Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Emergency Medicine for October 2016. 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.
Opioid Poisonings in Children, Teens Rising Dramatically
MONDAY, Oct. 31, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- The number of young children and teens hospitalized for overdosing on opioids has increased nearly two-fold in recent years, according to a study published online Oct. 31 in JAMA Pediatrics.
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Guidelines Presented for Fluoroquinolone Use in Children
MONDAY, Oct. 31, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- In a clinical report published online Oct. 31 in Pediatrics, guidelines are presented for the use of systemic and topical fluoroquinolones in children.
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Few Changes in Employer-Sponsored Insurance 2013-2014
MONDAY, Oct. 31, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Private sector employer-sponsored health insurance offerings were similar in 2013 and 2014, with <3.5 percent of employers dropping coverage and 1.1 percent adding coverage, according to a report published online Oct. 26 in Health Affairs.
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Skin Patch to Treat Peanut Allergy Appears Promising
FRIDAY, Oct. 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- A skin patch that delivers small amounts of peanut protein may help treat children and young adults with peanut allergy, according to a study published online Oct. 26 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
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Quality Improvement Methods Improve Asthma Care
THURSDAY, Oct. 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Implementation of quality improvement (QI) methods can improve timely administration of short-acting β-agonists (SABAs) for acute asthma in a pediatric emergency department, according to a study published online Oct. 26 in Pediatrics.
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Heart Failure Care Up, Regardless of Hospital Teaching Status
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Adherence to performance measures is similar at teaching hospitals (TH) and nonteaching hospitals (NTH), according to a study published online Oct. 25 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
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Survival Outcomes Similar for Short-, Long-Term Blood Storage
TUESDAY, Oct. 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Using the freshest blood for transfusions does not appear to significantly improve patient survival, according to a study published online Oct. 24 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Deaths Down 1999 to 2014
FRIDAY, Oct. 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- From 1999 to 2014 the numbers of deaths, both accidental and intentional, due to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning significantly declined in the United States, according to a study published in the October issue of the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
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Lead Poisoning Possible From Glazed Mexican Ceramics
FRIDAY, Oct. 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to high concentrations of lead -- often found in glazes that line traditional Mexican ceramics, cookware, and dishware -- can be toxic after extended periods of handling, according to a case report published online Oct. 17 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
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Pulmonary Embolism May Be Cause of Syncope in Some Elderly
THURSDAY, Oct. 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- About one of every six patients hospitalized for a first episode of syncope has a pulmonary embolism, according to a study published in the Oct. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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New Method May Provide Better Rx for Seniors' Ankle Fractures
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- A new type of plaster cast might help older adults avoid surgery for unstable ankle fractures, according to research published in the Oct. 11 issue the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Certain Factors Predict Repeat ER Visits for Ureteral Stones
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Among patients with ureteral stones, those who are younger, have proximal stones, and require intravenous narcotics for pain control are more likely to return to the emergency department within 30 days, according to a study published in the November issue of The Journal of Urology.
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Herbal, Dietary Supplements Cause One-Fifth of Hepatotoxicity
TUESDAY, Oct. 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Herbal and dietary supplement (HDS)-induced liver injury accounts for 20 percent of cases of hepatotoxicity in the United States, according to research published online Sept. 27 in Hepatology.
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New Recs for RBC Transfusion, Optimal RBC Storage Length
MONDAY, Oct. 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- In a clinical practice guideline published online Oct. 12 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, recommendations are presented for the target hemoglobin level for red blood cell (RBC) transfusion and optimal duration of RBC storage.
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CDC: Possible Contamination of Open-Heart Surgery Devices
FRIDAY, Oct. 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Some LivaNova PLC (formerly Sorin Group Deutschland GmbH) Stockert 3T heater-cooler devices might have been contaminated with Mycobacterium chimaera during manufacturing, according to a press release from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Computerized Ordering Tool Cuts Imaging Cardiac Stress Tests
THURSDAY, Oct. 13, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- A computerized order entry tool can increase the use of nonimaging cardiac stress tests among hospitalized patients, according to a study published in the Oct. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
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Risk of Nephropathy From Radiocontrast Overestimated
THURSDAY, Oct. 13, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of radiocontrast-associated nephropathy may be overestimated, according to a study published online Sept. 29 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Doctors Better Diagnosticians Than Symptom-Checker Programs
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians are twice as likely to get the right diagnosis on the first try as 23 popular symptom-checking computer programs, according to a research letter published online Oct. 11 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Variation in State Policies Regarding Freestanding ERs
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- There is considerable variation in state policies regarding freestanding emergency departments, according to a report published in the October issue of Health Affairs.
