Levetiracetam versus phenytoin?

Levetiracetam versus phenytoin? Which one do you use in case of status epilepticus in children? A multicentre, open-label, randomised trial publishe by the Lancet suggests that levetiracetam could be an alternative “as the first-choice, second-line anticonvulsant in the treatment of paediatric convulsive status epilepticus.” Link to article

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FAST-ED for LVOS!

Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke (LVOS) is  an indication for activating stroke team. IR will be on board and this is level IA recommendation from 2015 AHA/ASA Guideline. The Field Assessment Stroke Triage for Emergency Destination (FAST-ED) extracted from NIHSS. LVOS were defined by total occlusions involving the intracranial ICA, MCA-M1, MCA-2, or basilar arteries. FAST-ED scoring […]

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Headache Treatment!

Expert panel from American Headache Society Published a guideline! to manage Migraine Headache in ED in Headache June 2016. They searched and found 68 randomized controlled trials. I am very happy to see our routine practice to treat headache in ED, now after years is coming to Neurology Guideline! Metoclopramide and prochlorperazine offered as level […]

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Blood Pressure Target in ICH

There are a lot of controversies around this topic, but It sounds like lowering blood pressure is safe, the following Stroke link recommend SBP 140 is safe, I am not sure the exact number or acceptable number to drop BP but obviously, we should not be worried to drop SBP in hypertensive hemorrhagic stroke as […]

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Migraine and Diphenhydramine!

I am fan of Metoclopramide + Diphenhydramine  or Prochlorperazine + Diphenhydramine for Migraine Headache, and I see a lot of good outcome among patients with headache. Annals of EM published “Diphenhydramine as Adjuvant Therapy for Acute Migraine: An Emergency Department–Based Randomized Clinical Trial”. I am not sure that I am ready to start practicing this […]

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Seizure: Loading Dose

There are several methods to orally load Anti Epileptic drugs (AED) in ED. Tintinalli’s has 2 approaches: 1.patient with active seizure 2. patient with history of seizure. Patient who had active seizure should receive Phenytoin 15- 25 mg/kg no more than 50 mg/min. For patient in no active seizure: Without a loading dose, phentoin may […]

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Stroke, ED is the best Place to Go!

Recent post in NY Times,  Stroke of Fate , offended many ED physicians. I was not! It was very simple to me. A 78 years old neurologist said “I’m afraid to go to the emergency room,” he added. “I think it’s dangerous.” I agree that this is not a good comment for general population to […]

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Are we done with CT/LP to rule out SAH?

The BMJ study was a shocking news in 2011 regarding Sensitivity of Modern CT scan in diagnosis of SAH within 6 hours of presentation, Click here for more Then, Storke in 2012 reported another study that showed there is “no added value of CSF analysis to detect SAH within 6 hours of patient presentation with […]

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