BACKGROUND: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) such as rivaroxaban [Xarelto] and apixaban [Eliquis] have become more prevalent in the aging population and are associated with intracranial bleeding at rates up to 4.2%. (Xian 2019) 4-Factor Prothrombin Complex Concentrates (4F-PCC), or K-Centra, …
Take Home Points Methemoglobinemia can result from exposure to a number of different medications. The most common are dapsone and topical anesthetic agents (i.e. benzocaine) Consider the diagnosis in any patient with cyanosis and hypoxia that doesn’t respond to oxygen …
Background: Rapid sequence intubation (RSI) induction agent selection remains a heavily debated matter. Etomidate causes adrenal suppression in critically ill patients triggering a groundswell of support in favor of ketamine. (Albert 2011, Jabre 2009) However, the existing literature comparing etomidate …
Take Home Points Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis (SBP) is a difficult diagnosis to make because presentations are variable. Consider a diagnostic paracentesis in all patients presenting to the ED with ascites from cirrhosis An ascites PMN count > 250 cells/mm3 is …
Background: Vitamin C dissociates to ascorbate at physiological pH and is not organically synthesized by the human body. Vitamin C can function as an antioxidant and may mitigate endothelial oxidative stress in sepsis. (Amrein 2018) A small, single-center, before-and-after study …
Take Home Points Severe hypocalcemia can cause hypotension and QTc prolongation leading to Torsades de Pointes. Treat moderate to severe symptoms and any EKG changes with IV calcium salts Always search for and treat the underlying cause of hypocalcemia
Take Home Points Patients with severe hypercalcemia (> 14 mg/dL) are at risk for severe cardiac dysrhythmias and cardiac collapse Treatment centers on volume repletion with normal saline with consideration for the addition of loop diuretics AFTER volume reexpansion is …
Background: Standard emergency department management of acute pancreatitis has focused on aggressive hydration, analgesia and investigation for an underlying reversible cause (eg gallstones). Recent evidence has challenged the routine use of aggressive hydration as unnecessary. There are also potential harms …
Background: Thromboelastography (TEG) is a reliable, comprehensive non-invasive hemostatic assay that measures the ability of whole blood to form a clot. TEG analyzes the interaction between platelets and the coagulation cascade. It provides highly descriptive, real-time information on clot formation, …
Background: Medical equipment that gives clinicians vital signs or other objective information must be reliable across populations as this data drives medical decisions. Many of these tools were not developed or validated in a racially diverse group of patients. We …
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