Managing Diabetes Mellitus in the Emergency Department

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic medical condition that continues to increase in prevalence. Complications of DM, including diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state, often present in the emergency department requiring emergent management. Prompt assessment, diagnosis, evaluation of laboratory values, treatment, monitoring, and strict follow-up education are essential to the successful management of this complex disease. Common medications and management strategies are key elements to control DM. This article presents an overview of DM, including its prevalence, pathophysiology, presentations, and management.

Is Ketamine an Effective Treatment of Acute Agitation in the Emergency Department? Implications for APRN Practice

This article reviews the results of a randomized controlled trial, "Rapid Agitation Control with Ketamine in the Emergency Department: A Blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial" by D. Barbic et al. (2021), comparing time to sedation, level of sedation, and adverse outcomes between intramuscular ketamine versus intramuscular midazolam and haloperidol among acutely agitated patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). The findings are discussed in the context of practice change for patient stabilization within the ED. Emergency department nurse practitioners must employ continuing education and remain current with clinical practices and treatment options to ensure that patients receive optimal safe care. Although the use of midazolam and haloperidol has historically been the first-line treatment for the acutely agitated patient, use of ketamine shows promise in providing a safe alternative for expedited patient stabilization for acutely agitated patients presenting to the ED.

Ophthalmologic Emergencies: Assessment and Management

There are an estimated 2-3 million emergency department (ED) visits in the United States for eye complaints. Although most patients who present to the ED have nontraumatic eye complaints, many seek treatment for eye trauma, which is a leading cause of unilateral blindness and vison impairment. Given the prevalence of eye-related emergencies, it is imperative that emergency care providers understand how to recognize and treat eye complaints to prevent permanent vision loss and disability. This article covers basic eye anatomy and physiology, discusses a systematic approach to the eye examination, and presents the evidence-based treatment of selected, common nonemergent and emergent eye complaints. For each complaint, essential history questions, examination techniques, differentials, and emergency management have been presented.

Catamenial Pneumothorax: An Unusual Cause of Abdominal Pain

A catamenial pneumothorax is a very rare condition resulting in spontaneous and recurrent pneumothoraces that occur in relationship with menses (T. Marjański et al., 2016). Although rare, emergency providers should consider this condition when female patients present to the emergency department with chest discomfort and dyspnea during menstruation. This case describes a patient who presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain who was incidentally found to have a catamenial pneumothorax on diagnostic imaging for her complaint of acute abdominal pain.

Spontaneous Pneumothorax: Controversies in Treatment

The Research to Practice column critiques a current research article and translates the findings, in the context of a case, to a practice change within emergency settings. This article reviews the findings of a randomized controlled trial conducted by A. Theille et al. (2017) comparing the use of needle decompression versus chest tube insertion for management of spontaneous pneumothorax. The study found that use of needle aspiration was safe and effective and was associated with fewer procedure-related complications and significantly shorter hospital stays. The investigators concluded that needle aspiration be used as a first-line, definitive treatment in management of a spontaneous pneumothorax. As emergency providers examine improved and equally effective approaches to care that are associated with less costs and potential complications, needle aspiration offers a beneficial approach and should be shared with patients when discussing treatment options to ensure shared decision making.

The Use of Activated Charcoal in Toxicology and Implications for APRN Practice

This Research to Practice article is designed to help aid advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with up-to-date research guidelines in order to establish evidence-based changes in clinical practice within emergency medical care. The article, "Activated Charcoal and Poisoning: Is It Really Effective?" by Aksay et al. (2022), examines whether the usage of activated charcoal (AC) in current treatment protocols for ingested poisonings adds benefits, given recent controversies in its use. Study variables included clinical findings in relation to the drug being ingested, the frequency and usage of an antidote, the rate of being intubated, and the duration of being hospitalized comparing poisoned patients who received AC with those who did not. APRNs need to be aware of the current guidelines to help establish the appropriateness of use when administering AC and be able to evaluate patients during and after the administering of AC. Improved awareness and education regarding the different treatment modalities for toxicology patients such as AC can help with certain kinds of poisonings in the emergency department.

