Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Emergency Medicine for January 2019. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Medical Scribes Up Productivity for Emergency Medicine Doctors
THURSDAY, Jan. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Use of medical scribes in the emergency department improves physician productivity and reduces patient length of stay, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in The BMJ.
Infective Endocarditis Related to Injection Drug Use Rising
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The risk for infective endocarditis related to injection drug use increased from 2006 to 2015, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Hand Hygiene Compliance Low Among EMS Providers
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30 2019 (HealthDay News) — Among emergency medical service (EMS) providers, compliance with hand hygiene (HH) is low, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in the Emergency Medical Journal.
More Severe Injuries Sustained at Jump Parks Versus Home Trampolines
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The proportion of fractures/dislocations, lower-extremity fractures, fractures in adults, and surgical interventions is higher for injuries associated with jump parks versus home trampolines, according to a study published in the Jan. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
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NOACs Recommended as First-Line Prevention of Stroke in A-Fib
TUESDAY, Jan. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients with atrial fibrillation, novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are recommended over warfarin to prevent stroke and weight loss is recommended for overweight and obese individuals, according to updated guidelines published online Jan. 28 in Circulation.
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Older Adults With Comorbidities Identified as Frequent ED Users
TUESDAY, Jan. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — More than 5 percent of seniors visit emergency departments more than six times in one year, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Helmet Use Low Among Standing Electric Scooter Riders
MONDAY, Jan. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Helmet use is low among patients presenting to the emergency department with injuries associated with standing electric scooter use, according to a study published online Jan. 25 in JAMA Network Open.
Washington State Declares Health Emergency as Measles Spreads
MONDAY, Jan. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A statewide public health emergency was declared in Washington after a measles outbreak near Portland, Oregon, reached 31 cases on Friday. The outbreak in the Pacific Northwest is in what has been called an antivaccination “hot spot” in the United States, the Associated Press reported.
Likelihood of Engaging in Choking Game Higher in Troubled Teens
MONDAY, Jan. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Adolescents with higher levels of conduct disorder symptoms and greater rates of depressive symptoms have increased odds of reporting participation in the choking game, in which pressure is applied to the carotid artery to temporarily limit blood flow and oxygen, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in Pediatrics.
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Increase Seen in Multiple-Victim School-Related Homicide Rate
MONDAY, Jan. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — During 2009 through 2018, multiple-victim school-associated homicide rates increased significantly, while single-victim homicide rates remained stable from 1994 through 2016, according to research published in the Jan. 25 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Comorbid Neck Injury Up for Women With Concussion
MONDAY, Jan. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Female patients with a concussion-related emergency department visit have an increased risk for comorbid neck injury, according to a study published online Dec. 28 in the Journal of Women’s Health.
Report IDs Areas Lacking Good Practice in Health Tech Assessment
FRIDAY, Jan. 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In a report published in the January issue of Value in Health, an ISPOR–The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research working group indicates the lack of good practices in three areas of health technology assessment (HTA).
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Measles Outbreak Prompts Public Emergency in Washington State
THURSDAY, Jan. 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — An ongoing measles outbreak has led to a public health emergency being declared in Clark County, Washington.
Gun Injury Hospitalization Cost Over $911 Million 2010 to 2015
THURSDAY, Jan. 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The average annual cost of inpatient hospitalizations for firearm injury exceeded $911 million from 2010 to 2015, with 9.5 percent of that amount due to readmissions, according to a study published online Jan. 24 in PLOS ONE.
Three-Week Immobilization Feasible for Some Ankle Fractures
THURSDAY, Jan. 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients with stable, isolated Weber B-type fibula fractures, a three-week immobilization period is noninferior to a six-week cast, according to a study published online Jan. 23 in The BMJ.
Benzodiazepine, Opioid Co-Usage Up in the United States
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Concurrent use of benzodiazepine receptor modulators and opioids and of nonselective and selective benzodiazepine receptor modulators increased from 1999-2000 to 2013-2014, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in SLEEP.
