Emergency Medicine Commons^™

Heart Failure In Patients Presenting With Dyspnoea To The Emergency Department In The Asia Pacific Region: An Observational Study, Gerben Keijzers, Anne-Maree Kelly, Louise Cullen, Sharon Klim, Colin A Graham, Simon Craig, Win Sen Kuan, Peter Jones, Anna Holdgate, Charles Lawoko, Said Laribi

Gerben Keijzers

OBJECTIVES: To describe demographic features, assessment, management and outcomes of patients who were diagnosed with heart failure after presenting to an emergency department (ED) with a principal symptom of dyspnoea. DESIGN: Planned substudy of the prospective, descriptive cohort study: Asia, Australia and New Zealand Dyspnoea in Emergency Departments (AANZDEM). SETTING: 46 EDs in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia collected data over 3 72-hour periods in May, August and October 2014. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with an ED diagnosis of heart failure. OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcomes included patient epidemiology, investigations ordered, treatment modalities used and patient outcomes (hospital length of stay ...

Heart Failure In Patients Presenting With Dyspnoea To The Emergency Department In The Asia Pacific Region: An Observational Study, Gerben Keijzers, Anne-Maree Kelly, Louise Cullen, Sharon Klim, Colin A Graham, Simon Craig, Win Sen Kuan, Peter Jones, Anna Holdgate, Charles Lawoko, Said Laribi

Gerben Keijzers

OBJECTIVES: To describe demographic features, assessment, management and outcomes of patients who were diagnosed with heart failure after presenting to an emergency department (ED) with a principal symptom of dyspnoea. DESIGN: Planned substudy of the prospective, descriptive cohort study: Asia, Australia and New Zealand Dyspnoea in Emergency Departments (AANZDEM). SETTING: 46 EDs in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia collected data over 3 72-hour periods in May, August and October 2014. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with an ED diagnosis of heart failure. OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcomes included patient epidemiology, investigations ordered, treatment modalities used and patient outcomes (hospital length of stay ...

The Role Of The Heart Score And Clinical Decision Units In Ed Patients With Chest Pain, Gregory Jasani, Jesse M. Pines, Caitlin Carter

Center for Health Care Quality

Every year, millions of patients present to Emergency Departments across the country complaining of chest pain. Even after traditional ED testing which includes electrocardiograms, laboratory testing, and chest radiography, chest pain patients still have a small but real risk of serious illness. The HEART score is a new tool that has been validated to help risk-stratify patients. Clinical Decision Units decrease cost and length of stay without compromising patient safety, allowing for complete evaluations of these patients.

Application Of D-Dimer To Aid In Diagnosis Of Acute Aortic Dissection, Hannah Scarboro, Julia Starkey

Physician Assistant Capstones

Introduction: Acute aortic dissection (AAD) is an emergent, relatively uncommon condition that typically presents with sudden onset severe chest or back pain.1 Advanced imaging, such as computerized tomography, is currently the gold standard to diagnose AAD; this can be expensive and unavailable at all health care centers. D-dimer is a blood test that has been shown in recent studies to be elevated in acute aortic dissection. This may be a more cost-effective way to help the clinician “rule-out” an acute aortic dissection.1

Objective: The purpose of this research was to determine if there is significant data regarding the ...

Diagnostic Effectiveness Of High-Sensitivity Troponins, Sean R. Bodin, Jacqueline Ramirez

Physician Assistant Capstones

Background: Acute myocardial infarctions (AMI) are a leading cause of death in the United States. The key to increasing survivability is early recognition to expedite the proper treatment modalities. In conjunction with the clinical presentation and electrocardiograms, the use of cardiac biomarkers is exponentially important in not only recognizing a cardiac event but also determining the extent of injury. Advancement in laboratory technology has led to the development of high-sensitive troponin (hs-troponin) assays which can detect smaller cardiac troponin serum levels compared to conventional troponin assays. This implies that the use of hs-troponin assays is more effective in the early ...

Implementation Of A Standardized Handoff During Transition Of Care From The Emergency Department To The Intensive Care Unit, Melinda Abbring

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Patient safety and nursing communication are crucial to the nursing handoff during transition of care from the emergency department (ED) to the intensive care unit (ICU). The Institute of Medicine published To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System (1999) and Crossing the Quality Chasm (2001) highlighting ED handoffs as a safety measure. In 2006, the Joint Commission recognized handoffs with the National Patient Safety Goal 2E. The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to determine if implementation of a standardized handoff would improve nursing communication and patient safety during transition of care from the ED to the ...

