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All that Pukes: Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome, Gastroparesis and More
Nausea and vomiting accounts for one of the most frequent chief complaints we see in the emergency department. For those presenting with another complaint, N/V is often an associated symptom. Treatment of these symptoms not only improves patient satisfaction, but also decreases associated complications, like dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities.
The etiology behind a patient’s N/V is highly variable, with a broad differential that stretches across all organ systems. Although often an acute presentation, N/V is increasingly being linked to set of chronic disorders, such as gastroparesis (GP), cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) and cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). While the work-up and initial evaluation in the ED is similar for all, specifically ruling out potentially life-threatening diagnosis or complications, the clinical presentation and management vary subtly between these syndromes.
Therapeutics: Agitation in the ED
Agitation? Second nature to most Emergency Physicians but an art as much of a science. The science lays the backbone of this art, however and that’s where Dr. Courtney Kein comes in. Click and join us on a dive into the literature of sedation of the agitated patient.
Droperidol for Agitation in the ED - No Danger to the Dangerous?
Droperidol is a versatile medication with a number of potential uses for patients in the Emergency Department. It is also a medication surrounded in some degree of mystique because of the decision by the FDA in 2001 to issue a black box warning for its use in response to reports of QT prolongation and torsades de pointes. Many at the time (and since) have argued that, despite these case reports, droperidol is a safe and effective medication that can be used for the treatment of agitation, nausea and vomiting, and migraine. We have previously covered much of this background in a previous blog post. In our most recent journal club, we discussed 3 articles that looked at the safety and efficacy of droperidol for treating acutely agitated patients. Take a read and listen below for an in depth look at each of these papers.