Effect of Prophylactic Amiodarone Infusion on the Recurrence of Ventricular Arrhythmias in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Survivors: A Propensity-Matched Analysis.

Amiodarone is recommended for shock-refractory ventricular arrhythmia during resuscitation; however, it is unknown whether amiodarone is effective for preventing ventricular arrhythmia recurrence in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors treated with targeted temperature management (TTM). We investigated the effectiveness of prophylactic amiodarone in preventing ventricular arrhythmia recurrence in OHCA survivors. Data of consecutive adult non-traumatic OHCA survivors treated with TTM between 2010 and 2016 were extracted from prospective cardiac arrest registries of four tertiary care hospitals.

Misdiagnosis of Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension as a Risk Factor for Subdural Hematoma.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the association between misdiagnosis of spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) and subdural hematoma development.

Background: Although SIH is more prevalent than expected and causes potentially life-threatening complications including subdural hematoma (SDH), the association between misdiagnosis of SIH and SDH development is not yet evaluated.

Methods: Retrospective observational study was conducted between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2014.

Predictors of septic shock in initially stable patients with pyogenic liver abscess.

Objectives: The incidence of pyogenic liver abscess (PLA), a life-threatening condition, is increasing worldwide. This study was designed to evaluate clinical features and outcomes in initially stable patients with PLA and to determine the predictors of septic shock.

Methods: The medical records of all adult patients who were hemodynamically stable and diagnosed with PLA in the emergency department from January 2010 to December 2014, inclusive, were reviewed.

Predictive performance of the quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score as a screening tool for sepsis, mortality, and intensive care unit admission in patients with febrile neutropenia.

Purpose: In Sepsis-3, the quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) score was developed as criteria to use for recognizing patients who may have poor outcomes. This study was performed to evaluate the predictive performance of the qSOFA score as a screening tool for sepsis, mortality, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission in patients with febrile neutropenia (FN). We also tried to compare its performance with that of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria and Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) score for FN.

Clinical Importance of the Heel Drop Test and a New Clinical Score for Adult Appendicitis.

Objective: We tried to evaluate the accuracy of the heel drop test in patients with suspected appendicitis and tried to develop a new clinical score, which incorporates the heel drop test and other parameters, for the diagnosis of this condition.

Methods: We performed a prospective observational study on adult patients with suspected appendicitis at two academic urban emergency departments between January and August 2015. The predictive characteristics of each parameter, along with heel drop test results were calculated.

Prediction model for mortality in cancer patients with pneumonia: comparison with CURB-65 and PSI.

Introduction And Objectives: We aimed to develop a new prediction model of mortality in cancer patients with pneumonia and to compare its performance with CURB-65 and the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI).

Methods: Active cancer patients who were diagnosed with pneumonia at the Emergency Department (ED) from 7/1/2014 to 12/31/2014 were consecutively included. Clinical data were collected through a medical chart review.

Patterns and injuries associated with orbital wall fractures in elderly patients who visited the emergency room: a retrospective case-control study.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine orbital wall fracture (OWF) patterns and associated facial injuries in elderly patients and compare them with those in their younger adult counterparts.

Design: A retrospective case-control study.

Setting: An emergency department of a university-affiliated hospital located in an urban area.

Clinically significant hemodynamic alterations after propacetamol injection in the emergency department: prevalence and risk factors.

Propacetamol, a water-soluble prodrug form of paracetamol, is hydrolyzed by esterase to generate paracetamol in the blood. Each gram of propacetamol is equal to 0.5 g of paracetamol.

Prognostic Value of Treatment Setting in Patients With Cancer Having Pulmonary Embolism: Comparison With the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index.

Background: Active cancer is a poor prognostic factor for survival after pulmonary embolism (PE). This retrospective cohort study was performed to investigate how accurately the pulmonary embolism severity index (PESI) predicts 30-day mortality in patients with active cancer. Whether the treatment setting (palliative vs curative) could predict mortality in these patients was also investigated.

Early failure of noninvasive ventilation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure.

Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure is considered a first-line therapy. However, patients who fail NIV and then require invasive mechanical ventilation have been found to have higher mortality than patients initially treated with invasive mechanical ventilation. We tried to find parameters associated with early NIV failure (need for intubation or death <24 h of starting NIV) in patients presenting to the ED with acute exacerbation of COPD.

Contrast-induced nephropathy in patients with active cancer undergoing contrast-enhanced computed tomography.

Purpose: This study was performed to measure the incidence and identify potential predictors of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in cancer patients without chronic kidney disease and with normal or near-normal baseline serum creatinine measures who underwent contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT). Severity of CIN was reported based on the RIFLE (risk, injury, failure, loss of kidney function, and end-stage renal disease) classification of acute kidney injury.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 820 cancer patients who presented at our emergency department from October 2014 to March 2015.

A new prognostic model for chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia.

Background: The objective of this study was to develop and validate a new prognostic model for febrile neutropenia (FN).

