Educator's blueprint: A guide for clinician-educators to achieve promotion in emergency medicine.

Promotion and tenure (P&T) can be a complex process, which many junior faculty in academic emergency medicine may struggle navigating. This paper presents perspectives and key considerations to guide faculty through the promotions process. We explore tips through three key phases: plotting the course for a successful academic career, collecting data to support academic advancement, and packaging materials into a compelling application portfolio. This resource can inform faculty and faculty developers when planning for P&T.

Diagnosis and management of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a genetic disorder of the myocardium that can lead to ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. The condition has been identified as a significant cause of arrhythmic death among young people and athletes, therefore, early recognition of the disease by emergency clinicians is critical to prevent subsequent death. The diagnosis of ARVC can be very challenging and requires a systematic approach. This publication reviews the pathophysiology, classification, clinical presentations, and appropriate approach to diagnosis and management of ARVC.

High-dose nitroglycerin infusion description of safety and efficacy in sympathetic crashing acute pulmonary edema: The HI-DOSE SCAPE study.

BACKGROUND: Sympathetic crashing acute pulmonary edema (SCAPE) is a medical emergency in which severe, acute elevation in blood pressure results in acute heart failure and fluid accumulation in the lungs. Without prompt recognition and treatment, the condition often progresses rapidly to respiratory failure necessitating intubation and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. In addition to non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV), high-dose nitroglycerin (HDN) has become a mainstay of treatment; however, an optimal dosing strategy has not been established. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients who received an HDN infusion (≥ 100 µg/min) for the management of SCAPE in the Emergency Department (ED) of a large urban academic medical center. Outcomes were also analyzed to determine predictors of safety and efficacy including use of adjunct medication therapies. RESULTS: There were 67 adult patients who received HDN infusion for SCAPE from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018. The median (IQR) systolic blood pressure (SBP) on initiation of HDN infusion was 211 (192-233) mmHg. Patients were 63% male, 84% black, 51% had a history of heart failure (HF), and 36% had end-stage renal disease (ESRD). IV nitroglycerin (NTG) was initiated at a median (IQR) dose of 100 (100-200) mcg/min with median (IQR) peak rate in the first hour of 200 (127.5-200) mcg/min and an absolute maximum observed rate of 400 µg/min overall. 73% of patients received NIPPV, 48% sublingual (SL) or IV bolus nitroglycerin before HDN infusion, 58% loop diuretic, and 34% angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB). Rates of ICU admission, intubation, acute kidney injury (AKI) at 48 h, and hypotension were 37%, 21%, 13%, and 4% respectively. CONCLUSION: This is the largest to date study describing the use of an HDN infusion (≥100 µg/min) strategy for the management of SCAPE. HDN infusion may be a safe alternative strategy to intermittent bolus HDN.

Dysrhythmias associated with COVID-19: Review and management considerations.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is known to affect the cardiovascular system. Cardiac manifestations in COVID-19 can be due to direct damage to the myocardium and conduction system as well as by the disease's effect on the various organ systems. These manifestations include acute coronary syndrome, ST- segment elevations, cardiomyopathy, and dysrhythmias. Some of these dysrhythmias can be detrimental to the patient. Therefore, it is important for the emergency physician to be aware of the different arrhythmias associated with COVID-19 and how to manage them. This narrative review discusses the pathophysiology underlying the various arrhythmias associated with COVID-19 and their management considerations.

Can I Send This Patient With Atrial Fibrillation Home From the Emergency Department?

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common dysrhythmias managed in the emergency department (ED) setting. Due to the variety of patient presentations and disease severity, most patients in the United States are admitted to the hospital. CLINICAL QUESTION: In patients who present with AF, is there a reliable decision tool that clinicians can use to predict the risk of adverse outcome and determine who may be appropriate for discharge? EVIDENCE REVIEW: Studies retrieved included two prospective observational cohort studies and four retrospective observational studies. These studies evaluate the use of risk decision tools in predicting adverse outcomes in patients with AF. CONCLUSION: Based on the available literature, RED-AF, AFFORD, and the AFTER (complex, modified, and pragmatic) scores demonstrate modest predictive discrimination in predicting adverse events, but further validation is recommended.

Can I Send This Syncope Patient Home From the Emergency Department?

BACKGROUND: Syncope is a common presentation to the emergency department (ED). A significant minority of these patients have potentially life-threatening pathology. Reliably identifying that patients require hospital admission for further workup and intervention is imperative. CLINICAL QUESTION: In patients who present with syncope, is there a reliable decision tool that clinicians can use to predict the risk of adverse outcome and determine who may be appropriate for discharge? EVIDENCE REVIEW: Four articles were reviewed. The first retrospective study found no difference in mortality or adverse events in patients admitted for further evaluation rather than discharged home with primary care follow-up. The next two articles examined the derivation and validation of the Canadian Syncope Risk Score (CSRS). After validation with an admission threshold score of -1, the sensitivity and specificity of the CSRS was 97.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 93.8-99.6%) and 44.3% (95% CI 42.7-45.9%), respectively. The last article looked at the derivation of the FAINT score, a recently developed score to risk stratify syncope patients. A FAINT score of ≥ 1 (any score 1 or higher should be admitted) had a sensitivity of 96.7% (95% CI 92.9-98.8%) and specificity 22.2% (95% CI 20.7-23.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Syncope remains a difficult chief symptom to disposition from the ED. The CSRS is modestly effective at establishing a low probability of actionable disease or need for intervention. However, CSRS might not reduce unnecessary hospitalizations. The FAINT score has yet to undergo validation; however, the initial derivation study offers less diagnostic accuracy compared with the CSRS.

The relationship of large city out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and the prevalence of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Though variable, many major metropolitan cities reported profound and unprecedented increases in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in early 2020. This study examined the relative magnitude of those increases and their relationship to COVID-19 prevalence. METHODS: EMS (9-1-1 system) medical directors for 50 of the largest U.S. cities agreed to provide the aggregate, de-identified, pre-existing monthly tallies of OHCA among adults (age >18 years) occurring between January and June 2020 within their respective jurisdictions. Identical comparison data were also provided for corresponding time periods in 2018 and 2019.  Equivalent data were obtained from the largest cities in Italy, United Kingdom and France, as well as Perth, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand. FINDINGS: Significant OHCA escalations generally paralleled local prevalence of COVID-19. During April, most U.S. cities (34/50) had >20% increases in OHCA versus 2018-2019 which reflected high local COVID-19 prevalence. Thirteen observed 1·5-fold increases in OHCA and three COVID-19 epicenters had >100% increases (2·5-fold in New York City). Conversely, cities with lesser COVID-19 impact observed unchanged (or even diminished) OHCA numbers. Altogether (n = 50), on average, OHCA cases/city rose 59% during April (p = 0·03). By June, however, after mitigating COVID-19 spread, cities with the highest OHCA escalations returned to (or approached) pre-COVID OHCA numbers while cities minimally affected by COVID-19 during April (and not experiencing OHCA increases), then had marked OHCA escalations when COVID-19 began to surge locally. European, Australian, and New Zealand cities mirrored the U.S. experience. INTERPRETATION: Most metropolitan cities experienced profound escalations of OHCA generally paralleling local prevalence of COVID-19.  Most of these patients were pronounced dead without COVID-19 testing. FUNDING: No funding was involved. Cities provided de-identified aggregate data collected routinely for standard quality assurance functions.