J Emerg Med
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Peri-intubation cardiac arrest and hypotension in patients with septic shock occur often in the emergency department (ED) and ultimately lead to worse clinical outcomes. In recent years, the use of push-dose, or bolus-dose, vasopressors in the ED have become common practice for transient hypotension and bridging to continuous infusion vasopressors. Push-dose epinephrine and phenylephrine are the agents used most frequently in this scenario. ⋯ A 63-year-old woman who was apneic and pulseless presented to our ED. After 4 min of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, spontaneous circulation was achieved, and the patient was intubated for airway protection. She became hypotensive with a blood pressure of 55/36 mm Hg. After receiving a 1-L bolus of lactated Ringer solution, she remained hypotensive with blood pressure of 80/51 mm Hg and a pulse of 129 beats/min. One unit of intravenous vasopressin push bolus was administered. Within 1 min, her hemodynamics improved to a blood pressure of 141/102 mm Hg and pulse of 120 beats/min. Over the next 2 h, her mean arterial pressure slowly and progressively declined from 120 to 80. No further vasoactive medications were required for approximately 120 min until norepinephrine and vasopressin was initiated for septic shock. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: This case report discusses the use of push-dose vasopressin as an alternate vasoactive medication to improve hemodynamics in a patient with vasodilatory septic shock.
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Multicenter Study
Percutaneous Thrombectomy in Emergency Department Patients with Pulmonary Embolism: The FLARE ED Sub-study.
The FlowTriever Pulmonary Embolectomy Clinical Study (FLARE) was a multicenter, single-arm trial that demonstrated effectiveness of the FlowTriever percutaneous pulmonary embolectomy system in reducing right ventricular/left ventricular (RV/LV) diameter ratio in patients with acute intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism (PE). Patients diagnosed in emergency departments (EDs) with acute PE may have a different presentation from those diagnosed in an in-hospital setting. ⋯ ED patients with intermediate-risk PE had significant improvement in their RV/LV ratio and low complication rates when treated with mechanical embolectomy, irrespective of their baseline cTn-sPESI risk score.
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The emergency medicine (EM) workforce has been growing at a rapid rate, fueled by a large increase in the number of EM residency programs and growth in the number of Advanced Practice Providers (APPs). ⋯ Historically, there has been a significant shortage of EPs. We project that this shortage may resolve quickly, and there is the potential for a significant oversupply in the future.
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Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC) guidelines recommend that in the absence of clinical indicators suggestive of serious underlying pathology, physicians should not order radiological imaging for patients presenting with nonspecific low back pain (LBP). ⋯ CWC guidelines did not appear to alter the rate of imaging for patients presenting to the ED with nontraumatic LBP. Future clinical recommendations should consider active knowledge dissemination and education strategies to help facilitate guideline adoption.