The Emergency Medicine Physician Workforce: Projections for 2030

STUDY OBJECTIVE

The goals of this study were to determine the current and projected supply in 2030 of contributors to emergency care, including emergency residency-trained and board-certified physicians, other physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. In addition, this study was designed to determine the current and projected demand for residency-trained, board-certified emergency physicians.

METHODS

To forecast future workforce supply and demand, sources of existing data were used, assumptions based on past and potential future trends were determined, and a sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine how the final forecast would be subject to variance in the baseline inputs and assumptions. Methods included: (1) estimates of the baseline workforce supply of physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants; (2) estimates of future changes in the raw numbers of persons entering and leaving that workforce; (3) estimates of the productivity of the workforce; and (4) estimates of the demand for emergency care services. The methodology assumes supply equals demand in the base year and estimates the change between the base year and 2030; it then compares supply and demand in 2030 under different scenarios.

RESULTS

The task force consensus was that the most likely future scenario is described by: 2% annual graduate medical education growth, 3% annual emergency physician attrition, 20% encounters seen by a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, and 11% increase in emergency department visits relative to 2018. This scenario would result in a surplus of 7,845 emergency physicians in 2030.

CONCLUSION

The specialty of emergency medicine is facing the likely oversupply of emergency physicians in 2030. The factors leading to this include the increasing supply of and changing demand for emergency physicians. An organized, collective approach to a balanced workforce by the specialty of emergency medicine is imperative.

Racial Bias Among Emergency Providers: Strategies to Mitigate Its Adverse Effects

The Research to Practice column presents an analysis of current and controversial research findings with implications for practice change relevant to emergency care settings. This review critiques Johnson et al.'s (2016) investigation, titled "The Impact of Cognitive Stressors in the Emergency Department on Physician Implicit Racial Bias," that examined emergency department characteristics and stressors and their effects on physician racial bias and decision making. Their findings suggest that unconscious biases can affect clinical decisions when providers experience increased cognitive stress. The implications are significant for emergency providers as resources are especially strained during the COVID-19 pandemic and as the adverse effects of unconscious bias on health disparities and patient outcomes have become clearly apparent. Implicit bias training (IBT) is recommended for emergency providers and has significant implications for medical and nurse educators in executing and evaluating IBT outcomes.

Determining Psychoneuroimmunologic Markers of Yoga as an Intervention for Persons Diagnosed With PTSD: A Systematic Review

There is a growing body of research on yoga as a therapeutic intervention for psychological symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) accompanied by speculations on underlying physiologic mechanisms. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify, qualitatively evaluate, and synthesize studies of yoga as an intervention for PTSD that measured physiologic outcomes in order to gain insights into potential mechanisms. The focus is on studies evaluating yoga as a therapeutic intervention for PTSD rather than for trauma exposure, PTSD prevention, or subclinical PTSD. Multiple databases were searched for publications from the past two decades using terms derived from the question, "In people with PTSD, what is the effect of yoga on objective outcomes?" Eligibility criteria included yoga-only modalities tested as an intervention for formally diagnosed PTSD with at least one physiologic outcome. Results of this review confirmed that, though much of the published literature proposes physiological mechanisms underlying yoga's effects on PTSD, very few studies ( n = 3) have actually evaluated physiological evidence. Additionally, several studies had methodological limitations. In light of the limited data supporting yoga's beneficial effects on autonomic nervous system dysregulation, we present a theoretical model of the psychoneuroimmunologic processes associated with PTSD and the effects yoga may have on these processes to guide future research. Gaps in the literature remain for mechanisms related to activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and inflammation. Additional rigorous mechanistic studies are needed to guide development of effective yoga interventions for PTSD to augment existing evidence-based PTSD treatments.

