Articles: emergency-department.
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The prognostic accuracy of the CURB-65 criteria and pneumonia severity index (PSI) in immunocompromised cancer patients with pneumonia is unknown. We sought to determine whether CURB-65 and PSI predict 28-day mortality in cancer patients with pneumonia, and identify other factors that predispose cancer patients with pneumonia to a high mortality risk. We assessed sensitivities, specificities, predictive values, and areas under the receiver operating curve area under the curve (AUC) of the CURB-65 and PSI in predicting the 28-day mortality of cancer patients presenting to our institution's emergency department with pneumonia. ⋯ The addition of radiation therapy (RT) within 4 weeks and stem cell transplant (SCT) significantly improved the AUCs of the CURB-65 (0.75; 95% CI, 0.67-0.83) and PSI (0.73; 95% CI, 0.65-0.82). Inadequate performances of CURB-65 and PSI demonstrate that a tool for predicting pneumonia-related mortality in cancer patients and other immunocompromised populations is needed. Pneumonia patients who have undergone recent RT or (SCT) are at a high risk of dying from pneumonia and require special consideration when assessing pneumonia-related mortality risk.
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This study illustrates the potential of using emergency department attendance data, routinely accessed as part of a national syndromic surveillance system, to monitor the impact of thunderstorm asthma. ⋯ This preliminary report illustrates the potential of the EDSSS to monitor the impact of thunderstorms on emergency department asthma attendances. Further work will focus on how this system can be used to quantify the impact on emergency departments, thus potentially improving resource planning and also adding to the thunderstorm asthma evidence-base.
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Observational Study
Diagnostic Characteristics of a Clinical Screening Tool in Combination With Measuring Bedside Lactate Level in Emergency Department Patients With Suspected Sepsis.
Early identification of sepsis and initiation of aggressive treatment saves lives. However, the diagnosis of sepsis may be delayed in patients without overt deterioration. Clinical screening tools and lactate levels may help identify sepsis patients at risk for adverse outcomes. ⋯ Use of a clinical screening tool in combination with early bedside POC lactates has moderate to good specificity but low sensitivity in adult ED patients with suspected sepsis. Elevated bedside lactate levels are associated with poor outcomes.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Impact of initial blood pressure on antihypertensive response in patients with acute hypertension.
The effect profile of differing antihypertensive agents is well studied, but minimal data regarding the interaction between hemodynamic response and presenting blood pressure (BP) exist. ⋯ Initial SBP is not a predictor of the ability to achieve a prespecified target range SBP within 30 minutes.