Extracorporeal cardio-pulmonary resuscitation in poisoning: A scoping review article.

Background: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) represents last-line salvage therapy for poisoning-induced cardiac arrest but no review has focused on this specific area. Objective: This scoping review sought to evaluate the survival outcomes and characteristics of published cases of ECPR for toxicological arrest, with the aim of highlighting the potential and limitations of ECPR in toxicology.Eligibility Criteria.We searched PubMed and Cochrane for eligible papers from database inception to October 1, 2022 using the keywords "toxicology", "ECLS" and "CPR". References of included publications were searched to identify additional relevant articles. Qualitative synthesis was used to summarize the evidence. Results: 85 articles were chosen: 15 case series, 58 individual cases and 12 other publications that were analyzed separately due to ambiguity. ECPR may improve survival outcomes in selected poisoned patients, although the extent of benefit is unclear. As ECPR for poisoning-induced arrest may have better prognosis compared to from other aetiologies, it is likely reasonable to apply ELSO ECPR consensus guideline recommendations to toxicological arrest.Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest alone may not be sufficient grounds to deny ECPR if effective resuscitation had been promptly instituted. Poisonings involving membrane-stabilizing agents and cardio-depressive drugs, and cardiac arrests with shockable rhythms appear to have better outcomes. ECPR may permit excellent neurologically-intact recovery despite prolonged low-flow time of up to four hours. Early ECLS activation and pre-emptive catheter placement can significantly shorten time-to-ECPR and possibly improve survival. Conclusion: As effects of poisoning may be reversible, ECPR can potentially support poisoned patients through the critical peri-arrest state.

Performance of the paracetamol-aminotransferase multiplication product in risk stratification after paracetamol (acetaminophen) poisoning: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Risk stratification in paracetamol (acetaminophen) poisoning is crucial because hepatotoxicity is common and can be mitigated with treatment. However, current risk stratification tools have limitations. AIMS: We evaluated the diagnostic performance of the paracetamol concentration × aminotransferase multiplication product, for predicting hepatotoxicity after paracetamol overdose. METHODS: Medline, Cochrane Library and Embase were searched for eligible papers. We used random effects models to obtain pooled estimates of the likelihood ratios and diagnostic odds ratios, from which sensitivity and specificity were computed. We assessed two commonly used cut-off values of paracetamol × aminotransferase, 1500 mg/L × IU/L and 10,000 mg/L × IU/L. Using the confusion matrices of these two cut-offs, area under the summary receiver operator characteristic curve and optimal cut-off values in different clinical scenarios were established. RESULTS: Six studies comprising 5036 participants were included. In 4051 patients, using the cut-off of 1500 mg/L × IU/L, a diagnostic odds ratio of 31.90 (95%CI: 9.52-106.90), sensitivity of 0.98 (95%CI: 0.94-1.00) and specificity of 0.66 (95%CI: 0.49-0.89) were obtained. In 3983 patients, using the cut-off of 10,000 mg/L × IU/L, a diagnostic odds ratio of 99.34 (95%CI: 12.26-804.87), sensitivity of 0.65 (95%CI: 0.51-0.82) and specificity of 0.97 (95%CI: 0.95-1.00) were obtained. For staggered ingestions, the 1500 mg/L × IU/L cut-off yielded a diagnostic odds ratio of 69.53 (95%CI: 4.03-1199.75), sensitivity of 1.00 (95%CI: 0.87-1.00) and specificity of 0.74 (95%CI: 0.43-1.00). Next, using the 10,000 mg/L × IU/L cut-off in this scenario yielded a diagnostic odds ratio of 254.58 (95%CI: 11.12-5827.60), sensitivity of 0.79 (95%CI: 0.59-1.00) and specificity of 0.98 (95%CI: 0.94-1.00). The overall summary receiver operator characteristic curve was 0.91 (95%CI: 0.75-0.97), and the optimal cut-off value was 3840 mg/L × IU/L. The summary receiver operator characteristic curve in patients with staggered ingestions was 0.96 (95%CI: 0.85-0.99). The summary receiver operator characteristic curve in patients with staggered ingestions and whose paracetamol concentration was below the detectable limit of 10 mg/L at presentation was 0.97 (95%CI: 0.94-0.99). CONCLUSION: In this first meta-analysis, paracetamol × aminotransferase demonstrates its use in prognosticating hepatotoxicity in patients with paracetamol poisoning. It complements the Rumack-Matthew nomogram as it has shown promise in addressing two key limitations of the nomogram: it is usable after more than 24 h between overdose and acetylcysteine treatment, and it is applicable in staggered ingestions.

