Emergency Medicine Commons^™

A Curious Researcher's Guide On Successfully Publishing Scientific Manuscripts., Xiao Chi Zhang, Alexander H Tran, Dimitrios Papanagnou

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Publishing a manuscript in an academic journal represents more than just 'promotional currency.' It provides the opportunity to provoke debate, share your experiences, and challenge the status quo on provider practices. Writing a manuscript relies on collaboration and shared responsibility from a research team, which can often challenge mentors as they supervise and guide its development. While there are numerous online resources and peer-reviewed journal articles on 'How to write a scientific article,' we aim to tackle an even larger and overarching theme that transcends specific journal categories, writing styles, and citation formatting. In order to guide new researchers in …

Ice-Man Down: Using Simulation To Practice The Safe Extrication Of Collapsed Hockey Players In A Confined Space., Meryl Abrams, Dimitrios Papanagnou, Carlos Rodriguez, Joshua Rudner, Hyunjoo Lee, Simran Buttar, Ronald V Hall, Xiao Chi Zhang

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Sporting event emergencies are common among both spectators and players, with unique sets of challenges associated with patient extrication in unfamiliar and chaotic environments. It is critical for sports physicians and trainers to deliberately train and prepare for emergent situations with limited resources during athletic events. One of the most difficult, yet commonly encountered challenges is determining when and how to safely remove an injured player's helmet and sporting equipment, particularly if a spinal injury is highly suspected. We created a high-fidelity simulation case to practice the safe extrication of a hockey player who collapses on the bench in the …

A Novel Approach To Debriefing Medical Simulations: The Six Thinking Hats., Xiao Chi Zhang, Hyunjoo Lee, Carlos Rodriguez, Joshua Rudner, Dimitrios Papanagnou

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Simulation has become a standard training method in emergency medicine (EM). Specifically, post-simulation debriefings offer participants the opportunity for reflection while exposing their knowledge and practice gaps. The educational yield of these debriefings, however, is contingent on the debriefer's skills. Without professional development, faculty and educators may not be equipped with supportive debriefing strategies. We propose the Six Thinking Hats (6TH), originally developed by Edward de Bono (1970) as a debriefing framework to support effective, high-yield debriefing conversations. The six colored hats represent six unique approaches to critical thinking. The white hat represents the facts; the green hat, creativity and …

Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Disorder In A Patient With A Chief Complaint Of Headache., Simran Buttar, Anuja Trivedi, Dimitrios Papanagnou, Md

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

As emergency medicine physicians, we have formulated an approach to managing patients with a chief complaint of headache that starts with considering the story the patient relays in the context of a wide differential. Here we will describe a case that presented to our emergency department in hopes to broaden your differential. Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS), well described in the neurology literature, is characterized by severe headaches that may or may not be accompanied by neurological symptoms and is definitively diagnosed by diffuse constriction of cerebral arteries on cerebral angiogram. Here we present a case of a patient who …

Integrating Telehealth Emergency Department Follow-Up Visits Into Residency Training., Dimitrios Papanagnou, Danica Stone, Shruti Chandra, Phillip Watts, Anna Marie Chang, Judd E. Hollander

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Introduction: Given the rapid expansion of telehealth (TH), there is an emerging need for trained professionals who can effectively deliver TH services. As there is no formal TH training program for residents, the Department of Emergency Medicine (DEM) at Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) developed a pilot training program for senior post-graduate-year three (PGY-3) residents that exposed them to TH practices. The objective of the study was to determine the feasibility of developing a resident-led, post-Emergency-Department (ED) visit TH follow-up program as an educational opportunity to 1) address patient satisfaction; and 2) expose senior residents to TH delivery.

Methods: During …

Validation Of An Icd Code For Accurately Identifying Emergency Department Patients Who Suffer An Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest., Shelby K. Shelton, Steve B. Chukwulebe, David F. Gaieski, Benjamin S. Abella, Brendan G. Carr, Sarah M. Perman

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

AIM: International classification of disease (ICD-9) code 427.5 (cardiac arrest) is utilized to identify cohorts of patients who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), though the use of ICD codes for this purpose has never been formally validated. We sought to validate the utility of ICD-9 code 427.5 by identifying patients admitted from the emergency department (ED) after OHCA.

