Conference Reports

Use of Low-Dose Droperidol in the Emergency Department Not Associated With Increased Mortality

By Erik MacLaren

DENVER -- November 2, 2019 -- Using low doses of the antipsychotic droperidol for pain management in the emergency department (ED) is safe and not associated with increased mortality, according to a study presented here at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American College...

Ketorolac Is Overprescribed in the Emergency Department

By Erik MacLaren

DENVER -- November 1, 2019 -- Many practitioners may be prescribing excessive doses of ketorolac to patients presenting to the emergency department, according to research presented here at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)....

High-Sensitivity Troponin T Testing Affects Patient Observation in Emergency Department

By Erik MacLaren

DENVER -- November 1, 2019 -- Implementation of high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) assays in emergency departments (EDs) has reduced the proportion of patients placed on observation for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), according to a study presented here at the 2019 Annual...

Smokers With Pulmonary Embolism Have an Increased Risk of Hospital Readmission

By Eric Ramos

NEW ORLEANS -- October 22, 2019 -- Among patients hospitalised due to a pulmonary embolism, those who smoked were more likely to be readmitted within 30 days of discharge, according to a study presented here at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American College of CHEST...

Emergency Dispatch That Incorporates GPS With Smart AED Cabinets Reduces Response Times in Rural Areas

By Eric Ramos

TALLINN, Estonia -- October 9, 2019 -- A global positioning system (GPS) that incorporates emergency dispatch, intelligent automatic external defibrillator (AED) cabinets, and marked mobile resuscitation units through a bluetooth device (iBeacon) can significantly reduce...

Wearable Self-Recording Device Can Detect the Earliest Phase of Acute Coronary Occlusion in Patients With CAD

By Eric Ramos

TALLINN, Estonia -- October 8, 2019 -- A self-recording wearable device can detect the earliest phase of acute coronary occlusion for most patients with coronary artery disease, thus, improving patient survival without overloading emergency services, researchers reported...

Early Use of Norepinephrine Improves Survival of Patients With Septic Shock

By Chris Berrie

BERLIN -- October 3, 2019 -- Early use of norepinephrine at the onset of diagnosis of septic shock might cause earlier restoration of blood pressure, better lactate clearance, and consequently better in-hospital survival, researchers reported here at the 32nd Annual...

Partial Pathology of Appendix Appears Adequate for Older Patients

By Alex Morrisson

KISSIMMEE, Fla -- September 26, 2019 -- Performing a histological examination of the entire appendix in older adults with suspected appendicitis does not appear to increase the diagnostic yield for neoplasia, and probably doesn’t have to be done routinely, researchers...

HEART Score Not Predictive of Abnormal Perfusion SPECT in Emergency Department

By Brian Hoyle

CHICAGO -- September 16, 2019 -- The HEART score, which is based on chest pain, is not a reliable means of predicting an abnormal result of myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and should not be used to guide emergency department (ED)...

Cardiac Troponin Cut-Offs ID Low-Risk Patients With Suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome

By Frances Morin

PARIS -- September 2, 2019 -- Use of a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I assay and key risk stratification thresholds in patients suspected of having acute coronary syndrome is highly effective in identifying low-risk patients, allowing for the avoidance of unnecessary...