Acute kidney injury associated with consumption of starfruit juice: A case report.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to highlight the potential serious complications of acute kidney injury (AKI) resulting from the consumption of excessive amounts of starfruit, a common traditional remedy. CASE SUMMARY: A 78-year-old male with a past medical history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia without prior nephropathy presented to the emergency department (ED) with hiccups, nausea, vomiting and generalized weakness. In the preceding 1 wk, he had consumed 3 bottles of concentrated juice self-prepared from 1 kg of small sour starfruits. His serum creatinine was noted to be 1101 µmol/L from baseline normal prior to his ED visit. He was diagnosed with AKI secondary to excessive starfruit consumption. CONCLUSION: Consumption of starfruit can cause acute renal failure, with a good outcome when promptly identified and treated.

Use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in massive amlodipine overdose.

Calcium-channel blocker overdose can result in profound vasoplegia and cardiogenic shock, which can quickly spiral into multi-organ failure and death. In this case report, we discuss two separate cases of massive amlodipine overdose with polydrug intoxication (Patient A: amlodipine and quetiapine; Patient B: amlodipine, fluoxetine and zopiclone), both of which were complicated by life-threatening vasoplegic shock refractory to supportive therapy (endotracheal intubation, fluid resuscitation, activated charcoal, vasopressors and inotropes), multimodal antidotes (calcium and hyper-insulinemic euglycemic therapy) and even second-line treatment (methylene blue and therapeutic plasma exchange). Despite exhausting all therapeutic options, resuscitation remained futile with no clinical response elicited until veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) salvage therapy was initiated in both cases as a bridge-to-recovery. Albumin dialysis was also commenced to further enhance elimination of amlodipine given its high plasma protein-binding properties. Both patients improved drastically once perfusion to vital organs was maintained by ECMO and eventually survived with good neurological outcomes and preserved cardiac contractility on discharge. This case report supports the growing evidence that although ECMO support represents a potentially life-saving salvage therapy for refractory poisoning-induced shock, escalation to ECMO must be considered and instituted early before irreversible multi-organ failure sets in to ensure good clinical outcomes.

Medical students as disaster volunteers: A strategy for improving emergency department surge response in times of crisis.

Disasters resulting in mass casualty incidents can rapidly overwhelm the Emergency Department (ED). To address critical manpower needs in the ED's disaster response, medical student involvement has been advocated. Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School is in proximity to Singapore General Hospital and represents an untapped manpower resource. With appropriate training and integration into ED disaster workflows, medical students can be leveraged upon as qualified manpower. This review provides a snapshot of the conceptualization and setting up of the Disaster Volunteer Corps - a programme where medical students were recruited to receive regular training and assessment from emergency physicians on disaster response principles to fulfil specific roles during a crisis, while working as part of a team under supervision. We discuss overall strategy and benefits to stakeholders, emphasizing the close symbiotic relationship between academia and healthcare services.

Comparison of self-reported EDACS versus physician-reported EDACS for the triage of chest pain patients in the emergency department.

OBJECTIVES: Currently, there are no guidelines to help triage nurses identify high-risk emergency department chest pain patients. Patient self-reporting of Emergency Department Assessment of Chest Pain Score (EDACS) could facilitate more reliable triage compared to nursing gestalt, but this novel concept is untested. This study hypothesizes that because EDACS requires minimal clinical gestalt to derive, self-reported EDACS (S-EDACS) at triage is likely to correlate well with traditional physician-reported EDACS (P-EDACS) and have potential application as a triage tool. METHODS: This single-center pilot prospective cohort study analyzed 60 patients who completed a self-reported questionnaire upon triage to determine their S-EDACS. This was matched against P-EDACS, derived from an identical questionnaire completed by the blinded treating physician. Secondary endpoint of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) within 30 days (all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization) was assessed by 2 blinded emergency physicians who independently reviewed the electronic medical records. S/P-EDACS also were benchmarked against nursing gestalt (based on triage to low/high-acuity areas) and emergency physician gestalt (disposition and admitting/discharge diagnoses). RESULTS: There was perfect agreement between S/P-EDACS in this study (K = 1.00). Fifteen patients (25.0%) had minor discordances in their absolute S/P-EDACS that did not affect risk stratification. Of these, 11/15 (73.3%) had higher S-EDACS, suggesting S-EDACS is more likely to safely overcall MACE risk. S-EDACS outperformed nursing gestalt, triaging a greater proportion of patients (71.7% vs 35.0%) as low risk without compromising patient safety, and demonstrated similar accuracy as emergency physician gestalt. CONCLUSION: S-EDACS strongly correlates with P-EDACS with perfect agreement and has potential to be used as a triage tool.

