Emergency Department Management of Acute Venous Thromboembolism in Patients With Obesity With Intravenous Unfractionated Heparin and Anti-Xa Monitoring.

Unfractionated heparin (UFH) remains a frequently utilized agent in the emergency department (ED) for management of acute venous thromboembolism (VTE). While various protocols of UFH dosing have been proposed for patients with obesity, the optimal dosing and monitoring strategy is unclear. This study aims to compare the time to the first therapeutic anti-Xa level in obese acute VTE patients following the use of either total body weight (TBW) or adjusted body weight-based (AdjBW) dosing of UFH in the ED, and to analyze the impact of different dosing strategies on patient outcomes.

A Multifaceted Intervention to Improve Patient Knowledge and Safe Use of Opioids: Results of the ED EMC Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objectives: Despite increased focus on opioid prescribing, little is known about the influence of prescription opioid medication information given to patients in the emergency department (ED). The study objective was to evaluate the effect of an Electronic Medication Complete Communication (EMC ) Opioid Strategy on patients' safe use of opioids and knowledge about opioids.

Methods: This was a three-arm prospective, randomized controlled pragmatic trial with randomization occurring at the physician level.

Common Medication Management Approaches for Older Adults in the Emergency Department.

Adverse drug events (ADEs) can lead to emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. Many ADEs are preventable. Incomplete information, poor understanding, and time constraints often lead to use of potentially inappropriate medications and drug-drug interactions.

Impact of Discharge Anticoagulation Education by Emergency Department Pharmacists at a Tertiary Academic Medical Center.

Background: Although pharmacists commonly provide patient education and help manage high-risk anticoagulant medications in inpatient and outpatient settings, the evidence for these interventions in the emergency department (ED) is less established, especially in the era of direct-acting oral anticoagulants. In 2013, a formal program was initiated whereby patients discharged with a new prescription for any anticoagulant receive education from an ED pharmacist when on-site. In addition, they received follow-up phone calls from an ED pharmacist within 72 hours of discharge.