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Marketing of Opioids Linked to Increased OD Mortality
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Marketing of opioids to physicians is associated with increased mortality from opioid overdoses, according to a study published online Jan. 18 in JAMA Network Open.
Canadian Syncope Risk Score IDs ED Monitoring Time Postsyncope
TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The risk for arrhythmic conditions can be identified quickly among patients with syncope presenting to the emergency department, according to a study published online Jan. 21 in Circulation.
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FDA Down to 5 Weeks of Funding to Review New Drug Applications
THURSDAY, Jan. 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Due to the federal government shutdown, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has only about five weeks of funding left to review new drug applications, according to Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D.
Antibiotics Often Inappropriately Prescribed for Bronchiolitis in ED
THURSDAY, Jan. 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Most children younger than 2 years with bronchiolitis seen in U.S. emergency departments and prescribed antibiotics have no documented bacterial coinfection, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society.
Asthma Undiagnosed in One in Five Urban Adolescents
THURSDAY, Jan. 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The prevalence of undiagnosed asthma is 20.2 percent among urban adolescents, according to a study published online Jan. 15 in the Journal of Urban Health.
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Adoption of Advanced Health IT Capabilities Inconsistent
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Adoption of advanced health information technology (HIT) capabilities is inconsistent across health care systems, with electronic health record (EHR) standardization being the strongest predictor of advanced capabilities, according to a study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Managed Care.
Review Shares Best Practices for Evaluating Penicillin Allergy
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A new review, published in the Jan. 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, addresses best practices for the evaluation and management of reported penicillin allergies.
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Accidental IV Dislodgement Reported to Be Very Common
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Clinicians perceive accidental dislodgement of intravenous (IV) devices to be a common occurrence, according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of the Association for Vascular Access.
American College of Physicians Releases 7th Edition of Ethics Manual
TUESDAY, Jan. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Ethical principles are discussed in an updated Ethics Manual, issued by the American College of Physicians (ACP) and published as a supplement to the Jan. 15 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Opioids Now More Deadly for Americans Than Traffic Accidents
TUESDAY, Jan. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For the first time in history, Americans’ risk for dying from an opioid overdose is higher than their risk for dying in a car accident, the National Safety Council reported Monday.
Red Cross Issues Emergency Call for Blood Donations
MONDAY, Jan 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The holidays, winter weather, and the flu season have all prompted a blood shortage, the American Red Cross warns.
800-662-HELP Underappreciated in Media, General Population
MONDAY, Jan. 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration national helpline (800-662-HELP) seems to be underappreciated in the media and by the general population, according to a research letter published online Jan. 14 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Expanding Pharmacist Practice Scope Could Reduce ED Overcrowding
MONDAY, Jan. 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The introduction of emergency department- or community-based pharmacists with an expanded scope of practice may cut emergency department overcrowding, according to a study recently published in Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy.
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Drug Overdose Death Rate Increasing Among Middle-Aged Women
FRIDAY, Jan. 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — From 1999 to 2017, the drug overdose death rate increased 260 percent among women aged 30 to 64 years, according to research published in the Jan. 11 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Prices Still Explain High U.S. Health Care Spending
FRIDAY, Jan. 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The difference in health spending between the United States and other countries is still explained by health care prices, according to a study published in the January issue of Health Affairs.
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Adverse Birth Outcomes Up for Women With H1N1 Flu in ICU
FRIDAY, Jan. 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Pregnant women with 2009 H1N1 influenza admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) have an increased risk for adverse birth outcomes, according to a study published online Jan. 9 in Birth Defects Research.
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Chronic Fatigue Patients May Not Receive Proper ED Care
FRIDAY, Jan. 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Many patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) do not receive proper care in the emergency department, according to a study published online Jan. 11 in Open Access Emergency Medicine.
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CDC: E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Romaine Lettuce Is Over
THURSDAY, Jan. 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The Escherichia coli outbreak linked to California-grown romaine lettuce appears to be over, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.
