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Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac dysrhythmia. Current guidelines recommend obtaining thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in all patients presenting with AF. Our aim was to investigate the utility of TSH levels for emergency department (ED) patients with a final diagnosis of AF while externally validating and potentially refining a clinical decision rule that recommends obtaining TSH levels only in patients with previous stroke, hypertension, or thyroid disease. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional study of consecutive patients who presented to an ED from January 2011 to March 2014 with a final ED diagnosis of AF. Charts were reviewed for historical features and TSH level. We assessed the sensitivity and specificity of the previously derived clinical decision rule. Results: Of the 1,964 patients who were eligible, 1,458 (74%) had a TSH level available for analysis. The overall prevalence of a low TSH (5µIU/mL) were identified in 11% (n=159). The clinical decision rule had a sensitivity of 88.9% (95% CI [73.0-96.4]) and a specificity of 27.5% (95% CI [25.2-29.9]) for identifying a low TSH. When analyzed for its ability to identify any abnormal TSH values (high or low TSH), the sensitivity and specificity were 74.4% (95% CI [67.5-80.2]) and 27.3% (95% CI [24.9-29.9]), respectively. Conclusion: Low TSH in patients presenting to the ED with a final diagnosis of AF is rare (2%). The sensitivity of a clinical decision rule including a history of thyroid disease, hypertension, or stroke for identifying low TSH levels in patients presenting to the ED with a final diagnosis of atrial fibrillation was lower than originally reported (88.9% vs. 93%). When elevated TSH levels were included as an outcome, the sensitivity was reduced to 74.4%. We recommend that emergency medicine providers not routinely order TSH levels for all patients with a primary diagnosis of AF. Instead, these investigations can be limited to patients with new onset AF or those with a history of thyroid disease with no known TSH level within three months . [West J Emerg Med. 2015;16(1):195–202.]

* Context.--Epithelioid angiomyolipomas (eAMLs) are rare tumors of the kidney that occur in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex or in a sporadic setting; a subset of these tumors exhibit metastatic behavior. Objective.--To analyze molecular profiling data to identify pathogenic alterations in rare cases of metastatic eAML, and to identify immunohistochemistry (IHC)-based surrogate markers. Design.--Molecular profiling data from the American Association for Cancer Research GENIE registry was accessed for 23 patients with angiomyolipomas, and 9 of 16 patients with eAMLs in our institutional registry were evaluated with next-generation sequencing. IHC was performed to screen for alterations of P53, RB, and ATRX for all 16 institutional cases. Results.--Combined alterations of 5 tumor-suppressor genes (TP53, ATRX, RB1, APC, and NF1) were identified using next-generation sequencing in 7 of 8 (88%) patients with metastatic disease compared to a single patient with nonmetastatic disease (RB1 variant of uncertain significance; 1 of 24, 4%). No cases with abnormal IHC results were identified in 11 patients with nonmetastatic disease compared to 3 of 5 patients with metastatic disease. Conclusions.--Our results show that the majority of metastatic eAMLs have mutations of 5 tumor-suppressor genes (TP53, ATRX, RB1, APC, and NF1), while these are rare in patients with nonmetastatic disease. Furthermore, IHC for P53, RB, and ATRX may serve as a screen for a subset of these alterations in resource-limited settings. These findings, if validated in larger data sets, have the potential to predict metastatic behavior in eAMLs. (Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2023;147:817-825; doi: 10.5858/ arpa.2022-0127-OA), Renal angiomyolipomas (AMLs) are mesenchymal neoplasms that are typically comprised of spindle cells arising from thick-walled vessels, intermixed with variable amounts of adipose tissue; they frequently express markers such as [...]