Feasibility of nurses measuring gait speed in older community-dwelling Emergency Department patients

Gait speed assessment is a rapid, simple and objective measure for predicting risk of unfavorable outcomes which may provide better prognostic and reliable information than existing geriatric ED (Emergency Department) screening tools. This descriptive pilot project was designed to determine feasibility of implementing gait speed screening into routine nursing practice by objectively identifying patients with sub-optimal gait speeds. Participants included community-dwelling adults 65 years and older with plans for discharge following ED treatment. Patients with a gait speed <1.0 m/s were identified as "high-risk" for an adverse event, and referred to the ED social worker for individualized resources prior to discharge. Thirty-five patients were screened and nurse initiated gait speed screens were completed 60% of the time. This project demonstrates ED gait speed screening may be feasible. Implications for practice should consider incorporating gait speed screening into routine nursing assessment to improve provider ED decision-making and disposition planning.

Treating venomous snakebites in the United States: a guide for nurse practitioners

This article discusses the current, evidence-based guidelines for managing venomous snakebites indigenous to the United States. A review of common varieties of venomous snakes, venom effects, risk factors for snakebites, and management strategies are presented to assist nurse practitioners in caring for snakebite victims.

Modeling relapse in unipolar depression: the effects of dysfunctional cognitions and personality disorders

Survival analytic models were used to determine the effects of Axis II pathology and dysfunctional cognitions on depressive relapse in a sample of 50 depressed inpatients followed 33 to 84 months (M = 49.9) postdischarge. In analyses based on follow-up interview measures, expected remission duration among patients without personality disorders was approximately 7.4 times longer than among patients with Axis II comorbidity. Attributional style also accounted for unique variance in the relapse model, with adaptive positive event attributions inversely related to relapse probability. Neither dysfunctional attitudes nor negative event attributions were significantly related to relapse. Dimensional Axis II Cluster B and C pathology ratings were associated with decreased survival time, whereas Cluster A pathology was associated with increased survival. Among measures obtained during index hospitalization, only the dimensional rating of Axis II pathology was significantly predictive, with a cumulative 8% decrease in expected survival for each Axis II criterion item met.

Factor analysis of the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale

A maximum likelihood factor analysis with Promax rotation was performed on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale for 340 adult inpatients in an Affective Disorders Program. Four factors were identified and labeled cognitive-pessimism, affective, cognitive-anxiety, and vegetative. Recommendations were offered for the research and clinical use of the factor scores.

Placebo-controlled evaluation of abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation and of relaxation combined with cognitive therapy in the treatment of tension headache

Sixty-six tension headache patients were randomly assigned to one of four conditions for 8 weeks: (a) progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) alone; (b) PMR plus cognitive therapy (PMR + Cog); (c) pseudomeditation, a credible attention-placebo control; or (d) continued headache monitoring. A comparison of overall headache activity (headache index), derived from a daily headache diary, for 4 weeks before treatment to 4 weeks after treatment, revealed that active treatment (PMR and PMR + Cog) was superior to either control condition. Moreover, level of headache medication consumption decreased significantly for the active treatment groups. Although headache-index comparisons of the two active treatments showed no advantage for adding cognitive therapy to PMR, a measure of clinically significant change showed a trend for PMR + Cog to be superior to PMR alone.

Placebo-controlled evaluation of abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation and of relaxation combined with cognitive therapy in the treatment of tension headache

Sixty-six tension headache patients were randomly assigned to one of four conditions for 8 weeks: (a) progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) alone; (b) PMR plus cognitive therapy (PMR + Cog); (c) pseudomeditation, a credible attention-placebo control; or (d) continued headache monitoring. A comparison of overall headache activity (headache index), derived from a daily headache diary, for 4 weeks before treatment to 4 weeks after treatment, revealed that active treatment (PMR and PMR + Cog) was superior to either control condition. Moreover, level of headache medication consumption decreased significantly for the active treatment groups. Although headache-index comparisons of the two active treatments showed no advantage for adding cognitive therapy to PMR, a measure of clinically significant change showed a trend for PMR + Cog to be superior to PMR alone.

