Paramedics responding to elderly patients who had fallen in an assisted living facility followed a protocol that included discussing the case with the patient's primary care physician (PCP).  This drastically reduced the number actually getting transported to the ED by 63% and was safe.

The AHA has published new guidelines replacing the JNC guidelines for management of hypertension. Here is what you need to know.

Elderly stroke patients over age 80 who received tPA >3 - 4.5 hours from time of onset were more likely to have symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH), 10% vs 8% in the <3-hour group, but overall mortality and percentage with good neurological outcome was the same in the delayed group as patients who received it in under 3 hours.

The new AHA syncope guidelines have useful information for us clinically, but slogging through this 232 page tome wasn't easy. Thomas Davis highlights what's most important.  This is a huge time saver - take advantage of this.

The prevalence of PE in patients with syncope may be far less that the PESIT trial indicated: 1.4% vs. 17%.

Not only is coffee not bad for you, it could save your life!  This study of over half a million people in 10 European countries found coffee consumption was associated with decreased overall mortality in men and women.

Haloperidol markedly reduced pain and nausea in ED patients with gastroparesis compared to usual care.  But be careful.  Haloperidol is not without side effects.

Icatibant did not improve outcome compared to placebo for ACE-I associated angioedema.

Adverse effects from antibiotics are very common, up to 20% of the time in hospitalized patients.  Only use them when needed.

Use a score like CURB-65 (or CRB-65 if you don't have labs) when making clinical decisions about the disposition of patients with community acquired pneumonia.