METHODS: Adult visits to a single ED between January 2007 and July 2012 were retrospectively examined and a keyword search of the electronic medical record (EMR) was used to identify patients. Cardiac arrest was confirmed; and ICD-9 information and location of return …

Trapped As A Group, Escape As A Team: Applying Gamification To Incorporate Team-Building Skills Through An 'Escape Room' Experience, Xiao Chi Zhang, Hyunjoo Lee, Carlos Rodriguez, Joshua Rudner, Teresa M Chan, Dimitrios Papanagnou

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Teamwork, a skill critical for quality patient care, is recognized as a core competency by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). To date, there is no consensus on how to effectively teach these skills in a forum that engages learners, immerses members in life-like activities, and builds both trust and rapport. Recreational 'Escape Rooms' have gained popularity in creating a life-like environment that rewards players for working together, solving puzzles, and completing successions of mind-bending tasks in order to effectively 'escape the room' in the time allotted. In this regard, escape rooms share many parallels with the multitasking …

Temporal Trends In Incidence, Sepsis-Related Mortality, And Hospital-Based Acute Care After Sepsis., Nathaniel Meyer, Michael O. Harhay, Dylan S. Small, Hallie C. Prescott, Kathryn H. Bowles, David F. Gaieski, Mark E Mikkelsen

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: A growing number of patients survive sepsis hospitalizations each year and are at high risk for readmission. However, little is known about temporal trends in hospital-based acute care (emergency department treat-and-release visits and hospital readmission) after sepsis. Our primary objective was to measure temporal trends in sepsis survivorship and hospital-based acute care use in sepsis survivors. In addition, because readmissions after pneumonia are subject to penalty under the national readmission reduction program, we examined whether readmission rates declined after sepsis hospitalizations related to pneumonia.

DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective, observational cohort study conducted within an academic healthcare system from 2010 …

Not Your Typical Simulation Workshop: Using Legos To Train Medical Students On The Practice Of Effective Communication., Dimitrios Papanagnou, Hyunjoo Lee, Carlos Rodriguez, Xiao Chi C Zhang, Joshua Rudner

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

As students in the health professions transition from the classroom into the clinical environment, they will be expected to effectively communicate with their team members and their patients. Effective communication skills are essential to their ability to effectively contribute to their clinical team and the patient care they deliver. The authors propose an interactive workshop that can support students' deliberate practice of communication skills. The authors designed a simulation workshop that affords students the opportunity to practice their communication and peer-to-peer coaching skills. Using LEGOs, a one-hour workshop was conducted with medical students. Students were divided into groups of two. …

Emergency Medicine Resident Perceptions About The Need For Increased Training In Communicating Diagnostic Uncertainty., Kristin L Rising, Dimitrios Papanagnou, Danielle Mccarthy, Alexzandra Gentsch, Rhea Powell

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Introduction Diagnostic uncertainty is common in healthcare encounters. Effective communication is important to help patients and providers navigate diagnostic uncertainty, especially at transitions of care. This study sought to assess the experience and training of emergency medicine (EM) residents with communication of diagnostic uncertainty. Methods This was a survey study of a national sample of EM residents. The survey questions elicited quantitative and qualitative responses about experiences with and educational preparation for communication with patients in the setting of diagnostic uncertainty. Results A sample of 263 emergency medicine residents who had trained at over 87 medical schools and 37 residency …

A Novel Biosimulation Task Trainer For The Deliberate Practice Of Resuscitative Hysterotomy., Lawrence Lau, Dimitrios Papanagnou, Elaine Smith, Crystal Waters, Elizabeth Teixeira, Xiao Chi Zhang

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Resuscitative hysterotomy is a daunting and rarely performed procedure in the emergency department (ED). Given the paucity of clinical exposure to this intervention, resuscitative hysterotomy is an ideal opportunity for simulation-mediated deliberate practice. The authors propose a novel training program using a homegrown, realistic, simulation device as a means to practice resuscitative hysterotomy. Two high-fidelity, tissue-based task-trainer models were constructed and tested on a convenience sample of 14 emergency medicine (EM) residents. The simulated human placenta, bladder, amniotic sac, and uterus were constructed through the use of porcine skin, porcine stomach, transparent plastic bag, Foley tubing, and squid mantle, all …

An Assessment Of Emotional Intelligence In Emergency Medicine Resident Physicians., Dimitrios Papanagnou, Kathryn M Linder, Anuh Shah, Kory Scott London, Shruti Chandra, Robin Naples

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Objectives: To define the emotional intelligence (EI) profile of emergency medicine (EM) residents, and identify resident EI strengths and weaknesses.

Methods: First-, second-, and third-year residents (post-graduate years [PGY] 1, 2, and 3, respectively) of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital's EM Program completed the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i 2.0), a validated instrument offered by Multi-Health Systems. Reported scores included total mean EI, 5 composite scores, and 15 subscales of EI. Scores are reported as means with 95% CIs. The unpaired, two-sample t-test was used to evaluate differences in means.

