Articles: emergency-department.
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Observational Study
Prognostic Significance of Lactate Clearance in Cardiogenic Pulmonary Edema in the Emergency Department.
Background and Objectives: Acute cardiorespiratory failure disrupts the delicate balance of energy supply, demand, and consumption, with elevated lactate levels and decreased blood pH serving as crucial indicators. Acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema (ACPO), a common cause of acute respiratory failure, poses a substantial mortality risk. Lactate, a byproduct of pyruvate reduction, is a pertinent marker in perfusion assessment. ⋯ Conclusions: This study pioneers the exploration of lactate clearance in patients with acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema. LC below 14.29% signifies a poor prognosis, emphasizing its potential as an early treatment initiation marker. While acknowledging this study's limitations, we advocate for further multicenter research to refine the understanding of lactate clearance in this context.
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Agitation of elderly patients in the emergency department (ED) often complicates workup and therapy. ⋯ In this randomized controlled trial, the use of calming video sequences in elderly patients with agitation in the ED resulted in significant reductions in agitation and the need for additional sedative or antipsychotic medication.
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Pediatric emergency care · Sep 2024
Point-of-Care Ultrasound Diagnosis of Early Pyomyositis in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report.
Skin and soft tissue infections are common in the pediatric emergency department. Because pyomyositis occurs deep to the fascial plane, it is often difficult to appreciate on physical examination. ⋯ This case report describes a child who presented to the pediatric emergency department with leg pain and redness, initially concerning for an abscess based on clinical findings. Point-of-care ultrasound diagnosed early pyomyositis, prompting early involvement of the pediatric surgical service and urgent computed tomography imaging, which confirmed the diagnosis.
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Assessing patient frailty during triage evaluations has become increasingly relevant in Emergency Departments (ED). This study aimed to externally validating the Triage Frailty and Comorbidity (TFC) tool. This prospective study was conducted from June 1 to December 31, 2023. ⋯ In Decision Curve Analysis, it yielded higher net benefits up to a threshold probability of 0.30. The externally validated TFC tool appears very effective at identifying patients with increased risk of 90-day mortality after ED attendance. It could be implemented in clinical practice and enhance the predictive ability of standard triage systems.
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Observational Study
Does IV fentanyl, frequently used in emergency departments, change QTC value? A prospective observational study.
Fentanyl is an opioid analgesic frequently used in the emergency department (ED) and is usually administered without knowing the QTC values of the patients or being monitored. However, the effect of fentanyl on QTC, prolongation or shortening, has not been elucidated. This study aimed to determine the effect of fentanyl on QTC. ⋯ Fentanyl prolonged the QTC value statistically significantly. Although no patient developed malignant arrhythmia clinically, our results suggest that this QTC-prolonging effect should be considered when using fentanyl in patients at risk of torsades.