Environmental Hypothermia.

Although a rare diagnosis in the Emergency Department, hypothermia affects patients in all environments, from urban to mountainous settings. Classic signs of death cannot be interpreted in the hypothermic patient, thus resulting in the mantra, "No one is dead until they're warm and dead." This comprehensive review of environmental hypothermia covers the clinical significance and pathophysiology of hypothermia, pearls and pitfalls in the prehospital management of hypothermia (including temperature measurement techniques and advanced cardiac life support deviations), necessary Emergency Department diagnostics, available rewarming modalities including extracorporeal life support, and criteria for termination of resuscitation.

Overcoming stagnant flow: A scoping review of vertical movement in the emergency department.

OBJECTIVES: Improving emergency department (ED) patient flow has plagued many hospitals worldwide. "Vertical" flow improves throughput by maximizing use of chairs and waiting areas instead of beds. This process, however, is inconsistently described in the literature. The objective of this study was to collate existing evidence of successful vertical care programs. METHOD: A scoping review was conducted within several databases utilizing key search terms to capture relevant traditional and gray literature. All articles were uploaded into Covidence (n = 1000). After duplicates were removed, remaining abstracts were initially screened by two reviewers (n = 731). Records identified by at least one reviewer subsequently underwent a two-reviewer full-text screening for inclusion (n = 46). This process yielded 36 articles. Finally, each record underwent data extraction by two independent study members and any inconsistencies were resolved by a third study member. Extracted data included 21 predetermined variables. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize results. RESULTS: Of the 36 included articles, most were published from the United States (91.7%), after 2014 (55.6%), and as a peer-reviewed article or abstract/conference proceeding (86.1%). While every article discussed some aspect of vertical flow, most (77.8%) were observational studies. Only half of the studies reported details of staffing and/or physical resources. A variety of challenges and success strategies were described, with several themes identified. Positive outcomes were reported by most articles (86%), although measurement of outcomes varied with the two most common being length of stay (69.4%) and arrival-to-provider time (55.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this scoping review provide the first summative report of existing literature on vertical flow processes within the ED setting. Despite different measurable outcomes and varied processes, most articles support the use of vertical flow to improve throughput.

Disorders of Calcium and Magnesium.

This review will discuss the importance and homeostasis of calcium and magnesium in the human body, as well as the implications and treatment of disordered calcium and magnesium. With calcium and magnesium often considered to be the "forgotten cations" in medicine, it is our hope that this review will lead providers to evaluate for and effectively manage these electrolyte disorders in the emergency department.

Immune-based Therapies-What the Emergency Physician Needs to Know.

Immunotherapy is a treatment modality that has a broad and rapidly growing range of applications to treat both chronic and acute diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn disease, cancer, and COVID-19. Emergency physicians must be aware of the breadth of applications and be able to consider the effects of immunotherapies when patients on these treatments present to the hospital. This article provides a review of the mechanisms of action, indications for use, and potential complications of immunotherapy treatments that are relevant in the emergency care setting.

60-year-old Female with Edema.

INTRODUCTION: Many patients present to the emergency department (ED) with nonspecific, acute-on-chronic complaints. It requires a thorough diagnostic approach and broad differential diagnosis to determine whether there is serious, undiagnosed pathology. CASE PRESENTATION: A 60-year-old female presented to the ED for gradually worsening bilateral lower extremity swelling with associated abdominal distension, ascites, diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss. DISCUSSION: This case takes the reader through the evaluation of a patient with acute-on-chronic complaints who presented in a decompensated state.

Immune-based Therapies-What the Emergency Physician Needs to Know.

Immunotherapy is a treatment modality that has a broad and rapidly growing range of applications to treat both chronic and acute diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn disease, cancer, and COVID-19. Emergency physicians must be aware of the breadth of applications and be able to consider the effects of immunotherapies when patients on these treatments present to the hospital. This article provides a review of the mechanisms of action, indications for use, and potential complications of immunotherapy treatments that are relevant in the emergency care setting.