Drug-seeking behaviors are commonplace in emergency departments. Many physicians have faced patients with multiple alleged allergies to narcotics who are asking for a medication that the physician never would have initially thought of prescribing, whose medications were stolen, and who become angry, threatening, and agitated upon refusal to refill the stolen prescription. This article defines various terms used in the drug-seeking literature, provides an overview of drug-seeking behaviors, and proposes some techniques to manage these patients both at the individual and at the institutional levels.
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy range from chronic pre-existing disease to life-threatening conditions such as HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets) and eclampsia. They often represent a continuum from bad to worse. The emergency department physician is likely to evaluate a pregnant patient for many conditions unrelated to the pregnancy itself, and knowledge of abnormalities that warrant further assessment and follow-up is essential.
Viagra: Maximum Capacity at High-Altitudes?; FDA Actions.
Septic shock is one of the common causes of hypotension in the ICU. For decades, adrenergic agents with variable alpha- and beta-adrenergic activities have been the mainstay among vasopressor agents. Very few randomized controlled trials have been done that identify the efficacy or superiority of any one particular agent.
