https://medicalxpress.com/emergency-medicine-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Emergency medicine Fatal delays in administering life-saving adrenaline autoinjector (EpiPen) for food anaphylaxis, a severe and rapid allergic reaction, are highlighted in research presented at the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Conference. Researchers are urging for updated guidelines on the use of adrenaline treatment such as EpiPens and the hospital management of severe food anaphylaxis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-uncovers-fatal-delays-epipen-treatment.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 07:40:01 EDT news696578642 A team of Marshall University researchers has published a new study suggesting a potential breakthrough in how doctors manage severe agitation caused by methamphetamine and/or cocaine use, particularly in cases in which opioids have also been used. Michael Hambuchen, PharmD, Ph.D., with Marshall's School of Pharmacy and Todd Davies, Ph.D., at the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, are studying the use of dexmedetomidine-naloxone for treatment. Their preclinical study was published in the Journal of Pharmacy of Pharmaceutical Sciences and is available here. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-combination-treatment-safer-effective-drug.html Sun, 26 Apr 2026 20:00:04 EDT news695911384 Rural-residing adolescents are twice as likely to die by suicide compared to their urban-residing peers. To better support crisis care for rural youth, researchers developed Plan & Protect, a technology-guided safety planning program for youth with suicidality seeking care in rural emergency departments. Plan & Protect aims to enhance accessibility, usability, and fidelity of safety planning in resource-limited emergency departments, with a goal of supporting more effective crisis care for adolescents in rural communities. The program and findings from the study will be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2026 Meeting, taking place April 24–27 in Boston. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-rural-adolescents-die-suicide-urban.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:20:01 EDT news696246062 A major study, led by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Nemours Children's Health, and Children's National Hospital and involving an extensive network of medical centers across the United States and abroad, found that different types of crystalloid fluid resuscitation were equally effective for staving off the most serious adverse kidney events after the treatment of pediatric patients with suspected septic shock. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-large-international-similar-efficacy-safety.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:01 EDT news696175648 A freeze-dried blood product that could be stored for years on ambulances or in remote emergency departments is showing promise at treating traumatic brain injuries. The news comes from a mouse study done by researchers at UC San Francisco. If it pans out in people, it could answer a huge unmet need for therapies that treat these injuries, which are the leading cause of death in people under 44 years old. A research paper on this topic is published in the Blood Journal. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-dried-platelet-product-traumatic-brain.html Thu, 23 Apr 2026 17:10:02 EDT news696178441 Exclusive data published in The BMJ today show that 13,386 patients in England waited at least three days for A&E (accident and emergency) treatment last year, part of almost 500,000 who spent over 24 hours stuck in NHS emergency departments—before either being admitted, transferred, or discharged—in 2025. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-reveals-patients-days-england-emergency.html Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:30:05 EDT news696070321 A new study on sepsis training in Ghana builds on prior research showing the impact of Annenberg Hotkeys, a free platform developed in 2020. It is being used in other medical settings—and its co-creator sees potential in nonmedical uses. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-free-medical-telesimulation-platform-children.html Wed, 22 Apr 2026 13:40:01 EDT news696075312 Patients experiencing higher levels of socioeconomic marginalization and without established family physicians were more likely to seek initial concussion care in hospital emergency departments (EDs) rather than outpatient settings, according to a new study from ICES, the CHEO Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI). These patients, particularly those without family physicians, were also significantly less likely to receive follow-up care within 30 days of their first visit. The research is published in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-concussion-patients-family-doctors-emergency.html Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:00:10 EDT news696071702 The average age of a young fatal stab victim is now 14, indicates an analysis of the causes of death among children and teens in England between 2019 and 2024, published online in Emergency Medicine Journal. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-knife-deaths-average-victim-age.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:30:02 EDT news695894812 Emergency physicians who play a video game about trauma triage outperform their peers who only receive standard education when it comes to properly caring for severely injured older adults. These findings are published in JAMA. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-video-game-emergency-doctor-trauma.