Mental Health Monthly #10: The Elderly Psychotic Patient
Release Date: 02/23/2022
Episode 919: EKG Criteria for Adenosine
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Travis Barlock, MD Educational Pearls: SVT: supraventricular tachycardia Pharmacotherapy for SVT includes drugs that block the AV node, such as adenosine EKG criteria before adenosine administration in SVT Regular rhythm Monomorphic: all QRS complexes are identical If the EKG is polymorphic, with QRS complexes displaying changing morphologies, it is unsafe to administer adenosine Adenosine can worsen polymorphic VTach and lead to VFib References Ganz, Leonard I., and Peter L. Friedman. “Supraventricular Tachycardia.” New England Journal of...
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Episode 918: Automated Blood Pressure Cuffs
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: How does an automated blood pressure cuff work? Automated blood pressure cuffs work differently than taking a manual blood pressure. While taking a manual blood pressure, one typically listens for Korotkoff sounds (turbulent flow) while slowly deflating the cuff. An automatic blood pressure cuff only senses the pressure in the cuff itself and specifically pays attention to oscillations in the pressure caused by when the pressure of the cuff is between the systolic (heart squeezing) and diastolic (heart relaxed) pressures. These...
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Episode 917: Heat-Related Illnesses
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Megan Hurley, MD Educational Pearls: Heat cramps Occur due to electrolyte disturbances Most common electrolyte abnormalities are hyponatremia and hypokalemia Heat edema Caused by vasodilation with pooling of interstitial fluid in the extremities Heat rash (miliaria) Common in newborns and elderly Due to accumulation of sweat beneath eccrine ducts Heat syncope Lightheadedness, hypotension, and/or syncope in patients with peripheral vasodilation due to heat exposure Treatment is removal from the heat source and rehydration (IV fluids or Gatorade) ...
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Episode 916: Central Cord Syndrome
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Taylor Lynch, MD Educational Pearls: What is Central Cord Syndrome (CCS)? Incomplete spinal cord injury caused by trauma that compresses the center of the cord More common in hyperextension injuries like falling and hitting the chin Usually happens only in individuals with preexisting neck and spinal cord conditions like cervical spondylosis (age-related wear and tear of the cervical spine) Anatomy of spinal cord Motor tracts The signals the brain sends for the muscles to move travel in the corticospinal tracts of the spinal cord The tracts that control the...
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Episode 915: Severe Burn Injuries
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Megan Hurley, MD Educational Pearls: Initial assessment of patients with severe burn injuries begins with ABCs Airway: consider inhalation injury Breathing: circumferential burns of the trunk region can reduce respiratory muscle movement Circulation: circumferential burns compromise circulation Exposure: Important to assess the affected surface area Escharotomy: emergency procedure to release the tourniquet-ing effects of the eschar Differs from a fasciotomy in that it does not breach the deep fascial layer PEEP = positive end-expiratory pressure ...
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Podcast 914: Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS)
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Taylor Lynch, MD Educational Pearls: What is NMS? Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome Caused by anti-dopamine medication or rapid withdrawal of pro-dopamenergic medications Mechanism is poorly understood Life threatening What medications can cause it? Typical antipsychotics Haloperidol, chlorpromazine, prochlorperazine, fluphenazine, trifluoperazine Atypical antipsychotics Less risk Risperidone, clozapine, quetiapine, olanzapine, aripiprazole, ziprasidone Anti-emetic agents with anti dopamine activity Metoclopramide, promethazine, haloperidol Not...
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Episode 913: Vasopressors after ROSC
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Travis Barlock MD Educational Pearls: Recent study assessed outcomes after ROSC with epinephrine vs. norepinephrine Observational multicenter study from 2011-2018 285 patients received epineprhine and 481 received norepinephrine Epinephrine was associated with an increase in all-cause mortality (primary outcome) Odds ratio 2.6; 95%CI 1.4-4.7; P = 0.002 Higher cardiovascular mortality (secondary outcome) Higher proportion of unfavorable neurological outcome (secondary outcome) Norepinephrine is the vasopressor of choice in post-cardiac arrest care References ...
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Podcast 912: Narcan (Naloxone)
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Taylor Lynch, MD Educational Pearls: Opioid Epidemic- quick facts Drug overdoses, primarily driven by opioids, have become the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. for individuals aged 18-45. In 2021, opioids were involved in nearly 75% of all drug overdose deaths The rise of synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which is much more potent than heroin or prescription opioids, has played a major role in the increase in overdose deaths What is Narcan AKA Naloxone? Competitive opioid antagonist. It sits on the receptor but doesn’t activate it. When do we give Narcan?...
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Episode 911: Anticholinergic Toxicity
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Taylor Lynch MD Educational Pearls: Anticholinergics are found in many medications, including over-the-counter remedies Medications include: Diphenhydramine Tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline Atropine Antipsychotics like olanzapine Antispasmodics - dicyclomine Jimsonweed Muscaria mushrooms Mechanism of action involves competitive antagonism of the muscarinic receptor Symptomatic presentation is easily remembered via the mnemonic: Dry as a bone - anhidrosis due to cholinergic antagonism at sweat glands Red as a beet - cutaneous vasodilation...
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Episode 910: Cellulitis Recovery Timeline
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: How fast does cellulitis recover? A recent prospective cohort study took a look at this question. The study included 300 adults with cellulitis (excluding those with peri-orbital cellulitis or abscesses) in two emergency departments in Queensland, Australia. They collected data from initial and follow-up surveys at 3, 7, and 14 days, and compared clinician and patient assessments at day 14. Improvement was fastest between day 0 and day 3, with gradual progress thereafter. At day 14, many still had skin redness and swelling, though...
info_outlineDr. Kim Nordstrom, a practicing emergency psychiatrist and associate professor with the University of Colorado, discusses various work-up models alongside valuable bedside tools for elderly patients with acute psychosis. In this podcast, she explores the methods to differentiate primary psychiatric psychosis from medically mediated psychosis in the elderly using an empirical bedside tool. Furthermore, Dr. Nordstrom educates our listeners on the treatment modalities available and currently recommended for new psychosis in the elderly.
Key Points:
- Non-psychiatric causes of psychosis include lobar degeneration, sensory deficits, pharmacologic mediators, and others.
- ADEPT tool, developed by CPE under an ACEP sponsorship, is a useful guideline for rapid and reliable assessment of psychosis in the elderly.
- DTS (delirium triage screen) tool, embedded in the ADEPT, is 98% sensitive to rule-out delirium.
- BCAM (brief concussion assessment method) is used if DTS is positive to rule-in delirium with high specificity.
ADEPT Tool: https://www.acep.org/patient-care/adept
DTS Tool: http://eddelirium.org/delirium-assessment/dts-calculator/
BCAM Tool: http://eddelirium.org/delirium-assessment/bcam-calculator/
Source: Shenvi C, Kennedy M, et al. Managing delirium and agitation in the older emergency department patient: The ADEPT Tool. Ann Emerg Med. 2020 Feb; 75(2): 136–145.