Results: Thirty-five residents completed the assessment (response rate 97.2%). Scores were normed …

An Assessment Of Emotional Intelligence In Emergency Medicine Resident Physicians., Dimitrios Papanagnou, Kathryn Linder, Anuj Shah, Kory Scott London, Shruti Chandra, Robin Naples

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: To define the emotional intelligence (EI) profile of emergency medicine (EM) residents, and identify resident EI strengths and weaknesses.

METHODS: First-, second-, and third-year residents (post-graduate years [PGY] 1, 2, and 3, respectively) of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital's EM Program completed the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i 2.0), a validated instrument offered by Multi-Health Systems. Reported scores included total mean EI, 5 composite scores, and 15 subscales of EI. Scores are reported as means with 95% CIs. The unpaired, two-sample t-test was used to evaluate differences in means.

RESULTS: Thirty-five residents completed the assessment (response rate 97.2%). Scores were normed …

Endothelial Cell-Derived Microparticles From Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypoxia Syndrome And Coronary Artery Disease Increase Aortic Endothelial Cell Dysfunction., Lixin Jia, Jingyao Fan, Wei Cui, Sa Liu, Na Li, Wayne Bond Lau, Xin-Liang Ma, Jie Du, Shaoping Nie, Yongxiang Wei

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Obstructive sleep apnea hypoxia syndrome (OSAHS) is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). Treatment of OSAHS improves clinical outcome in some CAD patients, but the relationship between OSAHS and CAD is complex. Microparticles (MPs) are shed by the plasma membrane by either physiologic or pathologic stimulation. In the current study, we investigated the role of MPs in the context of OSAHS.

METHODS AND RESULTS: 54 patients with both suspected coronary artery stenosis and OSAHS were recruited and underwent both coronary arteriography and polysomnography. Circulating MPs were isolated and analyzed by flow cytometry. CAD+OSAHS patients exhibited greater …

Impact Of Superstorm Sandy On Medicare Patients' Utilization Of Hospitals And Emergency Departments., Benoit Stryckman, Lauren Walsh, Brendan G. Carr, Nathaniel Hupert, Nicole Lurie

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: National health security requires that healthcare facilities be prepared to provide rapid, effective emergency and trauma care to all patients affected by a catastrophic event. We sought to quantify changes in healthcare utilization patterns for an at-risk Medicare population before, during, and after Superstorm Sandy's 2012 landfall in New Jersey (NJ).

METHODS: This study is a retrospective cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries impacted by Superstorm Sandy. We compared hospital emergency department (ED) and healthcare facility inpatient utilization in the weeks before and after Superstorm Sandy landfall using a 20% random sample of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries continuously enrolled in 2011 …

Sex Differences In Rt-Pa Utilization At Hospitals Treating Stroke: The National Inpatient Sample., Amelia K. Boehme, Brendan G. Carr, Scott Eric Kasner, Karen C Albright, Michael J. Kallan, Mitchell S V S.V. Elkind, Charles C. Branas, Michael T. Mullen

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Sex and race disparities in recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) use have been reported. We sought to explore sex and race differences in the utilization of rt-PA at primary stroke centers (PSCs) compared to non-PSCs across the US.

METHODS: Data from the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample (NIS) 2004-2010 was utilized to assess sex differences in treatment for ischemic stroke in PSCs compared to non-PSCs.

RESULTS: There were 304,152 hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of ischemic stroke between 2004 and 2010 in the analysis: 75,160 (24.7%) patients were evaluated at a PSC. A little over half of the …

Accuracy Of Emergency Medical Services Dispatcher And Crew Diagnosis Of Stroke In Clinical Practice., Judy Jia, Roger Band, Michael E. Abboud, William Pajerowski, Michelle Guo, Guy David, C. Crawford Mechem, Steven R Messé, Brendan G. Carr, Michael T Mullen

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Accurate recognition of stroke symptoms by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is necessary for timely care of acute stroke patients. We assessed the accuracy of stroke diagnosis by EMS in clinical practice in a major US city.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Philadelphia Fire Department data were merged with data from a single comprehensive stroke center to identify patients diagnosed with stroke or TIA from 9/2009 to 10/2012. Sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) were calculated. Multivariable logistic regression identified variables associated with correct EMS diagnosis. There were 709 total cases, with 400 having a discharge diagnosis of stroke or TIA. EMS …

