Beta-blocker use in elderly ED patients with acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Despite the effectiveness of early beta-blocker (BB) use in reducing mortality in acute myocardial infarction (AMI), they remain underutilized in the emergency department (ED) management of AMI. The elderly, with higher AMI mortality, and women, may be particularly vulnerable to underutilization of BB. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of age and gender on BB use in AMI in the ED. METHODS: A retrospective study of all ST-elevation AMI (STEMI) ED patients presenting to a community hospital ED from 2001 to 2003. Any contraindication to BB use (hypotension, bradycardia, AV block, active bronchospasm, and active congestive heart failure) was determined. Chi-square analysis was used to determine differences by gender and age. RESULTS: Three hundred eighty-five patients with STEMI were identified. Thirty-eight percent were women and 71% were over 60 years of age. Of the 270 (70%) who did not receive BB, 141 (52%) had contraindications to BB use. The total BB eligible group was 244 (63%). Of patients without contraindications to BB, 53% did not receive BB in the ED. By gender, 83 (54%) males and 46 (51%) females did not receive BB (P=.669). By age, 96 subjects (59%) over age 60 and 33 subjects (41%) under age 60 did not receive BB (P=.011). CONCLUSION: Despite convincing evidence of effectiveness, BB remain underutilized in ED management of AMI, especially in the elderly. There does not appear to be a gender difference in BB use. Education programs should be directed towards emergency physicians regarding BB use in AMI, especially in elderly ED patients.

ECG manifestations of selected extracardiac diseases.

This article reviews the ECG manifestations of selected extracardiac diseases, including pulmonary embolism, pneumothorax, pulmonary hypertension, aortic dissection, central nervous system dis-ease, gastrointestinal disease, and sarcoidosis.

Electrocardiographic manifestations: acute inferior wall myocardial infarction.

The 12-lead electrocardiogram (EKG) is an important tool in evaluating the patient with acute myocardial infarction (MI). Patients with acute inferior wall myocardial infarction (IWMI) represent a heterogeneous group in terms of morbidity, mortality, Emergency Department (ED) management, and site of occlusion in the culprit coronary artery. The standard 12-lead EKG, right-sided chest leads and posterior chest leads, in conjunction with clinical findings often provide the necessary information for the Emergency Physician (EP) to predict complications, morbidity and mortality. IWMI patients may have associated right ventricular infarction (RVI) or lateral and posterior wall extension. Each of these entities is associated with specific hemodynamic abnormalities and increased mortality. In addition, various atrioventricular (AV) blocks are commonly associated with IWMI. This article presents several cases of IWMI with EKGs and a discussion of EKG interpretation in the setting of IWMI.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest locations in a rural community: where should we place AEDs?

Early defibrillation improves survival for patients suffering cardiac arrest from ventricular fibrillation (VF) or ventricular tachycardia (VT). Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) should be placed in locations in which there is a high incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA). The study objective was to identify high-risk, rural locations that might benefit from AED placement. A retrospective review of OOHCA in a rural community during the past 5.5 years was conducted. The OOHCAs that occurred in non-residential areas were categorized based on location. Nine hundred, forty OOHCAs occurred during the study period of which 265 (28.2%) happened in non-residential areas. Of these, 127 (47.9%) occurred in healthcare-related locations, including 104 (39.2%) in extended care facilities. No location used in this study had more than two OOHCAs. Most (52.1%) non-residential OOHCAs occurred as isolated events in 146 different locations. Almost half of the OOHCAs that occurred in non-residential areas took place in healthcare-related facilities suggesting that patients at these locations may benefit from AED placement. First responders with AEDs are likely to have the greatest impact in a rural community.

Electrocardiographic manifestations: bundle branch blocks and fascicular blocks.

Intraventricular conduction block is the general name given to a varied group of electrocardiographic entities. All share a common finding of some degree of delay in ventricular activation; recognition of these blocks hinges upon analysis of the QRS complex, as well as the ST-T changes associated with them. Bundle branch block (right or left), and fascicular block (left anterior or left posterior) are all examples of intraventricular conduction block. Causation of intraventricular conduction block may be cardiac or noncardiac; early recognition of the etiology may be of clinical importance. This article reviews the basic anatomy and physiology related to intraventricular conduction blocks, and then examines each in terms of electrocardiographic definition and clinical correlation.

Electrocardiographic manifestations: wide complex tachycardia due to accessory pathway.

Tachycardia with a wide QRS complex is usually due to ventricular tachycardia (VT), supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) with aberrant intraventricular conduction, or an accessory pathway-mediated dysrhythmia. The most common type of accessory pathway causing a wide complex tachycardia is the atrioventricular bypass tract. Distinguishing the accessory pathway-mediated tachycardia from VT or SVT with aberrancy is often difficult, but has important clinical consequences. This article will review the diagnosis of wide complex tachycardia due to an accessory pathway and its related management in the emergent setting.

Evaluation of emergency medicine resident death notification skills by direct observation.

UNLABELLED: Emergency physicians commonly perform death notifications. Physician training in death notification has been limited. Resident physicians are rarely evaluated in their performance of death notifications. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate death notification skills by direct observation of actual notifications performed by trained emergency medicine (EM) residents. METHODS: This was a prospective, observational study of EM resident death notification performance. EM residents received training and then were directly observed and evaluated by trained evaluators during actual death notifications in a 64,000-visit community teaching hospital emergency department. RESULTS: There were 327 evaluations of 70 different EM residents. Overall performance evaluations were 55% excellent, 40% satisfactory, and 5% unsatisfactory. Third-year EM residents and female EM residents were more likely to be rated excellent. CONCLUSIONS: Death notification is a skill that can be evaluated like other EM skills. Trained EM residents performed well in actual death notifications when directly observed and evaluated. Senior residents and female residents were more likely to be rated excellent.

Electrocardiographic manifestations: narrow QRS complex tachycardias.

Narrow QRS complex tachycardia is a common dysrhythmia in Emergency Medicine practice. Diagnosis and mechanism often can be made by 12-lead electrocardiographic (EKG) analysis but may subsequently require electrophysiologic testing. The clinical manifestations are varied and dependent upon heart rate, prior cardiac disease, and general physiologic status. Patient management is directed towards the etiology and mechanism of the dysrhythmia and includes vagal maneuvers, pharmacologic therapy, and cardioversion. Hemodynamically compromised patients must be promptly treated. Patients are often admitted to the hospital but selected patients can be safely discharged from the Emergency Department for outpatient evaluation and management. Pediatric and pregnant patients are, in general, treated the same as adults. Several case examples and EKGs are presented.

Electrocardiographic manifestations: right ventricular infarction.

The 12-lead electrocardiogram (EKG) is an essential tool when evaluating the Emergency Department (ED) patient with suspected cardiac ischemia. The standard EKG has limitations when evaluating "remote" areas of the heart such as the left posterior wall or right ventricular wall. Diagnosis of right ventricular infarction (RVI) in the presence of acute inferior wall myocardial infarction (MI) is made utilizing right-sided chest leads with high sensitivities and specificities. RVI is a serious ED problem because morbidity and mortality is higher in acute MIs associated with RVI.