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Introduction: Lactate is a frequently used biomarker in emergency departments (EDs), especially in critically ill patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between lactate and lactate clearance with in-hospital mortality in unselected ED patients. Methods: This study was carried out retrospectively in the ED of a tertiary hospital. Patients aged 18 years and older whose blood lactate level was obtained in the ED were included in the study. Patients whose lactate value did not have sufficient analytical accuracy, whose lactate value was recorded in the system 180 minutes after admission, who were admitted to the ED as cardiac arrest, and whose ED or hospital outcome was unknown were excluded from the study. According to the first measured lactate value, the patients were divided into three groups: < 2.0mmol/L, 2.0-3.9mmol/L, and ≥ 4.0mmol/L. Lactate clearance was calculated and recorded in patients with one-to-four hours between two lactate values. Results: During the five-year study period, a total of 1,070,406 patients were admitted to the ED, of which 114,438 (10.7%) received blood gas analysis. The median age of 81,449 patients included in the study was 58 years (IQR: 30, min: 18–max: 117) and 54.4% were female. The study found that non-trauma patients with a lactate level between 2.0-3.9mmol/L had a 2.5-times higher mortality risk, while those with a lactate level of ≥ 4.0mmol/L had a 20.8-times higher risk, compared to those with a lactate level < 2.0mmol/L. For trauma patients, the mortality risk was three-times higher for those with lactate levels between 2.0-3.9mmol/L and nine-times higher for those with a lactate level of ≥ 4.0mmol/L, compared to those with a lactate level < 2.0mmol/L. Among patients with a first measured lactate value ≥ 4.0mmol/L and a two-hour lactate clearance < 20%, the mortality rate was 19.7%. In addition, lactate, lactate clearance, and age were independent variables for mortality in this patient group. Conclusion: The lactate value in unselected patients in the ED is a biomarker that can be used to predict the prognosis of the patients. In addition, lactate, lactate clearance, and age are independent predictors of mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Healthcare workers face many biologic, chemical, physical and psychosocial hazards and risks in their work environment. Our research aimed to examine the types and frequency of occupational accidents, their notification status and predisposing factors to which emergency medicine residents (EMRs) were exposed in the last 12 months in Turkey. Methods. This research is a national, multicenter, online descriptive survey study. Participants' descriptive features, characteristics of occupational accidents they were exposed to in the last 12 months and their use status of personal protective equipment (PPE) were examined. Results. We found that 215 EMRs were exposed to 1919 occupational accidents in the last 12 months, and only 287 of these accidents were reported. All participants had at least one occupational accident in the previous 12 months. PPE was not used in 37.9 and 44% of biologic and chemical transmission accidents, respectively. The PPE use frequency of the EMRs in necessary situations for examination gloves, surgical masks, respirators, goggles, gowns and face shields was 60, 19, 19, 8, 15 and 4%, respectively. Conclusion. The actual number of occupational accidents was determined to be considerably higher than those reported. PPE use habits of EMRs were less than they should be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study is to reveal the relationship between end-tidal CO2 (EtCO2) values with infarct volume and early prognosis in patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke in the emergency department. Materials and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary hospital. The demographics, characteristics, EtCO2, volume of the stroke area on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) of the patients were recorded. The values calculated at admission and at discharge were labeled as "mRS-1" and "mRS-2," respectively, and the mRS-2 measurement was used as a prognostic indicator. The "good" and the "poor" functional outcomes were defined as mRS ≤2 and mRS >2, respectively. Correlations between levels of EtCO2 and infarct volume, mRS were calculated. Results: In total, 44 patients were included in the study. The median age of the patients was 69 years (interquartile range; 16; min-max: 35 to 88 y) and 68.2% of them were male. In the univariate logistic regression models of the mRS-2 [0 to 2 (0) and 3 to 6 (1)], all variables were not statistically significant to predict mRS-2 group. There were statistically significant differences in EtCO2 values between mRS-1 (P =0.03) and mRS-2 (P =0.04). A negative moderate correlation was found between EtCO2 and mRS-2 (r =−0.410; P =0.006). The correlation between EtCO2 and infarct volume was not statistically significant (r =−0.256; P =0.093). Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of capnography follow-up of patients with acute ischemic stroke. In patients with acute ischemic stroke, the EtCO2 value measured at the time of admission is lower in the group with high mRS at both admission and discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The abnormal cranial computed tomography (CT) findings can change the emergency management in 9 - 17% of first seizure patients in the emergency department (ED). The aim is to evaluate the utility of non-contrast cranial CT on emergency management of non-traumatic ED seizure patients. Methods: The patients' charts, who had been coded G-40 according to ICD-10, between 2013 and 2015 were reviewed. All adult patients who applied to the ED with epileptic activity were included. The patients who had trauma, inefficacy in medical record and absence of CT report and detected as not to have seizure were excluded. The socio-demographic and seizure characteristics, CT indications and interpretations and emergency outcomes of patients were investigated. Data were pointed out as numbers, percentages and mean ± standard deviations. Pearson and Fisher's chi-square tests were used for evaluating of categorical variables. p value < 0.05 was accepted as significant. Results: 814 patients were included. 55.7% were male. Mean age was 50 years (50.50 ± 20.26 years, 95% CI). 56.5% had chronic and 43.5% had first seizure activity. New abnormal CT findings were detected in 33.9% of first and in 11.7% of chronic seizure patients. Total abnormal CT findings ratio was 52%. 14.7% of first seizure and 7.2% of chronic seizure patients' emergency managements were changed due to abnormal CT findings. Totally, 10.4% of all patients' emergency management was detected as changed. Conclusions: In the ED, either in first or in chronic seizure activity, non-contrast cranial CT scan is a practice that may change the patients' emergency managements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We aimed to determine the inter-rater reliability of ultrasonographic optic nerve sheath diameter measurements performed by emergency nurses., Methods: Point-of-care ultrasound of the optic nerve sheath diameter measurements were performed in B-mode using a 10 MHz linear probe. The emergency nurses had no previous experience in ultrasonography. Emergency nurses performed sonographic measurements on patients in groups of 2. First, 1 emergency nurse measured optic nerve sheath diameter in both the right and left eyes of the patient, and then the other emergency nurse measured optic nerve sheath diameter in the right and left eyes of the same patient. Thus, a total of 4 optic nerve sheath diameter measurements were made by 2 emergency nurses in both eyes of 1 patient. Four emergency nurses measured optic nerve sheath diameter in 25 separate patients. As a result, a total of 600 optic nerve sheath diameter values were obtained in 150 patients. Each emergency nurse recorded their results on data collection forms and was blinded to each other's measurements., Results: The median optic nerve sheath diameter was 3.6 mm (interquartile range, 0.6). The median optic nerve sheath diameters of males and females were 3.7 mm (interquartile range, 0.6) and 3.5 mm (interquartile range, 0.6), respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.89 (95% CI, 0.86-0.91). The intraclass correlation coefficient values for the optic nerve sheath diameter measurements of the right and left eyes were 0.89 (95% CI, 0.85-0.92) and 0.88 (95% CI, 0.83-0.91), respectively., Discussion: There is good inter-rater reliability among emergency nurses with no previous experience in measuring the optic nerve sheath diameter with point-of-care ultrasound., (Copyright © 2024 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The aim of this study is to reveal the relationship between end-tidal CO 2 (EtCO 2 ) values with infarct volume and early prognosis in patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke in the emergency department., Materials and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary hospital. The demographics, characteristics, EtCO 2 , volume of the stroke area on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) of the patients were recorded. The values calculated at admission and at discharge were labeled as "mRS-1" and "mRS-2," respectively, and the mRS-2 measurement was used as a prognostic indicator. The "good" and the "poor" functional outcomes were defined as mRS ≤2 and mRS >2, respectively. Correlations between levels of EtCO 2 and infarct volume, mRS were calculated., Results: In total, 44 patients were included in the study. The median age of the patients was 69 years (interquartile range; 16; min-max: 35 to 88 y) and 68.2% of them were male. In the univariate logistic regression models of the mRS-2 [0 to 2 (0) and 3 to 6 (1)], all variables were not statistically significant to predict mRS-2 group. There were statistically significant differences in EtCO 2 values between mRS-1 ( P =0.03) and mRS-2 ( P =0.04). A negative moderate correlation was found between EtCO 2 and mRS-2 ( r =-0.410; P =0.006). The correlation between EtCO 2 and infarct volume was not statistically significant ( r =-0.256; P =0.093)., Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of capnography follow-up of patients with acute ischemic stroke. In patients with acute ischemic stroke, the EtCO 2 value measured at the time of admission is lower in the group with high mRS at both admission and discharge., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)