Emergency Preparedness Competencies Among Nurses In Northwest Arkansas, Taylor A. Matlock

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Despite years of training and experience, evidence suggests nurses report wide gaps in emergency competencies and disaster preparedness. Further, nurses report low levels of familiarity in competencies related to planning for disasters, implementing disaster guidelines, and assessing patients exposed to biological and chemical agents. This research sought to establish the self-reported level of emergency preparedness competencies of nurses in Northwest Arkansas, an area that faces a diverse set of potential disasters ranging from nuclear accidents to pandemic disease. Additionally, differences between of the level of preparedness by education level or work specialty were studied. The results are alarming in that ...

Conjoined Twins - A Review Of Literature With Two Case Studies, Naaeem Uz-Zafar Khan, Nadeem Ullah Khan, Khalid Matin, Adnan Zaidi

Nadeem Ullah Khan

Two cases of conjoined twins have been reported. A review of literature is given.

Non-Traumatic Aortic Emergencies - Experience From A Tertiary Care Centre In, Nadeem Khan Ullah Khan, Junaid A. Razzak, Hasanat Sharif, Saqib Hamid Qazi

Nadeem Ullah Khan

Objective: To review the incidence, clinical presentation and outcome of Non traumatic Aortic emergencies in a tertiary care hospital and its evaluation in the Emergency department (ED).Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of cases presented to the ED at Aga Khan University Hospital during 15 year period (1988 - 2002) who had final diagnosis of Aortic Dissection or Ruptured Aortic Aneurysm. Patients without confirmatory investigations were excluded. We aimed at looking for the incidence, clinical presentation, evaluation in the ED and final outcome.Results: Of the 12 cases, 7 had aortic dissection while the remaining 5 had ruptured aortic aneurysm ...

Control Of Poisoning Through Product Labeling Of Hazardous Chemicals, Nadeem Ullah Khan, Arshad Iqbal, Sadaf Sheikh

Nadeem Ullah Khan

No abstract provided.

Emergency Department Approach To Electrical Toothbrush Associated Hand Injury, A Unique Case Of Non-Oropharyngeal Injury., Hannah Robinson, Neal Sikka, Chimere Little, Ali Pourmand

GW Research Days 2016 - Present

Puncture wounds are common injuries treated in the emergency department (ED). Prior studies have shown that toothbrushes are common reservoirs for oral flora, especially in regions near the head of the toothbrush near the bristles. ED providers must be aware of the danger associated with bacterial contamination of the associated wound and should be familiar with different pathogens and options for treatment. We present a unique case of a 30-year-old male with non-intraoral injury who presented to the ED after puncturing his left palm with the metal post of an electric toothbrush.

Stakeholders' Perceptions Of A Hospital Based Emergency Medicine Education & Training Program: A System Change, Kate Douglass, Jay Pandya, Michael Brennan, Kyle Yoder, Janice Blanchard, Natasha Powell, Zohray Talib

GW Research Days 2016 - Present

Background: Emergency Medicine (EM) is a new and developing specialty around the world. In India, one model for capacity building has been the development of partnerships between US academic institutions and private healthcare institutions for implementing post-graduate education and training in EM. Initiated in 2007, programs have grown both in number and scope and have continued to attract new students and partner institutions. This study was undertaken to better understand the impact of EM training programs on hospital systems.

Methods: A mixed-methods evaluation was undertaken at 5 program sites across India in the summer of 2016. Two researchers conducted onsite ...

Concussion Screening Evaluation: Bess Vs Sway, Zachariah Hatoum, Aidan Neustadtl, Jeremy Altman, Aurash Zarrinbakhsh, David Milzman

GW Research Days 2016 - Present

Introduction: Rapid evaluation of concussion is important in the pre-hospital setting as an easy test. It is also useful in the ED, as too often little is done for concussed patients. The Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) is the current gold standard for evaluating balance, one of the best predictors of concussion. SWAY, a new gyroscope based iPhone application, is being proposed as a more sensitive and more objective test than BESS. This study will compare Sway to BESS to determine if there is equal efficacy.
Method: 74 scholastic and collegiate athletes were administered baseline balance evaluations using Sway. Sway ...

Richard Aghababian Papers: A Finding Aid, Office Of Medical History And Archives, Lamar Soutter Library, University Of Massachusetts Medical School, Rose Koven, Kristine M. Sjostedt

Finding Aids

The Richard Aghababian Papers chronicle Aghababian’s time as a student, professor, and department head at University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Cerebrovascular Accident Survival: Strategies Of Flight Nursing And Aeromedical Transport, Alexis Caudle

Senior Honors Theses

Cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), known as strokes, are a leading cause of death worldwide. The delivery and timing of treatment for CVAs is a critical factor in restoring health to the patient. One of the variables in recovery is the method of transport used in bringing the patient to a health care facility. Aeromedical transport remains a valuable resource to achieve full recovery in stroke patients. An ongoing debate of risk versus benefit of helicopter emergency services will be included as well as examination of variables including location, time, physiology of the flight, and the patient’s condition to be scrutinized ...

