Advanced Emergency Nursing Journal最新文献

Literature has found that individuals with opioid use disorders have increased fasting insulin levels and that antagonism of the μ-receptor with naloxone blunted this hypoglycemic effect. We describe a 35-year-old woman with no history of diabetes who presented after being found unconscious where she was given naloxone and became awake and combative. Her blood glucose (BG) on presentation was 175 mg/dl, which declined to 40 mg/dl, and dextrose was administered. Subsequently, it declined to 42 mg/dl and was again given dextrose. Later her BG fell to 67 mg/dl and she was given dextrose and started on a dextrose infusion. She was then administered IV naloxone and 1 hr later the infusion was discontinued and she had no further hypoglycemic events. Clinicians should consider altering monitoring parameters in the setting of acute overdoses to include repeated glucose assessment to ensure early identification of hypoglycemia and the potential influence of naloxone.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a complex, chronic, inflammatory skin disease that is often unrecognized or misdiagnosed. Patients frequently present to with painful nodules, inflammatory papules, sinus tracts, and scarring to intertriginous areas seeking care to alleviate symptoms. There is a paucity of information available specifically aimed to educate emergency nurse practitioners on how to recognize, diagnose, and treat this population. The article highlights the main diagnostic criteria and treatment options available for HS patients to help expand disease awareness.

A pulmonary cavity is defined as a gas-filled space within a zone of pulmonary consolidation or within a mass or nodule. These cavities can be identified through imaging such as plain chest radiography and computed tomography. Pulmonary cavities arise from a variety of conditions that are infectious or noninfectious, leading to a broad range of differential diagnoses. One of the differential diagnoses is cavitary pneumonia, also referred to as necrotizing pneumonia; a rare complication related to community-acquired pneumonia. Infrequency of this complication can make this disease difficult to manage, leading to higher morbidity and mortality rates. This article provides an overview of a case of cavitary pneumonia that presented to an emergency department. This article discusses the history and physical, differential diagnoses/medical decision-making, management, and implications for the nurse practitioner for this patient.

Ludwig's angina is a fast-spreading cellulitis located on the floor of the oropharynx and neck (Tami, Othman, Sudhakar, & McKinnon, 2020). Patients may present with a wide range of symptoms depending on the severity of the condition (Reynolds & Chow, 2007). Emergency nurse practitioners need to promptly identify, diagnose, and treat patients with this problem, with close attention to the patient's airway. A compromised airway is the leading cause of mortality from this condition (McDonnough et al., 2019). The diagnosis is generally made with a comprehensive history and physical examination, laboratory values, and imaging studies such as computer tomography (Bridwell, Gottlieb, Koyfman, & Long, 2021). Management includes admission to the hospital, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and specialist surgical consultation (Bridwell et al., 2021).

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC) is a genetic cardiac disorder associated with sudden cardiac death, specifically in young adults (D. Corrado, C. Basso, & D. Judge, 2017). AC is a disease of the heart muscle fibers and it is not usually diagnosed until its advanced stages. Typical AC presentation in the emergency department (ED) includes cardiac syncope, palpitations, ventricular arrhythmias, or resolved cardiac arrest. The epsilon wave is the hallmark and the major electrocardiographic (ECG) diagnostic criterion for AC in the later stages of the disease process (A. R. Perez-Riera et al., 2019). A definite diagnosis of AC is of high complexity and not typically made by emergency providers; however, many cases of advanced AC are discovered in the ED as a result of syncope. The purpose of this case review is to discuss the typical presentation, ECG findings, and emergency providers' role in the management of patients with suspected AC.

Pediatric patients frequently present to emergency departments with complaint of foreign bodies in the ear and/or nose. Emergency nurse practitioners need the knowledge base to safely and effectively manage ear and nose foreign bodies in urgent and emergent care settings. The purpose of this article is to teach the common anatomical sites where foreign bodies are placed, the make-up of foreign body material, procedural technique of removal, and specific circumstances that require specialty referral.

Status epilepticus (SE) is a frequent medical emergency that requires expedited treatment to avoid the ensuing high incidence of morbidity and mortality associated with prolonged seizures. Protracted seizure duration itself has the potential to result in maladaptive neuronal responses that can not only further increase seizure duration and worsen clinical outcomes but also lead to reduced responsiveness to pharmacotherapy. Benzodiazepines are consistently recommended as first-line treatment due to their rapid onset and efficacy in terminating seizures, followed by the emergent administration of an antiepileptic drug (AED). Various benzodiazepine and AED options are recommended and can be utilized in this setting, all with their own unique advantages and challenges. With time at a premium, agents should be selected that can be rapidly administered and have an advantageous pharmacokinetic profile in order to limit seizure duration and optimize outcomes. The intent of this review is to provide an outline of the importance of time-to-treatment implementation in this setting, assess the landscape of options that may provide timing advantages, and examine potential strategies for deploying expeditious therapy.