Practical Summaries in Acute Care Archives – November 1, 2003
November 1, 2003
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DKA Management: Is the Blood Gas Necessary?
The primary objective of this prospective observational study was to test the hypothesis that arterial blood gas (ABG) results for patients with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) do not influence emergency physicians decisions regarding final diagnosis, treatment, and final disposition of patients. -
Pediatric Cyclic Antidepressant Ingestions: When Is It Safe to Stay Home?
Cyclic antidepressant (CA) poisoning has significant potential for life-threatening complications, most notably malignant dysrhythmia, obtundation, and seizure. In adults, overdose frequently is intentional and the amount ingested may be unclear. -
DANAMI-2 Trial: More Comparison of Fibrinolysis vs. Primary PTCA
Well-done studies have established that percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is superior to fibrinolytic administration for the reduction of early death (7% vs 9%), non fatal re-infarction (3% vs 7%), or stroke (1% vs 2%), provided that the center where it is performed has expertise with the procedure, and door-to-balloon time can be kept to 90 minutes or less. -
Community-Acquired Pneumonia
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) develops in more than 5 million individuals annually in the United States, one-fifth of whom are hospitalized. While the overall mortality of CAP is 1-5%, mortality among hospitalized patients reaches 12%, underscoring that CAP is a frequent cause of death. -
ECG Review: A Harbinger of Tachycardia
Clinical Scenario: The series of consecutive rhythm strips shown in Panels A, B, and C of the Figure were obtained from an elderly woman on multiple medications including digoxin.