotracheal tube (ETT). An Ambu™ aScope3 flexible intubating scope (FIS) was placed through the ETT loaded in the channel of the King Vision and advanced through the cords to a position proximal to the carina. The ETT was then advanced easily over the FIS and down the trachea. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Although video laryngoscopy is commonly used in the ED, intubation can prove difficult, despite having an adequate view of the glottis. Use of an FIS, however, through a channeled VL makes navigation of the ETT easier and facilitates tube advancement, which can be difficult with VL. Channeled VL-assisted use of an FIS is a viable option for managing the difficult airway.
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Comparative Study
Impact of Clinical Pharmacists on Initiation of Postintubation Analgesia in the Emergency Department.
Pain and anxiety are common in mechanically ventilated patients, and frequently undertreated in the emergency department (ED) setting. ⋯ Analgesic use after RSI in the ED significantly increased after the implementation of ED pharmacy services. The large proportion of patients receiving analgesia during the EDP duty hours suggest the increase may be related to direct pharmacist involvement in postintubation management.
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Case Reports
Pediatric Urinary Retention in the Emergency Department: A Concerning Symptom with Etiology Outside the Bladder.
Urinary retention in an otherwise healthy adolescent is a concerning symptom, in which etiology can range from an extracystic mass to central nervous system involvement (CNS). One possibility is acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), a rare inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects the CNS via demyelination. The disease usually is preceded by an acute viral infection, and commonly presents with multifocal neurological deficits. The diagnosis for ADEM is made based on clinical presentation, correlating with findings characterized on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the CNS. ⋯ Our case involves a 16-year-old boy who presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with urinary retention. The patient was an otherwise healthy adolescent who was experiencing intermittent fevers for 1 week, and was found to be monospot positive when seen by his pediatrician. When presenting to the ED, the patient's primary complaint was urinary retention, which he experienced acutely in the middle of the night. Due to the suspicious nature of the patient's symptoms and history of present illness, the patient received a thorough workup including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the patient's brain and spinal cord, which demonstrated findings consistent with ADEM. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: There is very little literature describing a case of ADEM in the ED where the primary manifesting symptom was urinary retention. In addition, it is important that clinicians address acute urinary retention in an otherwise healthy adolescent as a red flag, with the need to rule out concerning etiology.
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Ankle pain is a frequent chief complaint, and although peroneal tendon disorders are relatively uncommon, if treated inappropriately they may cause persistent pain and dysfunction. Peroneal tendon disorders, including the tendon sheath inflammatory condition tenosynovitis, are a major cause of chronic lateral ankle pain. Although magnetic resonance imaging has emerged as the modality of choice to assess the majority of these injuries, dynamic ultrasonography detects tendon pathology such as tenosynovitis. ⋯ A 69-year-old woman presented to the Emergency Department (ED) after several months of atraumatic, progressive right foot and ankle pain. On physical examination, she had swelling and point tenderness posterior and inferior to the lateral malleolus, which was exacerbated by eversion. Plain radiography of the foot and ankle showed only soft tissue swelling. Bedside ultrasonography performed by the emergency physician quickly identified findings consistent with peroneal tenosynovitis without tears. Management with a walking boot and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs was initiated prior to discharge. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: In this case of peroneal tenosynovitis, point-of-care ultrasonography was used to promptly and accurately identify hyperemia, synovial thickening, and a marked effusion within the right peroneal tendon sheath. Nonoperative treatment of tenosynovitis was initiated in the ED while findings were subsequently confirmed with magnetic resonance imaging. Emergency physicians should be aware of the utility of identifying tenosynovitis by point-of-care ultrasonography, which can expedite nonoperative management and prevent long-term complications.