A controlled evaluation of thermal biofeedback and thermal biofeedback combined with cognitive therapy in the treatment of vascular headache

One-hundred-sixteen patients suffering from vascular headache (migraine or combined migraine and tension) were, after 4 weeks of pretreatment baseline headache monitoring, randomly assigned to one of four conditions: (a) thermal biofeedback with adjunctive relaxation training (TBF); (b) TBF plus cognitive therapy; (c) pseudomediation as an ostensible attention-placebo control; or (d) headache monitoring. The first three groups received 16 individual sessions over 8 weeks, while the fourth group continued to monitor headaches. All groups then monitored headaches for a 4-week posttreatment baseline. Analyses revealed that all treated groups improved significantly more than the headache monitoring group with no significant differences among the three treated groups. On a measure of clinically significant improvement, the two TBF groups had slightly higher (51%) degree of improvement than the meditation group (37.5%). It is argued that the attention-placebo control became an active relaxation condition.

Cardiovascular responses in the laboratory and in the natural environment: is blood pressure reactivity to laboratory-induced mental stress related to ambulatory blood pressure during everyday life?

Cardiovascular activity recorded at rest and during mental stress in the laboratory was studied in relation to ambulatory recorded cardiovascular activity at work and at home. Fifty-five Type A men (M = 42.4 years) underwent a standardized laboratory mental stress protocol in which systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate were recorded at baseline and during a 15 min mental arithmetic task (MAT). On a subsequent day, ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate were recorded at 20 minute intervals for 12-14 hr during normal activities at home and at work. Subjects completed a behavioral diary concurrently with each cuff inflation. High and Low groups were identified based upon a median split of their cardiovascular response levels at baseline and during the MAT. Subjects with high systolic blood pressure levels during the MAT had high systolic blood pressure at home, at work, during physical activity, and when they reported being 'stressed'. Baseline systolic blood pressure in the laboratory was less consistently related to ambulatory systolic pressure across ambulatory conditions. Diastolic blood pressure at baseline was related to ambulatory diastolic blood pressure at work, at home, and when resting. Diastolic blood pressure during the MAT was associated with higher diastolic pressure at work and at home. Heart rate at baseline and during the MAT was related to heart rate at work and during physical activity. Change scores derived by subtracting mean values during the MAT from baseline resting levels were not associated with ambulatory blood pressures or heart rates under any daily conditions. In the best case, systolic blood pressure measured during the MAT was related to systolic blood pressure during physical activity, to systolic blood pressure and heart rate during mental stress, to systolic and diastolic blood pressure at rest, and to systolic blood pressure and heart rate at work but not at home. We conclude that levels of blood pressure and heart rate measured in the laboratory, but not reactivity (i.e, change scores) during the MAT, are related to blood pressure and heart rate levels recorded in the natural environment, especially in the work setting.

Tc-99m diphosphonate uptake in malignant fibrous histiocytoma: a possible iron-related effect

A man with malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the thigh had avid uptake of Tc-99m MDP in the lesion. Review of tissue sections showed considerable accumulation of iron in the tumor. Iron is known to be a potential nidus for deposition of the Tc-99m diphosphonates. A review was made of tissue sections from two other reported cases of malignant fibrous histiocytoma which also had significant accumulation of Tc-99m diphosphonates. Both revealed iron within the tumor. The origin of the iron is unknown (perhaps from necrosis and hemorrhage, from trauma, or from innate phagocytic activity of the histiocytes). However, this observation may serve as a stimulus to studies attempting to discern the underlying mechanisms of extraosseous deposition of the Tc-99m diphosphonates.

Prediction of early termination from the self-regulatory treatment of chronic headache

The ability of demographic, psychological testing and history information to predict which patients will terminate early from nonpharmacological treatment of headache (relaxation and biofeedback) was tested. Information from each of these areas was initially examined for differences between dropouts and treatment completers using univariate analyses. These analyses were followed by a canonical discriminate function analysis that predicted whether patients would complete treatment or drop out. Information from the three predictor sets combined resulted in 77.4% of the patients being correctly classified.

