Delirium and Extrapyramidal Symptoms Due to a Lithium-Olanzapine Combination Therapy: A Case Report

We report an elderly patient who developed severe delirium and extrapyramidal signs after initiation of lithium-olanzapine combination. On hospital admission, serum levels of lithium were found to be 3.0 mM/L which were far above toxic level. Immediate discontinuation of both drugs resulted in complete resolution of most of the symptoms except for perioral dyskinesia which persisted for three more months. We critically discussed the differential diagnosis of lithium intoxication and assessed confounding factors which induce delirium and extrapyramidal signs related with combination therapy of lithium and olanzapine

The Chest Pain Choice trial: a pilot randomized trial of a decision aid for patients with chest pain in the emergency department

Background: Chest pain is a common presenting complaint in the emergency department (ED). Despite the frequency with which clinicians evaluate patients with chest pain, accurately determining the risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and sharing risk information with patients is challenging. The aims of this study are (1) to develop a decision aid (CHEST PAIN CHOICE) that communicates the short-term risk of ACS and (2) to evaluate the impact of the decision aid on patient participation in decision-making and resource use. Methods/Design: This is a protocol for a parallel, 2-arm randomized trial to compare an intervention group receiving CHEST PAIN CHOICE to a control group receiving usual ED care. Adults presenting to the Saint Mary's Hospital ED in Rochester, MN USA with a primary complaint of chest pain who are being considered for admission for prolonged ED observation in a specialized unit and urgent cardiac stress testing will be eligible for enrollment. We will measure the effect of CHEST PAIN CHOICE on six outcomes: (1) patient knowledge regarding their short-term risk for ACS and the risks of radiation exposure; (2) quality of the decision making process; (3) patient and clinician acceptability and satisfaction with the decision aid; (4) the proportion of patients who decided to undergo observation unit admission and urgent cardiac stress testing; (5) economic costs and healthcare utilization; and (6) the rate of delayed or missed ACS. To capture these outcomes, we will administer patient and clinician surveys after each visit, obtain video recordings of the clinical encounters, and conduct 30-day phone follow-up. Discussion: This pilot randomized trial will develop and evaluate a decision aid for use in ED chest pain patients at low risk for ACS and provide a preliminary estimate of its effect on patient participation in decision-making and resource use

Evaluating Educational Interventions in Emergency Medicine

This article presents the proceedings of the 2012 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference breakout group charged with identifying areas necessary for future research regarding effectiveness of educational interventions for teaching emergency medicine ( EM ) knowledge, skills, and attitudes outside of the clinical setting. The objective was to summarize both medical and nonmedical education literature and report the consensus formation methods and results. The authors present final statements to guide future research aimed at evaluating the best methods for understanding and developing successful EM curricula using all types of educational interventions.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94811/1/acem12022.pd

Salmonella Urinary Tract Infection Heralding Thoracic Mycotic Aneurysm: Case Report as Medical Apology

We report a case as a patient apology as a means of teaching other physicians about a unique presentation of a rare disease. Salmonella species are unusually isolated organisms in urine. In the case described, appreciation for the rarity of Salmonella species in the urine facilitated recognition of a serious disseminated Salmonella infection. Physicians should consider disseminated Salmonella infection, as was found in a patient with an aortic mycotic aneurysm, after isolation of Salmonella in urine despite an initially benign clinical presentation

Factors Affecting Candidate Placement on an Emergency Medicine Residency Program’s Rank Order List

Introduction: Several factors influence the final placement of a medical student candidate on anemergency medicine (EM) residency program’s rank order list, including EM grade, standardized letterof recommendation, medical school class rank, and US Medical License Examination (USMLE) scores.We sought to determine the correlation of these parameters with a candidate’s final rank on a residencyprogram’s rank order list.Methods: We used a retrospective cohort design to examine 129 candidate packets from an EMresidency program. Class ranks were assessed according to the instructions provided by the students’medical schools. EM grades were scored from 1 (honors) to 5 (fail). Global assessments noted on the standardized letter of recommendation (SLOR) were scored from 1 (outstanding) to 4 (good). USMLEscores were reported as the candidate’s 3-digit scores. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient wasused to analyze data.Results: Electronic Residency Application Service packets for 127/129 (98.4%) candidates wereexamined. The following parameters correlated positively with a candidate’s final placement on therank order list: EM grade, q¼0.379, P , 0.001; global assessment, q¼0.332, P , 0.001; and classrank, q¼0.234, P¼0.035. We found a negative correlation between final placement on the rank orderlist with both USMLE step 1 scores, q¼0.253, P¼0.006; and USMLE step 2 scores, q¼0.348, P¼0.004.Conclusion: Higher scores on EM rotations, medical school class ranks, and SLOR globalassessments correlated with higher placements on a rank order list, whereas candidates with higherUSMLE scores had lower placements on a rank order list. However, none of the parameters examined correlated strongly with ultimate position of a candidate on the rank list, which underscores that otherfactors may influence a candidate’s final ranking. [West J Emerg Med. 2012;13(6):458–462.

Salmonella Urinary Tract Infection Heralding Thoracic Mycotic Aneurysm: Case Report as Medical Apology

We report a case as a patient apology as a means of teaching other physicians about a unique presentation of a rare disease. Salmonella species are unusually isolated organisms in urine. In the case described, appreciation for the rarity of Salmonella species in the urine facilitated recognition of a serious disseminated Salmonella infection. Physicians should consider disseminated Salmonella infection, as was found in a patient with an aortic mycotic aneurysm, after isolation of Salmonella in urine despite an initially benign clinical presentation