The new high. EMS crews confronted with heroin-fentanyl ODs.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Jeanmarie Perrone.
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We sought to describe the common causes of infection in patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) with elevated temperature and chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and to determine the frequency with which the ED diagnosis of infection is consistent with the final hospital discharge diagnosis. We performed a structured restrospective chart review of ED patients with fever (T > 38 degrees C) and neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count < 1000/mm(3)) over a 2-year period. Fifty-five episodes of neutropenic fever occurred in 52 patients (mean age 52 years, range 18-86 years; 53% men). Twenty-six patients (47%) were found to have a specific infection identified. Of these, 21/26 (81%; 95% CI, 70-91%) had the source of infection identified while in the ED. All patients who had a focal site of infection identified during their hospitalization were diagnosed in the ED (100%; 95% CI, 86-100%). The other 5 patients, without a source identified in the ED, were found to have bacteremia. The 29 patients without a source identified in the ED were hospitalized and had negative blood and urine cultures and were discharged to home after resolution of fever. A thorough history, physical examination, chest radiograph and urinalysis in the ED identified all patients with a focus of infection. Meticulous ED evaluation of patients with neutropenia and fever may be sufficient to diagnose most sources of infection; however, a significant number of patients without an identifiable focus may have bacteremia.
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UNLABELLED: Rapid and ultrarapid opioid detoxification (ROD and UROD) centers promise quick, painless, same-day detoxification treatment for patients with opioid addiction. The goal of ROD and UROD is to provide a rapid transition from opioid dependency to oral naltrexone therapy. The patient is given general anesthesia and high-dose opioid antagonists. This induces a severe withdrawal but spares the patient the experience. In theory, the process is complete within four to five hours. The patient awakens without opioid dependency and is started on oral naltrexone. Any subsequent, persistent withdrawal symptoms are treated symptomatically. A novel, unapproved approach is to compound a pellet of naltrexone and implant it in the subcutaneous tissue. In theory, this should result in continuous therapeutic levels for this drug, and avoid issues with noncompliance. CASE SERIES: This article reports six cases of complications from the same detoxification center that performed UROD with naltrexone pellet implantation, including pulmonary edema, prolonged withdrawal, drug toxicity, withdrawal from cross-addiction to alcohol and benzodiazepines, variceal rupture, aspiration pneumonia, and death. CONCLUSIONS: The risks of this procedure are great and further studies should assess its safety and the novel use of naltrexone.
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