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Most Anaphylaxis Patients in ER Treated Appropriately
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of anaphylaxis patients seeking treatment in Belgian emergency departments are treated in accordance with the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) guidelines, according to a study published Oct. 6 in Allergy.
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Copay Assist Programs Creating Problems in Health Care Markets
TUESDAY, Oct. 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Despite offering assistance to individuals who cannot afford expensive medications, copay assistance programs create broader problems in health care markets, according to an Ideas and Opinions piece published online Oct. 11 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Exertion, Emotional Upset Can Trigger Myocardial Infarction
TUESDAY, Oct. 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Intense anger or heavy physical exertion may be triggers for an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in some people, according to research published online Oct. 11 in Circulation.
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U.S. Health Care System Is One of the Least Efficient Worldwide
MONDAY, Oct. 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. health care system is one of the least efficient worldwide based on a Bloomberg index that assesses life expectancy, health care spending per capita, and relative spending as a share of gross domestic product, according to a report published by Bloomberg.
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Video-Only CPR Education Noninferior to Manikin Training
MONDAY, Oct. 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- For high-risk cardiac patients, video-only (VO; no manikin) cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training is noninferior to training with a video self-instruction kit (VSI; with manikin), according to a study published online Oct. 4 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
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Strategies Presented for Managing Physician Burnout
FRIDAY, Oct. 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Effective strategies for managing physician burnout include mindfulness and stress-management training, according to a review published online Sept. 28 in The Lancet.
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Hospital Choice Key in Post-Myocardial Infarction Survival
FRIDAY, Oct. 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Older patients with myocardial infarction (MI) who receive immediate high-quality care from their hospital often receive a long-term survival advantage, according to a study published in the Oct. 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Burns, Blast Injuries on the Rise From Exploding E-Cigarettes
THURSDAY, Oct. 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Electronic-cigarette devices are randomly and unexpectedly exploding, burning and injuring people near them when they detonate, according to a research letter published in the Oct. 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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CDC Reviews Measles Outbreak in Amish Community
THURSDAY, Oct. 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- The measles outbreak that occurred in an Amish community in 2014 illustrates the ongoing threat the infection presents -- and the importance of routine vaccination, U.S. government researchers report in the Oct. 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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More Evidence of Zika Connection to Guillain-Barré Syndrome
THURSDAY, Oct. 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- In a new report, published online Oct. 5 in the New England Journal of Medicine, an international team of researchers says it has developed the strongest evidence to date that Zika virus can cause Guillain-Barré syndrome.
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DEA Planning to Cut Production of Opioid Medication
THURSDAY, Oct. 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says it has mandated significant cuts in the production of Schedule II opiate and opioid medication.
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Hypothermia No Help When Cardiac Arrest Occurs in Hospital
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- While therapeutic hypothermia may help improve some outcomes, it doesn't appear to provide benefit when cardiac arrest happens in a hospital setting, according to a study published in the Oct. 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Opioid Use Disorder, Heroin Use Up Among Young Adults
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Young adults in the United States are more likely to become addicted to prescription opioids than they were in years past, and they're also more likely to use heroin, according to a study recently published online in Addictive Behaviors.
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Doctors Spending in Excess of $32,000 on Health IT
TUESDAY, Oct. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors are spending more than $32,000 per year on health information technology (IT), according to an article published in Medical Economics.
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New AMA Module Helps Identify Physician Distress
MONDAY, Oct. 3, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- A new resource has been developed to help physicians identify distressed colleagues and help them to access care, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
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Novel Proactive Model Identifies Falls, Syncope, Dizziness
MONDAY, Oct. 3, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- A novel proactive multidisciplinary service model can identify falls, syncope, and dizziness symptoms, and reveal new diagnoses, according to a study published online Sept. 27 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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