Description
Contributor: Aaron Lessen MD
Educational Pearls:
A 2013 study randomized families of those in cardiac arrest into two groups:
Actively offered patients’ families the opportunity to observe CPR
Follow standard practice regarding family presence (control group)
Of the 266 relatives that received offers to observe CPR, 211 (79%) accepted vs. 43% in the control group observed CPR
The study assessed a primary end-point of PTSD-related symptoms 90 days after the event
Secondary end-points included depression, anxiety, medicolegal claims, medical efforts at resuscitation, and the well-being of the healthcare team
The frequency of PTSD-related symptoms was significantly higher in the control group
Lower rates of anxiety and depression for the families who witnessed CPR
There were no effects on resuscitation efforts, patient survival, medicolegal claims, or stress on the healthcare team
If families choose to witness CPR, it’s beneficial to have someone with the family to explain the process
References
1. Jabre P, Belpomme V, Azoulay E, et al. Family Presence during Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. N Engl J Med. 2013;368(11):1008-1018. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1203366
Summarized by Jorge Chalit, OMSII | Edited by Jorge Chalit
Contributor: Travis Barlock MD
Educational Pearls:
How do you differentiate between compensated and decompensated cirrhosis?
Use the acronym VIBE to look for signs of being decompensated.
V-Volume
Cirrhosis can cause volume overload through a variety of mechanisms such as by increasing...
Published 05/06/24
Contributor: Aaron Lessen MD
Educational Pearls:
Lorazepam (Ativan) is dosed at 0.1 mg/kg up to a maximum of 4 mg in status epilepticus
Some ED protocols only give 2 mg initially
The maximum recommended dose of levetiracetam (Keppra) is 60 mg/kg or 4.5 g
In one retrospective study,...
Published 04/29/24