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Introduction: Emergency medical services (EMS) have the opportunity to treat allergic reactions anaphylactic reactions rapidly. However, the rate of recognition and treatment is unknown. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at two urban emergency departments from 2007 to 2012 including adult patients with allergy and anaphylaxis, both of which were predefined by explicit criteria. The patients of interest were those attended by EMS and transported to hospital. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who met anaphylaxis criteria in the prehospital setting, but who did not have epinephrine administered. The secondary outcome was the proportion of patients who did not meet anaphylaxis criteria, yet had epinephrine administered. Results: Of 2819 overall patients, 491 (17.4%) arrived by EMS. The median age was 38 (IQR 27 to 49) and 60.9% were female. For the 151 (30.8%) patients with anaphylaxis, 55 received ephinephrine, (36.4%, 95% CI 27.4 to 47.4%). For the 340 (69.2%) patients without anaphylaxis, 28 received ephinephrine (8.2%, 95% CI 5.5 to 11.9%). Conclusion: For patients with anaphylaxis and allergic reactions who are managed by EMS, there may be a mismatch between illness severity and treatment.

MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), popularly known as “Ecstasy,” was first introduced and patented by Merck & Co., Inc., in 1914 as an appetite suppressant. Currently, its primary role is as an illegal stimulant used to produce a euphoric effect during parties. This case report describes a 31-year-old man who, after taking 3 tablets of Ecstasy, presented to an emergency department with a decreased level of consciousness and became progressively hyperthermic and rigid. During the course of his acute illness, his temperature reached 42.2°C rectally. He was given mechanical ventilation. He was aggressively cooled and dantrolene was initiated. Soon after the administration of dantrolene his temperature decreased and his rigidity began to resolve. The only complication was rhabdomyolysis with a creatine kinase level increasing to over 150 μkat/L. This did not progress to acute renal failure. The patient made a full recovery and was discharged to psychiatry for assessment.

Objective:The use of dantrolene in the treatment of hyperpyrexia related to MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is controversial, with little data available to guide clinical decision-making. Although the treatment is recommended by several poison control centres, published data are primarily in the form of case reports and animal and in vitro experiments. We conducted a systematic review to investigate the published evidence regarding the safety and benefits of dantrolene for MDMA-related hyperpyrexia in humans.Data sources:A systematic search of Embase and MEDLINE was conducted from the earliest possible date to November 2008.Study selection:All human trials and case reports of MDMA-related hyperpyrexia were considered.Data extraction:Data were abstracted systematically and characteristics including use of dantrolene, adverse reactions attributed to dantrolene, peak temperature, complications from MDMA-related hyperpyrexia and survival were recorded.Data synthesis:Our search yielded 668 articles of which 53, reporting 71 cases of MDMA-induced hyperpyrexia, met our inclusion criteria. No clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, observational studies or meta-analyses were identified. Dantrolene was used in 26 cases. Patient characteristics were similar in the dantrolene and no dantrolene groups. The proportion of survivors was higher in the dantrolene group (21/26) than in the no dantrolene group (25/45). This difference was especially pronounced in those with extreme (≥ 42°C) and severe (≥ 40°C) fever, with a survival rate of 8 of 13 and 10 of 10, respectively, in the dantrolene group compared with 0 of 4 and 15 of 27 in the no dantrolene group. There were no reports of adverse events attributable to dantrolene with the exception of a possible association with an episode of transient hypoglycemia.Conclusion:Our systematic review suggests that dantrolene is safe for patients with MDMA-related hyperpyrexia. Dantrolene may also be associated with improved survival and reduced complications, especially in patients with extreme (≥ 42°C) or severe (≥ 40°C) hyperpyrexia, although this conclusion must be interpreted with caution given the risk of reporting or publication bias.

The primary purpose of this statement is to improve neuroprognostication after devastating brain injury (DBI), with a secondary benefit of potential organ and tissue donation.