Methods: This study comprised 1001 episodes of FN: 718 for the derivation set and 283 for the validation set. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed with unfavorable outcome as the primary endpoint and bacteremia as the secondary endpoint.

Impact of time to antibiotics on outcomes of chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the time to antibiotic administration and patients' outcomes of febrile neutropenia (FN). We also investigated the relationship between the time to antibiotics and mortality rates in a subgroup of patients with bacteremia or severe sepsis or septic shock.

Methods: From the Neutropenic Fever Registry, we analyzed 1001 consecutive FN episodes diagnosed from November 1, 2011, to August 31, 2014.

Advanced radiology utilization in a tertiary care emergency department from 2001 to 2010.

Objective: To evaluate the utilization trends of advanced radiology, i.e. computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), examination in an emergency department (ED) of an academic medical center from 2001 to 2010.

Three cases of neoplastic meningitis initially diagnosed with infectious meningitis in emergency department.

Neoplastic meningitis (NM) is diagnosed by the presence of malignant cells in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We report 3 patients with NM, who were misdiagnosed with infectious meningitis in emergency department (ED). Case 1.

Evaluating the performance of a turbulent wet scrubber for scrubbing particulate matter.

Unlabelled: A turbulent wet scrubber was designed and developed to scrub particulate matter (PM) at micrometer and submicrometer levels from the effluent gas stream of an industrial coal furnace. Experiments were conducted to estimate the particle removal efficiency of the turbulent scrubber with different gas flow rates and liquid heads above the nozzle. Particles larger than 1 microm were removed very efficiently, at nearly 100%, depending upon the flow rate, the concentration of the dust-laden air stream, and the water level in the reservoir Particles smaller than 1 microm were also removed to a greater extent at higher gas flow rates and for greater liquid heads.

Ventricular pneumocephalus with meningitis after lumbar nerve root block.

Lumbar nerve root block is a common modality used in the management of radiculopathy. Its complications are rare and usually minor. Despite its low morbidity, significant acute events can occur.

Malignant biliary obstructions: can we predict immediate postprocedural cholangitis after percutaneous biliary drainage?

Purpose: Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) is performed for the palliation of malignant biliary obstructions. The purpose of this study was to identify factors related to the occurrence of immediate cholangitis as a complication after PTBD METHODS: We retrospectively assessed 409 apparently stable patients with malignant biliary obstruction who underwent PTBD between January 2008 and December 2010. New onset cholangitis was defined as fever (>38 °C) that arose within 24 h after the intervention.

Validation of the clinical prediction rule for recurrent venous thromboembolism in cancer patients: the Ottawa score.

Purpose: Recently, a clinical prediction rule for recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in cancer patients, named Ottawa score, was derived to individualize treatments with different intensities. It is composed of four variables including sex, primary tumor site, tumor stage, and prior history of VTE. The objective of this study was to validate the Ottawa score in an independent patient population in a tertiary hospital in Korea.

Adding procalcitonin to the MASCC risk-index score could improve risk stratification of patients with febrile neutropenia.

Purpose: Infectious complication could be life-threatening in patients with chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia (FN). The Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) risk-index score is used to predict the complications of these patients, and it has been focused on identifying low-risk patients who may be candidates for outpatient management. In this study, we evaluated procalcitonin (PCT) and the MASCC score in predicting bacteremia and septic shock in patients with FN.

Blatchford score is a useful tool for predicting the need for intervention in cancer patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Background And Aim: The Blatchford score is based on clinical and laboratory variables to predict the need for clinical interventions in upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). The primary object was to evaluate the Blatchford score with clinical and full Rockall scores in patients with active cancer presenting to the emergency department with UGIB. The secondary object was to assess the accuracy of the Blatchford score at different source of UGIB; cancer bleeding versus non-malignant lesions.

Emergency department cancer unit and management of oncologic emergencies: experience in Asan Medical Center.

Purpose: With the increasing incidence of cancer patients, our institute set up an emergency department (ED) unit for cancer (cancer emergency room, CER). We intended to clarify the operating characteristics and administrative benefits of the CER.

Methods: The CER was opened in May 2009.

The usefulness of procalcitonin and C-reactive protein as early diagnostic markers of bacteremia in cancer patients with febrile neutropenia.

Purpose: Procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are well known inflammatory markers. This study was designed to determine whether PCT and CRP are useful as early diagnostic markers for bacteremia in cancer patients with febrile neutropenia (FN) in the emergency department (ED).

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study, 286 episodes of FN in the ED were consecutively included between June 2009 and August 2010.

Predictive factors of bacteraemia in low-risk patients with febrile neutropenia.

Purpose: The authors intended to determine the predictive factors of bacteraemia in low-risk febrile neutropenia (FN) classified by the Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer Risk Index score.

Methods: FN episodes managed in an emergency department from June 2009 to May 2010 were included. Clinical and laboratory features including procalcitonin (PCT) and C reactive protein (CRP) were retrospectively analysed.