Measles Outbreak in New York State Largest in Recent History
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — There have been at least 112 confirmed cases of measles in Rockland and Orange counties and at least 55 in New York City in what officials say is the largest measles outbreak in New York state in recent history.
Smartphone App Can Detect Early Signs of Opioid Overdose
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Specialized smartphone software can be used to detect early signs of opioid overdose, according to research published in the Jan. 9 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
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Nine Cases of Wound Botulism ID’d in Injection Drug Users
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Among persons who inject drugs, nine cases of wound botulism were identified in Southern California from September 2017 to April 2018, according to research published in the Jan. 4 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Many Female Health Care Workers Live in Poverty
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Many U.S. female health care workers, particularly women of color, live in poverty and lack health insurance, according to a study published online Dec. 20 in the American Journal of Public Health.
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Increase in Brand-Name Drug Cost Mainly Due to Existing Drugs
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The costs of oral and injectable brand-name drugs increased from 2008 to 2016, with most of the increase due to existing drugs, while new drugs accounted for cost increases in specialty and generic drugs, according to a study published in the January issue of Health Affairs.
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Antibiotics Prescribed for Children More Often at Nonpediatric EDs
TUESDAY, Jan. 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Most emergency visits by children occur at nonpediatric emergency departments, which have more frequent antibiotic prescribing, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in Pediatrics.
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ACA Coverage Gains Could Erode Without Individual Mandate
TUESDAY, Jan. 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Eliminating the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate penalty is unlikely to destabilize the individual market in California but could roll back coverage gains, according to a study published in the January issue of Health Affairs.
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Rx Opioids Up Pneumonia Risk in Patients With, Without HIV
MONDAY, Jan. 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Prescribed opioids are associated with an increased risk for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) requiring hospitalization among persons with and without HIV, according to a study published online Jan. 7 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Screening Donated Blood for Zika Not Cost-Effective
MONDAY, Jan. 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Screening donated blood for Zika virus is cost-effective only in the high mosquito season in Puerto Rico, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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About 11 Percent of U.S. Adults Have Food Allergy
MONDAY, Jan. 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Nearly 11 percent of U.S. adults are estimated to be food-allergic, but 19 percent believe they have a food allergy, according to a study published online Jan. 4 in JAMA Network Open.
Discharge One Hour After Naloxone for OD May Be Option
FRIDAY, Jan. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A rule with six criteria can determine whether patients can be safely discharged from the emergency department after a one-hour observation period following prehospital naloxone administration, according to a study published online Dec. 28 in Academic Emergency Medicine.
Child Pneumonia Rate Dropped Globally From 2000 to 2015
THURSDAY, Jan. 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The global incidence of child pneumonia and related mortality decreased substantially from 2000 to 2015, consistent with decreases in the prevalence of some key risk factors, according to a study published in the January issue of The Lancet Global Health.
Sexual-Minority Patients Prefer Nonverbal Data Collection
THURSDAY, Jan. 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Sexual- or gender-minority (SGM) patients report greater comfort and improved communication with nonverbal collection of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) information in the emergency department, according to a study published online Dec. 28 in JAMA Network Open.
Study Reveals High Rate of Phlebitis Caused by IV Cannulas
THURSDAY, Jan. 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The incidence of phlebitis caused by peripheral intravenous cannula insertions may be higher among patients with certain risk factors, according to a study published online Dec. 27 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
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Artificial Intelligence Can Detect, Classify Acute Brain Bleeds
THURSDAY, Jan. 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — An artificial intelligence system can diagnose and classify intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), according to a study published online Dec. 17 in Nature Biomedical Engineering.
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Pediatric Mortality Rate From Opioid Poisoning Rose 1999 to 2016
THURSDAY, Jan. 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — From 1999 to 2016, there was close to a threefold increase in the pediatric mortality rate from opioid poisonings in the United States, according to a study published online Dec. 28 in JAMA Network Open.
One in 10 EMS Encounters for Involuntary Psychiatric Holds
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 2, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Ten percent of total emergency medical services (EMS) encounters in Alameda County, California, are involuntary hold encounters, according to a study published in the January issue of the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
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