Introduction: Angioedema represents self-limited, localized swelling of submucosal or subcutaneous tissues. While the underlying etiology may be undeterminable in the emergent setting, nonhistaminergic and histaminergic angioedema respond differently to therapeutic interventions, with implications for empiric treatment. Clinical features and outcome differences among nonhistaminergic vs histaminergic angioedema patients in the emergency department (ED) are poorly characterized. We aim to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes among ED patients with angioedema by suspected etiology.Methods: This was a 10-year retrospective study of adult ED patients with angioedema, using data abstracted from the electronic health record. We evaluated univariable associations of select clinical features with etiology and used them to develop a multivariable logistic regression model for nonhistaminergic vs histaminergic angioedema.Results: Among 450 adult angioedema patients, the mean +/- standard deviation age was 57 +/- 18 years, and 264 (59%) were female. Among patients, 30% had suspected nonhistaminergic angioedema, 30% had suspected histaminergic angioedema, and 40% were of unknown etiology. As compared to histaminergic angioedema, nonhistaminergic angioedema was associated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or use of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) (odds ratio [OR] [60.9]; 95% confidence interval [CI], 23.16-160.14) and time of onset one hour or more prior to ED arrival (OR [5.91]; 95% CI,1.87-18.70) and was inversely associated with urticaria (OR [0.05]; 95% CI, 0.02-0.15), dyspnea (OR [0.23]; 95% CI, 0.08-0.67), and periorbital or lip edema (OR [0.25]; 95% CI, 0.08-0.79 and OR [0.32]; 95% CI, 0.13-0.79, respectively).Conclusion: As compared to histaminergic angioedema, patients with nonhistaminergic angioedema were more likely to present one hour or more after symptom onset and take ACEI or ARB medications, and were less likely to have urticaria, dyspnea, or periorbital or lip angioedema. Identification of characteristics associated with the etiology of angioedema may assist providers in more rapidly initiating targeted therapies.

Introduction: Rapid-response teams (RRTs) are interdisciplinary groups created to rapidly assess and treat patients with unexpected clinical deterioration marked by decline in vital signs. Traditionally emergency department (ED) disposition is partially based on the patients’ vital signs (VS) at the time of hospital admission. We aimed to identify which patients will have RRT activation within 12 hours of admission based on their ED VS, and if their outcomes differed.Methods: We conducted a case-control study of patients presenting from January 2009 to December 2012 to a tertiary ED who subsequently had RRT activations within 12 hours of admission (early RRT activations). The medical records of patients 18 years and older admitted to a non-intensive care unit (ICU) setting were reviewed to obtain VS at the time of ED arrival and departure, age, gender and diagnoses. Controls were matched 1:1 on age, gender, and diagnosis. We evaluated VS using cut points (lowest 10%, middle 80% and highest 10%) based on the distribution of VS for all patients. Our study adheres to the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines for reporting observational studies.Results: A total of 948 patients were included (474 cases and 474 controls). Patients who had RRT activations were more likely to be tachycardic (odds ratio [OR] 2.02, 95% CI [1.25-3.27]), tachypneic (OR 2.92, 95% CI [1.73-4.92]), and had lower oxygen saturations (OR 2.25, 95% CI [1.42-3.56]) upon arrival to the ED. Patients who had RRT activations were more likely to be tachycardic at the time of disposition from the ED (OR 2.76, 95% CI [1.65-4.60]), more likely to have extremes of systolic blood pressure (BP) (OR 1.72, 95% CI [1.08-2.72] for low BP and OR 1.82, 95% CI [1.19-2.80] for high BP), higher respiratory rate (OR 4.15, 95% CI [2.44-7.07]) and lower oxygen saturation (OR 2.29, 95% CI [1.43-3.67]). Early RRT activation was associated with increased healthcare utilization and worse outcomes including increased rates of ICU admission within 72 hours (OR 38.49, 95%CI [19.03-77.87]), invasive interventions (OR 5.49, 95%CI [3.82-7.89]), mortality at 72 hours (OR 4.24, 95%CI [1.60-11.24]), and mortality at one month (OR 4.02, 95%CI [2.44-6.62]).Conclusion: After matching for age, gender and ED diagnosis, we found that patients with an abnormal heart rate, respiratory rate or oxygen saturation at the time of ED arrival or departure are more likely to trigger RRT activation within 12 hours of admission. Early RRT activation was associated with higher mortality at 72 hours and one month, increased rates of invasive intervention and ICU admission. Determining risk factors of early RRT activation is of clinical, operational, and financial importance, as improved medical decision-making regarding disposition would maximize allocation of resources while potentially limiting morbidity and mortality.