Psychological comparisons of irritable bowel syndrome to chronic tension and migraine headache and nonpatient controls

Comparisons were made among patients with IBS (n = 55), tension headache (n = 69), or migraine headache (n = 68) and nonpatient controls (n = 64) on the MMPI and several other psychological tests, including BDI, STAI, Life Events, and Psychosomatic Symptom Checklist. With two nonsignificant exceptions (MMPI scale F and Life Events) the groups were consistently ordered, in terms of increasing psychological distress: Normals less than Migraine Headache less than Tension Headache less than IBS. The IBS patients were more like the tension headache patients than any other group. Subgroups of IBS patients, on the basis of presence or absence of diarrhea or constipation in addition to abdominal pain, were generally not significantly different on the psychological tests.

Three studies of the psychologic changes in chronic headache patients associated with biofeedback and relaxation therapies

Three separate, but similar, studies are described in which the psychologic effects (depression, anxiety, and overall degree of psychosomatic distress) of nonpharmacologic treatment (relaxation and/or biofeedback training) for three kinds of chronic headache (tension, migraine, and mixed migraine and tension) were evaluated. Results showed consistently (across all three studies) significant reductions in depression and trait-anxiety associated with receiving treatment, regardless of headache type or treatment outcome. The significant reduction for overall degree of psychosomatic distress was not differentially related to receiving treatment and thus could have been due to prolonged monitoring of headaches or test-retest regression effects.

Biofeedback and relaxation treatments for headache in the elderly: a caution and a challenge

Results for 11 older (60 years or greater) headache patients treated with combinations of biofeedback and relaxation are presented. Overall, only 18.2% were clinically improved after treatment. None of the 5 tension headache patients were improved. Suggestions for future work with the older headache patient are offered.

Multicystic renal cell carcinoma

This is a case report of a patient with cystic renal cell carcinoma that had all of the ultrasound and computed tomographic features of benign multicystic renal disease. Although this benign entity is a possibility in some patients, thick-wall cystic lesions of the kidney must be considered malignant until proven otherwise and surgery cannot be avoided.

Renal cyst wall thickening following percutaneous aspiration

Computed tomography (CT) is an accurate and efficient means for evaluating and characterizing renal masses. Using established criteria, benign cortical cysts may be accurately differentiated from complex cysts or solid renal lesions. We report a case of cyst wall thickening simulating a cystic tumor that occurred after percutaneous aspiration of a simple renal cyst.

Synthesis and some reactions of the N-Tosyl derivative of indoles and 2,3-Dihydrocarbazol-4(1H)-one

The preparation and some reactions of the N-tosyl derivative of 3-(2?- nitropropenyl)indole (1), indole-3-carbaldehyde (2), indole-3- glyoxylamide (3), and 2,3-di-hydrocarbazol-4(1H)-one (7) are described. The N-tosylnitropropenyl derivative (1) was converted into α-methyl-1- tosyltryptamine, and the reaction of 2,3-dihydro-9-tosyl-carbazol-4(1H)-one (7) with ethoxyethynylmagnesium bromide and in the Mannich and Cope-Knoevenagel reactions are described.

Synthesis of some tricyclic amines - Hexahydro-1H-indenoazepines and a Hexahydro-1H-benzo-quinoline and -isoquinoline

2,3,4,4a,5,6-Hexahydro-1H-indeno[7,1-cd]azepine (6), 2,3,3a,4,5,6- hexahydro-1H-benzo[de]quinoline (10), 2,3,3a,4,5,6-hexahydro-1H- benz[de]isoquinoline (12), isolated as their hydrochlorides, and 2,3,4,4a,5,6-hexahydro-1H-indeno[7,1-bc]azepine (8) have been prepared by lithium aluminium hydride reduction of the corresponding lactams which were synthesized from the appropriate tricyclic ketones by Beckmann rearrangement or Schmidt reaction. The base (8) was also synthesized from 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-1,8-dimethanol (15).