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Simple modification can increase effectiveness of emergency treatment for patients with supraventricular tachycardia

A simple, safe and cost-free modification to a physical technique used to treat patients in the emergency department with an abnormally fast heart rhythm could improve its effectiveness by more than a quarter, according to a study published in The Lancet today (25 August 2015).

26 Aug 2015

Researchers evaluate use of pharmacy-based naloxone education and distribution to fight opioid overdoses

In response to the growing opioid crisis, several states, including Massachusetts and Rhode Island, have granted pharmacists the authority to provide naloxone rescue kits without a prescription to at-risk patients. This model of pharmacy-based naloxone (PBN) education and distribution is one of the public health strategies currently being evaluated at hundreds of pharmacies in both states to determine the impact on opioid overdose death rates.

25 Aug 2015

Normal coagulation tests used to check for side effect of internal bleeding may not be reliable

A recently-published study found that while internal bleeding may be uncommon as a result of taking blood thinners such as Xarelto (rivaroxaban) and Eliquis (apixaban), the normal coagulation tests physicians use to check for the side effect of bleeding may not be reliable.

24 Aug 2015

Researchers develop two simple tools to assess dehydration severity in children

Dehydration from diarrhea, either from viral infection or cholera, accounts for 10 percent of all child deaths worldwide. Though it's a pervasive problem, there are no clinical guidelines that perform better than chance for assessing dehydration severity. In a new study, a team of researchers report that they statistically derived two simple diagnostic tools with high sensitivity and specificity from the cases of 771 children aged 0 to 5 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

23 Aug 2015

Medicaid could save billions as patents for several blockbuster antipsychotic medications expire

Medicaid is expected to save billions of dollars a year as patents for several blockbuster antipsychotic medications expire and use of generic versions of these drugs increases, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. These savings may provide relief from the high costs of these medications and allow policymakers to lift restrictions on patients' access, the researchers argue.

21 Aug 2015

Contact precaution use needs to be individualized to fit hospital's specific needs and resources

Contact precautions are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for all patients known to be infected with or carrying multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE). Yet, the use of contact precautions--which require a patient to be isolated in a single hospital room and health care providers to wear a gown and gloves when caring for patients--is widely debated in the medical community.

19 Aug 2015

Clinicians and researchers to meet at UPMC to propose standard guidelines for treating concussions

Nearly 30 leading, independent concussion clinicians and researchers from around the United States will convene at UPMC Oct. 15 and 16 with a unique purpose: to propose standard guidelines on the best practices, protocols and active therapies for treating concussions today, resulting in a white paper to be published in a medical journal and shared nationwide.

19 Aug 2015

Pitt unveils research-based guidance to improve compliance while treating sepsis

As hospitals nationwide brace for rigorous mandates for care of septic patients that will be adopted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in October, a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine review unveils research-based guidance to improve compliance when treating this common and deadly syndrome.

19 Aug 2015

Survey identifies key factors linked to pediatric safety events in out-of-hospital emergent care situations

A national survey of more than 750 emergency medical services providers conducted by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University identified airway management skills, personal anxiety and limited pediatric care proficiency among key factors that may contribute to pediatric safety events for children in out-of-hospital emergent care situations.

19 Aug 2015

DaVita HealthCare Partners hosts health and disaster preparedness fair in Colorado Springs

DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc., one of the nation's largest and most innovative health care communities, is hosting a health and disaster preparedness fair on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the St. Francis Medical Center off Woodmen Road in Colorado Springs.

18 Aug 2015

Clinical performance measures address underuse and overuse of care in healthcare settings

Clinical performance measures - quality indicators used to evaluate and motivate health care providers' performance - have taken center stage in efforts to improve quality in health care on a national level.