Introduction: Epinephrine is the treatment of choice for anaphylaxis. We surveyed emergency department (ED) health care providers regarding 2 methods of intramuscular (IM) epinephrine administration (autoinjector and manual injection) for the management of anaphylaxis and allergic reactions and identified provider perceptions and preferred method of medication delivery.Methods: This observational study adhered to survey reporting guidelines. It was performed through a Web-based survey completed by health care providers at an academic ED. The participants consisted of all ED providers, including staff physicians, resident physicians, pharmacists, advanced practice providers, and nurses. The primary outcomes were assessment of provider perceptions and identification of the preferred IM epinephrine administration method by ED health care providers.Results: Of 217 ED health care providers invited to participate, 172 (79%) completed the survey. Overall, 82% of respondents preferred the autoinjector method of epinephrine administration. Providers rated the autoinjector method more favorably with regard to time required for training, ease of use, convenience, satisfaction with weight-based dosing, risk of dosing errors, and speed of administration (P

Introduction: An increasing number of behavioral health (BH) patients are presenting to the emergency department (ED) while BH resources continue to decline. This situation may lead to more external transfers to find care.Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients presenting to a tertiary care academic ED from February 1, 2013, through January 31, 2014. Patients were identified through electronic health record documentation of psychiatric consultation during ED evaluation. Electronic health records were reviewed for demographic characteristics, diagnoses, payer source, ED length of stay, ED disposition, arrival method, and distance traveled to an external facility for inpatient admission. Univariable and multivariable associations with transfer to an external facility in comparison with patients admitted internally were evaluated with logistic regression models and summarized with odds ratios (ORs). Results: We identified 2,585 BH visits, of which 1,083 (41.9%) resulted in discharge. A total of 1,502 patient visits required inpatient psychiatric admission, and of these cases, 177 patients (11.8%; 95% CI, 10.2%-13.5%) required transfer to an external facility. The median ED length of stay for transferred patients was 13.9 hours (interquartile range [IQR], 9.3-20.2 hours; range, 3.0-243.0 hours). The median distance for transport was 83 miles (IQR, 42-111 miles; range, 42-237 miles). In multivariable analysis, patients with suicidal or homicidal ideation had increased risk of transfer (odds ratio [OR] [95% CI], 1.93 [1.22-3.06]; P=.005). Children younger than 18 years (OR [95% CI], 2.34 [1.60-3.40]; P

Introduction: Compassion fatigue (CF) is the emotional and physical burden felt by those helping others in distress, leading to a reduced capacity and interest in being empathetic towards future suffering. Emergency care providers are at an increased risk of CF secondary to their first responder roles and exposure to traumatic events. We aimed to investigate the current state of compassion fatigue among emergency medicine (EM) resident physicians, including an assessment of contributing factors.Methods: We distributed a validated electronic questionnaire consisting of the Professional Quality of Life Scale with subscales for the three components of CF (compassion satisfaction, burnout and secondary traumatic stress), with each category scored independently. We collected data pertaining to day- versus night-shift distribution, hourly workload and child dependents. We included residents in EM, neurology, orthopedics, family medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, and general surgery.Results: We surveyed 255 residents, with a response rate of 75%. Of the 188 resident respondents, 18% worked a majority of their clinical shifts overnight, and 32% had child dependents. Burnout scores for residents who worked greater than 80 hours per week, or primarily worked overnight shifts, were higher than residents who worked less than 80 hours (mean score 25.0 vs 21.5; p=0.013), or did not work overnight (mean score 23.5 vs 21.3; p=0.022).  EM residents had similar scores in all three components of CF when compared to other specialties. Secondary traumatic stress scores for residents who worked greater than 80 hours were higher than residents who worked less than 80 hours (mean score 22.2 vs 19.5; p=0.048), and those with child dependents had higher secondary traumatic stress than those without children (mean score 21.0 vs 19.1; p=0.012).Conclusion: CF scores in EM residents are similar to residents in other surgical and medical specialties. Residents working primarily night shifts and those working more than 80 hours per week appear to be at high risk of developing compassion fatigue. Residents with children are more likely to experience secondary traumatic stress. [West J Emerg Med. 2014;15(6):–0]

