Association between antibiotic administration before discharge and emergency department length of stay for urinary tract infection: A retrospective analysis.

Background: Patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs) may have treatment initiated in the emergency department (ED) before discharge with an antibiotic prescription. The effect of a single antibiotic dose administered before discharge on ED length of stay (LOS) is unknown.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the LOS and the rate of revisits within 30 days among patients diagnosed as having UTIs other than pyelonephritis who received parenteral, oral, or no antibiotic during an ED visit.

Evaluation of Intravenous Push Piperacillin-Tazobactam on Time to Antibiotic Administration in Emergency Department Patients with Sepsis.

The purpose of this study was to determine if intravenous push (IVP) administration of piperacillin-tazobactam reduced the time to antibiotic administration compared to intravenous piggyback (IVPB) in emergency department (ED) patients who present with sepsis. This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with sepsis who received piperacillin-tazobactam before and after implementation of an IVPB to IVP conversion protocol. A total of 486 charts were reviewed and the final analysis included 127 patients in each group.

Clinical outcomes of concomitant use of enteral and intravenous sedatives and analgesics in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19.

Purpose: To evaluate potential differences in days on mechanical ventilation for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) based on route of administration of analgesic and sedative medications: intravenous (IV) alone vs IV + enteral (EN).

Summary: This institutional review board-approved study evaluated ventilation time and fentanyl or midazolam requirements with or without concurrent EN hydromorphone and lorazepam. Patients were included in the study if they were 18 to 89 years old and were admitted to the intensive care unit with a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction or antigen test and respiratory failure requiring invasive mechanical ventilation for more than 72 hours.

Medical and Nursing Staff Education Reduces Use of Prophylactic Ondansetron With Opioids in the Emergency Department.

Introduction: We aimed to evaluate the effect of a pharmacist-led educational intervention on administration of ondansetron in patients receiving IV opioid analgesia in the emergency department.

Methods: This study is a retrospective chart review undertaken in a single-community emergency department. During October and November 2015, emergency medicine pharmacists completed an educational initiative targeting medical and nursing staff designed to reduce prophylactic administration of ondansetron.

Medication errors in psychiatric patients boarded in the emergency department.

Background: Patients boarded in the emergency department (ED) with psychiatric complaints may be at risk for medication errors. However, no studies exist to characterize the types of errors and risk factors for errors in these patients.

Objective: To characterize medication errors in psychiatric patients boarded in ED, and to identify risk factors associated with these errors.