11 Aug 2015

BMC partners with RIH, CVS to support pharmacy-based naloxone rescue kits to help combat opioid addiction, overdose

Boston Medical Center has received a $1.3 million grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to support a demonstration project of pharmacy-based naloxone rescue kits to help reduce opioid addiction and overdose death in two New England States: Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

7 Aug 2015

Experts discuss ways to encourage appropriate use of epinephrine for all severe allergic reactions

There are times when emergency physicians can't be 100 percent sure a person is suffering from a severe allergic reaction, known as anaphylaxis, and may hesitate to use epinephrine. A new article says when in doubt - administer the epinephrine.

7 Aug 2015

New recommendations to improve HIE for emergency physicians

An emergency physician-led workgroup has published five primary and seven secondary recommendations about how to maximize the value of health information exchange (HIE) in emergency departments. The recommendations were published online Tuesday in Annals of Emergency Medicine ("Health Information Exchange in Emergency Medicine").

7 Aug 2015

Many older adults tend to overestimate their mobility

Many seniors who visit emergency departments require more assistance with physical tasks than they think they do, which may lead to hospital readmission later on. The results of the study were published online Friday in Annals of Emergency Medicine ("Self-Reported vs. Performance-Based Assessments of a Simple Mobility Task Among Older Adults in the Emergency Department").

7 Aug 2015

Urban emergency department sees high rates of HCV infection among intravenous drug users, Baby Boomers

An urban emergency department that set up a hepatitis C testing protocol saw high rates of infection among intravenous drug users and Baby Boomers, with three-quarters of those testing positive unaware they were infected.

7 Aug 2015

Charity and uncompensated care spending vary greatly among not-for-profit hospitals

While not-for-profit hospitals receive substantial tax benefits, some do not provide free or subsidized care for a higher percentage of patients living in poverty than their for-profit counterparts, according to a study of California medical centers.

5 Aug 2015

Access to dental care by low-income Americans becomes exception as only fewer dentists accept Medicaid

More than 2 percent of all emergency department visits are now related to nontraumatic dental conditions, according to a study by researchers at Stanford University, the University of California-San Francisco, Truven Health Analytics and the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

5 Aug 2015

Seniors’ inability to assess their mobility tasks may lead to hospital readmission later on

Many seniors who visit emergency departments require more assistance with physical tasks than they think they do, which may lead to hospital readmission later on.

3 Aug 2015

New blood test could help diagnose severity of traumatic brain injury

A new blood test could help emergency room doctors quickly diagnose traumatic brain injury and determine its severity.

31 Jul 2015

Emergency Medicine News and Research

Simple modification can increase effectiveness of emergency treatment for patients with supraventricular tachycardia

Researchers evaluate use of pharmacy-based naloxone education and distribution to fight opioid overdoses

Normal coagulation tests used to check for side effect of internal bleeding may not be reliable

Researchers develop two simple tools to assess dehydration severity in children

Medicaid could save billions as patents for several blockbuster antipsychotic medications expire

Contact precaution use needs to be individualized to fit hospital's specific needs and resources

Clinicians and researchers to meet at UPMC to propose standard guidelines for treating concussions

Pitt unveils research-based guidance to improve compliance while treating sepsis

Survey identifies key factors linked to pediatric safety events in out-of-hospital emergent care situations

DaVita HealthCare Partners hosts health and disaster preparedness fair in Colorado Springs

Clinical performance measures address underuse and overuse of care in healthcare settings

BMC partners with RIH, CVS to support pharmacy-based naloxone rescue kits to help combat opioid addiction, overdose

Experts discuss ways to encourage appropriate use of epinephrine for all severe allergic reactions

New recommendations to improve HIE for emergency physicians

Many older adults tend to overestimate their mobility

Urban emergency department sees high rates of HCV infection among intravenous drug users, Baby Boomers

Charity and uncompensated care spending vary greatly among not-for-profit hospitals

Access to dental care by low-income Americans becomes exception as only fewer dentists accept Medicaid

Seniors’ inability to assess their mobility tasks may lead to hospital readmission later on

New blood test could help diagnose severity of traumatic brain injury

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