Cardiac Arrest Risk Standardization Using Administrative Data Compared To Registry Data., Anne V. Grossestreuer, David F. Gaieski, Michael W. Donnino, Joshua I.M. Nelson, Eric L. Mutter, Brendan G. Carr, Benjamin S. Abella, Douglas J. Wiebe

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Methods for comparing hospitals regarding cardiac arrest (CA) outcomes, vital for improving resuscitation performance, rely on data collected by cardiac arrest registries. However, most CA patients are treated at hospitals that do not participate in such registries. This study aimed to determine whether CA risk standardization modeling based on administrative data could perform as well as that based on registry data.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Two risk standardization logistic regression models were developed using 2453 patients treated from 2000-2015 at three hospitals in an academic health system. Registry and administrative data were accessed for all patients. The outcome was death …

Danshen-Chuanxiong-Honghua Ameliorates Cerebral Impairment And Improves Spatial Cognitive Deficits After Transient Focal Ischemia And Identification Of Active Compounds., Xianhua Zhang, Wan Zheng, Tingrui Wang, Ping Ren, Fushun Wang, Xin-Liang Ma, Jian Wang, Xi Huang

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Previously, we only apply a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Danshen-Chuanxiong-Honghua (DCH) for cardioprotection via anti-inflammation in rats of acute myocardial infarction by occluding coronary artery. Presently, we select not only DCH but also its main absorbed compound ferulic acid (FA) for cerebra protection via similar action of mechanism above in animals of the transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). We investigated whether oral administration of DCH and FA could ameliorate MCAO-induced brain lesions in animals. By using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), we analyzed four compounds, including tanshinol, salvianolic acid B, hydroxysafflor yellow A and especially FA as the putative …

Ctrp3 Is A Novel Biomarker For Diabetic Retinopathy And Inhibits Hghl-Induced Vcam-1 Expression In An Ampk-Dependent Manner., Zheyi Yan, Jianli Zhao, Lu Gan, Yanqing Zhang, Rui Guo, Xiaoming Cao, Wayne Bond Lau, Xin Ma, Yajing Wang

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a severe complication of chronic diabetes. The C1q/TNF-related protein family (CTRPs) has been demonstrated to exert protective effects against obesity and atherosclerosis in animal studies. Heretofore, the association between circulating CTRPs and DR patients has been unexplored. In the current study, we attempt to define this association, as well as the effect of CTRPs upon DR pathophysiology.

DESIGN: The present investigation is a case control study that enrolled control subjects and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients diagnosed with DR. Serum CTRPs and sVACM-1 were determined by ELISA.

RESULTS: Serum CTRP3 and CTRP5 levels were …

Findings Of Cognitive Impairment At High Altitude: Relationships To Acetazolamide Use And Acute Mountain Sickness., Lara Phillips, Buddha Basnyat, Yuchiao Chang, Erik R. Swenson, N. Stuart Harris

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Phillips, Lara, Buddha Basnyat, Yuchiao Chang, Erik R. Swenson, and N. Stuart Harris. Findings of cognitive impairment at high altitude: relationships to acetazolamide use and acute mountain sickness. High Alt Med Biol. 18:121-127, 2017.

OBJECTIVE: Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is defined by patient-reported symptoms using the Lake Louise Score (LLS), which provides limited insight into any possible underlying central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction. Some evidence suggests AMS might coexist with altered neural functioning. Cognitive impairment (CI) may go undetected unless a sensitive test is applied. Our hypothesis was that a standardized test for mild CI would provide an objective measure …

Clinician-Performed Bedside Ultrasound In Improving Diagnostic Accuracy In Patients Presenting To The Ed With Acute Dyspnea., Dimitrios Papanagnou, Michael Secko, John Gullett, Michael Stone, Shahriar Zehtabchi

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Diagnosing acute dyspnea is a critical action performed by emergency physicians (EP). It has been shown that ultrasound (US) can be incorporated into the work-up of the dyspneic patient; but there is little data demonstrating its effect on decision-making. We sought to examine the impact of a bedside, clinician-performed cardiopulmonary US protocol on the clinical impression of EPs evaluating dyspneic patients, and to measure the change in physician confidence with the leading diagnosis before and after US.

METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study of EPs treating adult patients with undifferentiated dyspnea in an urban academic center, excluding those …

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 …

Associations Of Emergency Department Length Of Stay With Publicly Reported Quality-Of-Care Measures., Anna Marie Chang, Amber Lin, Rongwei Fu, K. John Mcconnell, Benjamin Sun

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: The Institute of Medicine identified emergency department (ED) crowding as a critical threat to patient safety. We assess the association between changes in publicly reported ED length of stay (LOS) and changes in quality-of-care measures in a national cohort of hospitals.