Comparative prospective study of the performance of chest pain scores and clinical assessment in an emergency department cohort in Singapore.

OBJECTIVE: Chest pain scores allow emergency department (ED) physicians to identify low-risk patients for whom discharge can be safely expedited. Although these have been extensively validated in Western cohorts, data in patients of Asian heritage are lacking. This study aimed to determine the accuracy of HEART, ED Assessment of Chest Pain Score (EDACS), and Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) in risk-stratifying which chest pain patients are at risk of major adverse cardiovascular events within 30 days (composite of all-cause mortality, acute myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization). METHODS: This single-center prospective cohort-study that enrolled 1200 patients was conducted by a large urban tertiary center in Singapore. Chest pain scores were reported before disposition by research assistants blinded to the physician's clinical assessment. Outcomes were assessed independently by a blinded cardiologist and emergency physician, while another cardiologist adjudicated in the case of discrepancies. RESULTS: Of the 1195 patients analyzed, 135 (11.3%) suffered major adverse cardiovascular events within 30 days. HEART, which ruled out major adverse cardiovascular events in 52.8% of patients with 88.1% sensitivity, and EDACS, which ruled out major adverse cardiovascular events in 57.5% of patients with 83.7% sensitivity, proved comparable to clinical judgment that ruled out major adverse cardiovascular events in 73.0% of patients with 85.5% sensitivity. GRACE was weaker-ruling out major adverse cardiovascular events in 79.2% of patients with a dismal sensitivity of 45.0%. The correlation-statistic for HEART (79.4%) was superior to EDACS (69.9%) and GRACE (69.2%). CONCLUSIONS: HEART more accurately identified low-risk chest pain patients in an Asian ED, demonstrating comparable performance characteristics to clinical judgment. This has major implications on the use of chest pain scores to safely expedite disposition decisions for low-risk chest pain patients.

Evaluating Safety and Efficacy of Follow-up for Patients With Abdominal Pain Using Video Consultation (SAVED Study): Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The benefits of telemedicine include cost savings and decentralized care. Video consultation is one form that enables early detection of deteriorating patients and promotion of self-efficacy in patients who are well but anxious. Abdominal pain is a common symptom presented by patients in emergency departments. These patients could benefit from video consultation, as it enables remote follow-up of patients who do not require admission and facilitates early discharge of patients from overcrowded hospitals. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the use of digital telereview in patients presenting with undifferentiated acute abdominal pain. METHODS: The SAVED study was a prospective randomized controlled trial in which follow-up using existing telephone-based telereview (control) was compared with digital telereview (intervention). Patients with undifferentiated acute abdominal pain discharged from the emergency department observation ward were studied based on intention-to-treat. The control arm received routine, provider-scheduled telereview with missed reviews actively coordinated and rescheduled by emergency department staff. The intervention arm received access to a platform for digital telereview (asynchronous and synchronous format) that enabled patient-led appointment rescheduling. Patients were followed-up for 2 weeks for outcomes of service utilization, efficacy (compliance with their disposition plan), and safety (re-presentation for the same condition). RESULTS: A total of 70 patients participated, with patients randomly assigned to each arm (1:1 ratio). Patients were a mean age of 40.0 (SD 13.8; range 22-71) years, predominantly female (47/70, 67%), and predominantly of Chinese ethnicity (39/70, 56%). The telereview service was used by 32 patients in the control arm (32/35, 91%) and 18 patients in the intervention arm (18/35, 51%). Most patients in control (33/35, 94%; 95% CI 79.5%-99.0%) and intervention (34/35, 97%; 95% CI 83.4%-99.9%) arms were compliant with their final disposition. There was a low rate of re-presentation at 72 hours and 2 weeks for both control (72 hours: 2/35, 6%; 95% CI 1.0%-20.5%; 2 weeks: 2/35, 6%, 95% CI 1.0%-20.5%) and intervention (72 hours: 2/35, 6%; 95% CI 1.0%-20.5%; 2 weeks: 3/35, 9%, 95% CI 2.2%-24.2%) arms. There were no significant differences in safety (P>.99) and efficacy (P>.99) between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The application of digital telereview for the follow-up of patients with abdominal pain may be safe and effective. Future studies are needed to evaluate its cost-effectiveness and usefulness for broader clinical application. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN28468556; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN28468556.