Heart Failure In Patients Presenting With Dyspnoea To The Emergency Department In The Asia Pacific Region: An Observational Study, Gerben Keijzers, Anne-Maree Kelly, Louise Cullen, Sharon Klim, Colin A Graham, Simon Craig, Win Sen Kuan, Peter Jones, Anna Holdgate, Charles Lawoko, Said Laribi

Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine Publications

OBJECTIVES:

To describe demographic features, assessment, management and outcomes of patients who were diagnosed with heart failure after presenting to an emergency department (ED) with a principal symptom of dyspnoea.

DESIGN:

Planned substudy of the prospective, descriptive cohort study: Asia, Australia and New Zealand Dyspnoea in Emergency Departments (AANZDEM).

SETTING:

46 EDs in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia collected data over 3 72-hour periods in May, August and October 2014.

PARTICIPANTS:

Patients with an ED diagnosis of heart failure.

OUTCOME MEASURES:

Outcomes included patient epidemiology, investigations ordered, treatment modalities used and patient outcomes (hospital length of stay ...

Academic Primer Series: Five Key Papers For Consulting Clinician Educators., Teresa M. Chan, Michael Gottlieb, Antonia Quinn, Kory S. London, Lauren W. Conlon, Felix Ankel

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Clinician educators are often asked to perform consultations for colleagues. Invitations to consult and advise others on local problems can help foster great collaborations between centers, and allows for an exchange of ideas between programs. In this article, the authors identify and summarize several key papers to assist emerging clinician educators with the consultation process.

METHODS: A consensus-building process was used to generate a list of key papers that describe the importance and significance of educational consulting, informed by social media sources. A three-round voting methodology, akin to a Delphi study, determined the most impactful papers from the larger ...

Dysuria: An Uncommon Presentation In Emergency Department Following Bladder Neck Disruption., Ali Pourmand, Assya Abdallah, Hamid Shokoohi, Mindy Park, Marie White, Francis O'Connell

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

Prostate cancer is the most common life-threatening cancer diagnosed in men. Complications of prostatectomies vary and often include urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction and pain, while other complications go unreported. While emergency physicians are already familiar with the more common post-operative complications presenting to their departments, including urinary retention, ileus, surgical site infections, venous thromboembolisms and urinary tract infections, they must have a high index of suspicion for rarer complications. We report a case of posterior bladder neck disruption as a complication of a robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy that presented to the emergency department as dysuria and abdominal pain following urination.

T-Cadherin Deficiency Increases Vascular Vulnerability In T2dm Through Impaired No Bioactivity., Han Wang, Ling Tao, Anastasia Ambrosio, Wenjun Yan, Ross Summer, Wayne Bond Lau, Yajing Wang, Xin-Liang Ma

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Endothelial dysfunction plays a critical role in the development of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). T-cadherin (T-cad) has gained recognition as a regulator of endothelial cell (EC) function. The present study examined whether T-cad deficiency increases vascular vulnerability in T2DM.

METHODS: Vascular segments were isolated from WT or T-cad knockout mice. Endothelial function, total NO accumulation, and the expression of T-cad related proteins were determined.

RESULTS: Ach and acidified NaNO2 induced similar vasorelaxation in WT groups. T-cad KO mice exhibited normal response to acidified NaNO2, but manifested markedly reduced response to Ach. NO accumulation was also decreased in T-cad KO ...

Digital Pills To Measure Opioid Ingestion Patterns In Emergency Department Patients With Acute Fracture Pain: A Pilot Study, Peter R. Chai, Stephanie Carreiro, Brendan J. Innes, Rochelle K. Rosen, Conall O'Cleirigh, Kenneth Mayer, Edward W. Boyer

UMass Center for Clinical and Translational Science Supported Publications

BACKGROUND: Nonadherence to prescribed regimens for opioid analgesic agents contributes to increasing opioid abuse and overdose death. Opioids are frequently prescribed on an as-needed basis, placing the responsibility to determine opioid dose and frequency with the patient. There is wide variability in physician prescribing patterns because of the lack of data describing how patients actually use as-needed opioid analgesics. Digital pill systems have a radiofrequency emitter that directly measures medication ingestion events, and they provide an opportunity to discover the dose, timing, and duration of opioid therapy.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of a ...