BackgroundAs mobile devices and apps grow in popularity, they are increasingly being used by health care providers to aid clinical care. At our institution, we developed and implemented a point-of-care clinical photography app that also permitted the capture of video recordings; however, the clinical findings it was used to capture and the outcomes that resulted following video recording were unclear. ObjectiveThe study aimed to assess the use of a mobile clinical video recording app at our institution and its impact on clinical care. MethodsA single reviewer retrospectively reviewed video recordings captured between April 2016 and July 2017, associated metadata, and patient records. ResultsWe identified 362 video recordings that were eligible for inclusion. Most video recordings (54.1%; 190/351) were captured by attending physicians. Specialties recording a high number of video recordings included orthopedic surgery (33.7%; 122/362), neurology (21.3%; 77/362), and ophthalmology (15.2%; 55/362). Consent was clearly documented in the medical record in less than one-third (31.8%; 115/362) of the records. People other than the patient were incidentally captured in 29.6% (107/362) of video recordings. Although video recordings were infrequently referenced in notes corresponding to the clinical encounter (12.2%; 44/362), 7.7% (22/286) of patients were video recorded in subsequent clinical encounters, with 82% (18/22) of these corresponding to the same finding seen in the index video. Store-and-forward telemedicine was documented in clinical notes in only 2 cases (0.5%; 2/362). Videos appeared to be of acceptable quality for clinical purposes. ConclusionsVideo recordings were captured in a variety of clinical settings. Documentation of consent was inconsistent, and other individuals were incidentally included in videos. Although clinical impact was not always clearly evident through retrospective review because of limited documentation, potential uses include documentation for future reference and store-and-forward telemedicine. Repeat video recordings of the same finding provide evidence of use to track the findings over time. Clinical video recordings have the potential to support clinical care; however, documentation of consent requires standardization.

This article, published in the Journal of Neurological Surgery, compares the outcomes of cochlear implant (CI) speech perception in 100 patients with sporadic vestibular schwannoma (VS) who were managed with observation, radiosurgery, or microsurgery. The study found that patients who underwent microsurgery had poorer implant outcomes compared to those managed with observation or radiosurgery. Open-set speech perception was achieved in 56% of patients managed with microsurgery, 94% with observation, and 80% with radiosurgery. The data suggest that cochlear implants can benefit selected patients with sporadic VS, and that observation or radiosurgery may be more reliable options for achieving open-set speech perception compared to microsurgical resection. [Extracted from the article]

The aim of this cross‐sectional study was to examine whether a history of selective estrogen receptor modifiers (SERMs), tamoxifen and raloxifene, use was associated with cognitive performance, odds of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers of neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer's disease. We included women with prior history of breast cancer or no prior history of any cancer at enrollment in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging (MCSA). This information was abstracted using the Rochester Epidemiology Project medical‐linkage system. Logistic regression was used to examine associations of SERMs with odds of MCI. Linear regression models were used to examine associations of SERMs with cognitive z‐scores (Memory, Executive Function, Language, Visuospatial Skills, Global Cognition), and MRI markers. Among 2840 women aged 50 and older in the MCSA, 151 had a history of breast cancer, and 42 (28%) of these had a history of tamoxifen treatment. A total of 2235 women had no prior history of any cancer, and 76 (3%) of these had a history of raloxifene use. No significant associations between tamoxifen use and cognition, or odds of MCI were observed among women with a history of breast cancer after adjusting for confounders. Similarly, raloxifene use was not significantly associated with cognition, or odds of MCI in women without a history of cancer after adjusting for confounders. We did not find significant associations between the use of either SERM and MRI markers. Use of tamoxifen or raloxifene was not significantly associated with cognition in postmenopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]