Penetrating Thoracic Injury and Fatal Aortic Transection From the Barb of a Stingray.

Stingrays are found in open waters and are also kept in exhibits in many aquariums throughout the world. They are generally nonaggressive creatures by nature, but they can inflict injuries with their spines if provoked. We present a case of a 62-y-old diver who was pierced in the chest by the barb of a stingray while transferring the animal to another tank as part of his work in a public aquarium. He was rescued immediately from the tank but was found to be in cardiac arrest. Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation was promptly initiated by his colleagues. He was rapidly evacuated to the nearest emergency department, where he was noted to be in pulseless electrical activity. A single puncture wound was noted over the right second intercostal space, with the spine of the stingray still impaled in the chest. Trauma surgeons were activated promptly, and resuscitation was continued based on advanced cardiac and trauma life support guidelines, which included ongoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, securing the airway, and emergency blood transfusion. An emergency department thoracotomy was performed, but despite aggressive resuscitation the thoracic injury was fatal. An autopsy revealed transection of the aorta by an impaled barb. We present a review of stingray injuries and suggest a general approach to management.

Mobile technology: Usage and perspective of patients and caregivers presenting to a tertiary care emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Developments in information technology (IT) have driven a push in healthcare innovation in the emergency department (ED). Many of these applications rely on mobile technology (MT) such as smartphones but not everyone is comfortable with MT usage. Our study aims to characterize the technology usage behavior of users in the ED so as to guide the implementation of IT interventions in the ED. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the emergency department of a tertiary hospital. Patients and their caregivers aged 21 and above were recruited. The survey collected demographic information, technology usage patterns, and participant reported comfort level in the usage of MT. We performed descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression to identify factors differentially associated with comfort in usage of MT. RESULTS: A total of 498 participants were recruited, and 299 (60%) were patients. English was the most commonly written and read language (66.9%) and 64.2% reported a comfort level of 3/5 or more in using MT. Factors that were associated with being comfortable in using MT include having a tertiary education, being able to read and write English, as well as being a frequent user of IT. Caregivers were more likely to display these characteristics. CONCLUSION: A large proportion of ED patients are not comfortable in the usage of MT. Factors that predicted comfort level in the usage of MT were common amongst caregivers. Future interventions should take this into consideration in the design of MT interventions.

Pulmonary Contusion and Traumatic Pneumatoceles in a Platform Diver with Hemoptysis.

BACKGROUND: Injuries in divers resulting purely from impact with the water are uncommon in the published literature. We present a case report of pulmonary contusion in a young diver. CASE REPORT: A young, healthy competitive platform diver landed flat on his back in the water from a dive of 10 meters. He complained of upper back pain and had an episode of hemoptysis after the dive. He was initially observed for 15 hours postinjury, and was discharged when three chest radiographs (CXRs) taken at 1, 7, and 11 hours postinjury did not show significant abnormalities. Thirty-six hours postinjury, the patient experienced repeat hemoptysis and returned to the emergency department, where a fourth CXR performed 43 hours postinjury was normal. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed pulmonary contusion and traumatic subpleural pneumatoceles. The patient was admitted to the cardiothoracic ward for observation. He recovered well with conservative treatment and was discharged on the fifth day after injury with clearance for air travel. In this patient with a high-energy mechanism of rapid deceleration and hemoptysis at the scene, there may be grounds for performing a CT scan of the thorax at the time of the first presentation, although the CT findings did not change conservative management of this patient. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Emergency physicians should recognize that a dive into water may generate sufficient impact to produce a pulmonary contusion. If the patient is clinically well and the CXR results are normal, the decision to initiate a CT scan and subsequent disposition may be based on clinical judgement and institutional practice.