Comparison of FIT Tests
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Commonly used fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) tests have significant differences in test performance.
Source
Comparative Performance of Common Fecal Immunochemical Tests : A Cross-Sectional Study. Ann Intern Med. 2024 Oct;177(10):1350-1360. doi: 10.7326/M24-0080. Epub 2024 Sep 3. PMID: 39222513
Does Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis with a PPI Work?
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An international, multi-center RCT found that administering pantoprazole to intubated ICU patients lowered the rate of upper GI bleeding compared to placebo.
Source
Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis during Invasive Mechanical Ventilation. N Engl J Med. Published online June 14, 2024. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2404245
Honey…or Jam for Button Battery Ingestion?
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This pig cadaver study argues that jam is a reasonable alternative (if honey and sucralfate are unavailable) to give patients while awaiting definitive endoscopic removal after button battery ingestion.
Source
Home Therapies to Neutralize Button Battery Injury in a Porcine Esophageal Model. Ann Emerg Med. 2024 Apr;83(4):351-359. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2023.08.018. Epub 2023 Sep 19. PMID: 37725021.
What is the Yield of Abdominal X-ray in Suspected Intussusception?
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In this retrospective trial of pediatric patients with suspected intussusception, abdominal radiographs occasionally identify alternate clinical diagnoses.
Source
Yield of abdominal radiographs in children with suspected intussusception; rate of pneumoperitoneum and other abdominal pathology. Am J Emerg Med. Published online December 22, 2023.
A Bolus of Coca-Cola for Esophageal Food Impaction?
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Ever tried having your patient drink Coca-Cola to relieve an esophageal food bolus? This interesting and well-designed multicenter RCT suggests limited efficacy of this off-label approach.
Source
Efficacy of cola ingestion for oesophageal food bolus impaction: open label, multicentre, randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2023 Dec 11;383:e077294. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2023-077294.
Should You Use a PPI for Infant Reflux? NO! Here’s Why…
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Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use in young children is associated with risk of serious infection. It's best to avoid PPI use in the absence of a very clear indication.
Source
Proton Pump Inhibitor Use and Risk of Serious Infections in Young Children. JAMA Pediatr. 2023 Aug 14;e232900. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.2900. Online ahead of print.
Prophylactic Antibiotics for Alcohol-Related Hepatitis?
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Prophylactic treatment of patients with severe alcohol-related hepatitis with amoxicillin-clavulanate did not reduce all-cause mortality when compared to placebo.
Source
Effect of Prophylactic Antibiotics on Mortality in Severe Alcohol-Related Hepatitis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2023 May 9;329(18):1558-1566. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.4902.
Opioids for Abdominal Pain – Are We Influencing Rate of Return?
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Patients who are discharged from the emergency department after presenting with abdominal pain and receiving opioids have 57% greater odds of return within 30 days. This population is also at higher risk for adverse effects from these medications.
Source
Return Rates for Opioid versus Nonopioid Management of Patients with Abdominal Pain in the Emergency Department. J Emerg Med. 2023 Apr;64(4):471-475. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2023.01.008. Epub 2023 Mar 28.
Alcoholic Hepatitis – Spoon-Feed Version
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Patients with alcohol-associated hepatitis have a high rate of complications and short-term mortality of 20-50%. Prompt recognition and treatment, including initiation of treatment for alcohol use disorder, is important to improve patient outcomes.
Source
Alcohol-Associated Hepatitis. NEJM. 2022 Dec 29; 387 (26): 2436-2448.
A Simple Way to Find More GI Bleeds on CT
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In patients with a gastrointestinal bleed (GIB), CT imaging was more often diagnostic when the specific indication (GIB) was listed within the requisition order and multiphase studies were ordered.
Source
Importance of communication of CT indication for imaging yield in patients with gastrointestinal bleed. Am J Emerg Med. 2022 Dec 5;64:101-105. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2022.12.003. Online ahead of print.