Department Blog - October 2018

Zachary Dezman, MD, MS, MS, and Jon Mark Hirshon, MD, PhD, MHS, co-authored the article titled "Repeat Lactate Level Predicts Mortality Better Than Rate of Clearance," pubilshed in the November issue of American Journal of Emergency Medicine. Their collaborators in this project were three investigators who have been studying the fine points of trauma epidemiology and resuscitation for decades: Peter Hu, MS, PhD, and Colin Mackenzie, MD,ChB, from the Department of Anesthesiology, and Gordon Smith, MB,ChB, MPH, from the Department of Epidemiology and Pubic Health, as well as Thomas Scalea, MD, The Honorable Francis X. Kelly Distinguished Professor in Trauma Surgery. The statistician for this work was Angela Comer, MS, formerly affliated with the National Study Center for Trauma and Emergency Medical Systems.

The use of buprenorphine in the ED at UMMC’s Midtown Campus is discussed in a recent article in the Washington Post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/facing-an-overdose-epidemic-some-ers-now-offer-addiction-treatment/2018/10/26/1829df84-c73f-11e8-9b1c-a90f1daae309_story.html

In that article, Dr. Zachary Dezman explains that opioid-addicted patients seen “after hours” are offered an initial dose of the anti-addiction medication rather than simply being sent home and advised to go to a treatment center. Numerous studies have shown this “jumpstart” on treatment to be effective in helping people seek help and eventually kick their habit.

An unusual consequence of unconsciousness is described in a case report published earlier this month by Eric Friedman, MD, and Ken Butler, DO. “Not Just Another 'Found Down': Concomitant Upper Arm and Gluteal Compartment Syndrome” is available at the website of The Journal of Emergency Medicine (www.jem-journal.com/article/S0736-4679(18)30918-1/pdf).

Jon Mark Hirshon, MD, PhD, MPH, was elected Vice-President of the American College of Emergency Physicians at the organization’s Scientific Assembly in San Diego. His duties in this role include being the key liaison to the Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association and to Annals of Emergency Medicine. ACEP, a national medical specialty society with 40,000 members, is committed to advancing emergency care through continuing education, research and public education.