METHODS: Longitudinal analysis of 2012 and 2013 data from the American Hospital Association (AHA) Survey, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Cost Reports, and CMS Hospital Compare. We included hospitals reporting Hospital Compare timeliness measure of LOS for admitted patients. We used AHA and CMS data to incorporate hospital predictors of interest. We used the method of …

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 …

Characteristics Of Real-Time, Non-Critical Incident Debriefing Practices In The Emergency Department., Nur-Ain Nadir, Suzanne Bentley, Dimitrios Papanagnou, Komal Bajaj, Stephan Rinnert, Richard Sinert

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Benefits of post-simulation debriefings as an educational and feedback tool have been widely accepted for nearly a decade. Real-time, non-critical incident debriefing is similar to post-simulation debriefing; however, data on its practice in academic emergency departments (ED), is limited. Although tools such as TeamSTEPPS® (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety) suggest debriefing after complicated medical situations, they do not teach debriefing skills suited to this purpose. Anecdotal evidence suggests that real-time debriefings (or non-critical incident debriefings) do in fact occur in academic EDs;, however, limited research has been performed on this subject. The objective of …

Teaching The Emergency Department Patient Experience: Needs Assessment From The Cord-Em Task Force., Kory S. London, Jeffrey Druck, Matthew Silver, Douglas Finefrock

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Since the creation of Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) patient satisfaction (PS) scores, patient experience (PE) has become a metric that can profoundly affect the fiscal balance of hospital systems, reputation of entire departments and welfare of individual physicians. While government and hospital mandates demonstrate the prominence of PE as a quality measure, no such mandate exists for its education. The objective of this study was to determine the education and evaluation landscape for PE in categorical emergency medicine (EM) residencies.

METHODS: This was a prospective survey analysis of the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency …

Design And Challenges Of A Randomized Clinical Trial Of Medical Expulsive Therapy (Tamsulosin) For Urolithiasis In The Emergency Department., Pamela K. Burrows, Judd E. Hollander, Allan B. Wolfson, Michael C. Kurz, Lorna Richards, Sara Difiore, Phillip Watts, Nivedita Patkar, Jeremy Brown, Stephen Jackman, Ziya Kirkali, John W. Kusek, Chloe Michel, Andrew C. Meltzer

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Urolithiasis or urinary stone disease has been estimated to affect about 1 in 11 Americans. Patients with urinary stone disease commonly present to the emergency department for management of their acute pain. In addition to providing analgesia, administration of drug (medical expulsive therapy) is often prescribed to assist passage of the urinary stone. In this methodology paper, we describe the design of a prospective, multi-center, randomized, double-blind placebo controlled clinical trial of the alpha-adrenergic blocker, tamsulosin, to evaluate its effectiveness as medical expulsive therapy. In addition, we describe the unique challenges of conducting a trial of this type within the …

Targeting The Nrf2-Heme Oxygenase-1 Axis After Intracerebral Hemorrhage., Jing Chen-Roetling, Raymond F. Regan

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Injury to cells adjacent to an intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is likely mediated at least in part by toxins released from the hematoma that initiate complex and interacting injury cascades. Pharmacotherapies targeting a single toxin or pathway, even if consistently effective in controlled experimental models, have a high likelihood of failure in a variable clinical setting. Nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) regulates the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and multiple other proteins with antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects, and may be a target of interest after ICH.

METHODS: Studies that tested the effect of HO and Nrf2 in models …

Factors Associated With Post-Arrest Withdrawal Of Life-Sustaining Therapy., Anne V. Grossestreuer, David F. Gaieski, Benjamin S. Abella, Douglas J. Wiebe, Ari Moskowitz, Daniel J. Ikeda, Jason S. Haukoos, Sarah M. Perman

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Most successfully resuscitated cardiac arrest patients do not survive to hospital discharge. Many have withdrawal of life sustaining therapy (WLST) as a result of the perception of poor neurologic prognosis. The characteristics of these patients and differences in their post-arrest care are largely unknown.

METHODS: Utilizing the Penn Alliance for Therapeutic Hypothermia Registry, we identified a cohort of 1311 post-arrest patients from 26 hospitals from 2010 to 2014 who remained comatose after return of spontaneous circulation. We stratified patients by whether they had WLST post-arrest and analyzed demographic, arrest, and post-arrest variables.

RESULTS: In our cohort, 565 (43%) patients …