The FDA is considering new tightened restrictions on use of opioid drugs. Manufacturers of these drugs will be required to have a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy to ensure that "the benefits of the drugs continue to outweigh the risks."
I recall rounding on the oncology ward as a medical student. The prognosis in those days was bad for nearly every patient. Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia were expected to live less than one year. Adults with acute myeloblastic leukemia, less than three months. What a difference in the past three decades.
With longer survival, however, there are more patients presenting with life-threatening emergencies related to their treatment and tumor.
This second part concludes our discussion of acute appendicitis, focusing on three patient populations where the diagnosis can be challenging and imaging modalities are commonly used: the elderly, children, and pregnant women.
The emergency department assessment of appendicitis has sure changed a lot in the past 30 years.
