Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Emergency Medicine for September 2012. 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.
Benzodiazepine Use Linked to Increased Risk of Dementia
FRIDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- New use of benzodiazepines correlates with an increase in the risk of dementia, according to a study published online Sept. 27 in BMJ.
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Single Progesterone Test Can Rule Out Viable Pregnancy
FRIDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- For women in early pregnancy with symptoms and an inconclusive ultrasound assessment, a single progesterone measurement can rule out a viable pregnancy, according to a study published online Sept. 27 in BMJ.
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Being Deemed 'Unfit to Drive' Cuts Subsequent Road Crashes
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Medical warnings to patients who are potentially unfit to drive correlate with a reduction in the number of road crashes in which the patient is a driver, according to a study published in the Sept. 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Antibiotic Use Varies by Season, Geographic Region for Elderly
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Antibiotic usage among older adults varies widely by geographical region and season, according to a study published online Sept. 24 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Tasers Appear Safe to Use When Apprehending Young Offenders
TUESDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The use of conducted electrical weapons (CEWs), more commonly known as Tasers, in the apprehension of minors does not result in any moderate or severe injuries, but mild superficial injuries are reported in 20 percent of suspects, according to research published in the September issue of Pediatric Emergency Care.
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Deaths Due to Poisoning, Suicide, Falls Up in Last Decade
MONDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Deaths due to suicide, falls, and unintentional poisoning increased over the last decade, while motor vehicle accident deaths declined by 25 percent, according to research published online Sept. 20 in the American Journal of Public Health.
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AAP Strongly Discourages Home Trampolines
MONDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Home trampoline use is strongly discouraged by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), according to a policy statement published online Sept. 24 in Pediatrics.
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Channel Blockers Reduce Causes of Asthma Symptoms
THURSDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Epithelial expression of the calcium-activated chloride channel (CaCC) TMEM16A is increased in patients with asthma, and its inhibition negatively regulates epithelial mucin secretion and airway smooth muscle contraction, according to a study published online Sept. 17 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Duration of Antiplatelet Drugs for Drug-Eluting Stents Studied
THURSDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- In patients receiving drug-eluting stents, dual antiplatelet therapy can be safely discontinued during the first year, according to two studies published online Sept. 19 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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More Cardio-Related Life Years Lost at Extreme Temperatures
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Cold spells and heat waves increase the number of life years lost from cardiovascular disease, with more of an increase seen during heat waves, according to research published in the September issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
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Resuming Warfarin After GI Bleed Cuts Mortality
TUESDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- In the 90 days following a gastrointestinal tract bleeding (GIB) event, patients who do not resume warfarin therapy experience an increased rate of thrombosis and death, according to research published online Sept. 17 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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VTE Risk Varies by Hormone Therapy Formulation
TUESDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in postmenopausal women differs considerably according to the formulation of hormone therapy (HT) used, with the highest VTE risk seen in users of oral estrogen-progestin HT containing medroxyprogesterone acetate, according to research published online Sept. 10 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
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Premature Death Rate Higher in People Who Self-Harm
TUESDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- People who self-harm have over three-fold higher rates of premature death, from both natural and external causes, according to a study published online Sept. 18 in The Lancet.
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Gout Is Primary Indication in About 0.2 Percent of ER Visits
TUESDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Gout is the primary indication in about 0.2 percent of emergency department visits annually, according to a study published online Sept. 4 in Arthritis Care & Research.
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Higher Mortality Risk With Preoperative Hyponatremia
FRIDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with preoperative hyponatremia have a higher risk of 30-day mortality and morbidity, including coronary events, surgical site wound infections, and pneumonia, according to research published online Sept. 10 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Risk of Car Accidents Up With Antidepressant Use
FRIDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- There is an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) for patients taking antidepressants, benzodiazepines, or Z-drugs, according to a study published online Sept. 13 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
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Disability for 15 Percent of Patients After Minor Stroke, TIA
FRIDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Approximately 15 percent of patients exhibit some disability 90 days after a minor stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), and more than 50 percent of patients who have a recurrent event experience disability, according to a study published online Sept. 13 in Stroke.
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Tranexamic Acid Safe for Wide Spectrum of Trauma Patients
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Tranexamic acid reduces risk of death and thrombotic events in patients with traumatic bleeding, irrespective of the baseline risk of death, according to a study published online Sept. 11 in BMJ.
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Updated Guidelines Issued for 'Strep' Diagnosis, Treatment
TUESDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- The Infectious Diseases Society of America recommends use of penicillin or amoxicillin as first-line treatment for culture-confirmed cases of Group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis, according to updated clinical practice guidelines published online Sept. 9 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
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NSAID Use Ups Cardiovascular Risk Up to Five Years Post-MI
MONDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- The increased cardiovascular risk associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use following a first myocardial infarction (MI) persists up to five years, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in Circulation.
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Heavy Drinking Linked to Intracerebral Bleed at Young Age
MONDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Heavy alcohol intake correlates with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) at a younger age, according to a study published in the Sept. 11 issue of Neurology.
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AAP Updates Flu Vaccine Recommendations for Children
Michael T. Brady, M.D., and colleagues from the AAP's Committee on Infectious Diseases, updated recommendations for routine use of trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine and antiviral medications for the prevention and management of influenza in children for the 2012 to 2013 season.
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Not All Docs/Nurses Want to Be Asked About Hand Hygiene
FRIDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Although most health care workers (HCWs) appreciate the role of patients in preventing health care-associated infection, a considerable proportion are uncomfortable with patients asking about their hand hygiene, according to a letter published online Sept. 3 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Antiretrovirals Increasingly Used for HIV in the U.S.
FRIDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Since 2000, more HIV-infected patients in the United States are receiving antiretroviral treatment, viral load has fallen, and CD4 counts at death have risen, according to a study published in the Sept. 4 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Hospitals Vary in Resuscitation Times for Cardiac Arrest
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest, the duration of resuscitation attempts varies between hospitals, with increased duration of resuscitation linked to improved survival, according to a study published online Sept. 5 in The Lancet.
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Themes Identified for Improving End-of-Life Care in ER
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Major and minor themes have been identified by emergency nurses who often provide end-of-life (EOL) care in the emergency department setting, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of Emergency Nursing.
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Language Barrier Linked to Poorer Asthma Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- For elderly patients with asthma, limited English proficiency correlates with poorer outcomes, according to a study published in the September issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
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Unrecognized MI Prevalent in Older Adults, Ups Mortality
TUESDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- For older patients, the prevalence of unrecognized myocardial infarction (UMI), as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, is higher than that of recognized myocardial infarction (RMI) and correlates with increased mortality, according to a study published in the Sept. 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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