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:00:16 EDT news695644322 Measles remains one of the most contagious infectious diseases, spread through coughing and sneezing, with even small declines in vaccination coverage leading to outbreaks. As of 2026, California has reported its highest annual measles case count in seven years. In response to this growing concern, researchers have begun examining gaps in measles-related knowledge and vaccination coverage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-emergency-room-survey-uncovers-measles.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 06:40:42 EDT news695713179 Using data from hospitals and emergency medical service providers to map out areas with the greatest need for trauma care and prehospital whole blood transfusions can enable hospital systems to deploy scarce blood resources quickly and minimize waste, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-cities-efficiently-deploy-blood-resources.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:00:06 EDT news695543553 By conducting the world's first randomized clinical trial, researchers have demonstrated that while overall survival rates remained comparable in this initial phase, TEE-guided precision CPR enhances end-tidal CO2 levels (indicating better CPR quality and forward blood flow), transforming traditional "blind" compressions into a data-driven science. This research, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, paves the way for individually customized resuscitation, challenging global standards to maximize survival for millions worldwide. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-cpr-high-tech-transesophageal-echocardiography.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:20:01 EDT news694971241 As electric scooters (e-scooters) become more available in cities and urban areas, injuries are becoming more common—especially among teenage boys. This is among the findings from a new study using a national database of e-scooter injuries, which also found racial and ethnic disparities among those injured. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-electric-scooter-injuries-racial-ethnic.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:10:02 EDT news694780681 A study of young adults treated in emergency departments found that the SaFETy (Serious fighting, Friend weapon carrying, community Environment, and firearm Threats) score, a firearm-specific risk screening tool, can meaningfully predict the risk of interpersonal firearm violence within 12 months. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-er-screening-tool-accurately-firearm.html Mon, 06 Apr 2026 17:00:01 EDT news694686001 Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University investigators and colleagues created an algorithm designed to use data on sudden cardiac arrests to determine the best public locations for lifesaving devices called automated external defibrillators. Their findings were published in IJC Heart & Vasculature. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-aed-algorithm-lifesaving-devices.html Mon, 06 Apr 2026 13:40:03 EDT news694694469 Artificial intelligence has already proven it can perform specific medical tasks, such as interpreting X-rays or flagging risks in patient data. But caring for patients is a dynamic process that unfolds over time, requiring clinicians to interpret signals from multiple sources and intervene as a patient's condition changes. Stabilizing a patient may require a physician to synthesize lab values and medical images, listen to lung or heart sounds, observe physical responses, and decide when to escalate care—often under severe time pressure. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ai-entire-medical-decision.html Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:30:02 EDT news694355204 Researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital have found more than an estimated 240,800 visits to U.S. emergency departments (EDs) associated with household cleaning product-related injuries from 2007 through 2022 for children aged five years and younger. That's one injury every 35 minutes. Among all household cleaning products, bleach and detergents were the most common product types associated with these injuries. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-household-products-source-child-injury.html Thu, 02 Apr 2026 14:30:01 EDT news694358521 For decades, Chicago's South Side neighborhoods have experienced high rates of firearm violence, making speedy access to expert trauma care a matter of life and death. A recent study in JAMA Surgery helps quantify the impact of critical care: the opening of the University of Chicago Medicine's Level 1 trauma center in 2018 was associated with a nearly 4% reduction in firearm mortality, thanks to faster and closer emergency treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-trauma-center-gunshot-minutes-deaths.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 10:00:22 EDT news693760786 In emergency medicine, triage differentiates patients who require immediate attention from those who can safely wait for care. When it comes to children's mental or behavioral health, however, triage scores were found to be inaccurate in two-thirds of the cases when compared to the level of care the child actually received during their emergency visit, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-er-triage-children-mental-health.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 11:00:01 EDT news693488121 Doctors in Liverpool working with researchers at the Center for Trials Research at Cardiff University have identified promising evidence for the effectiveness of an early and rapid diagnostic test for sepsis. Teams from the University of Liverpool and NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group conducted the study to address this common and serious condition. They were joined by colleagues at the Center for Trials Research, at Cardiff University, as well as investigators at 20 NHS acute care hospitals in England and Wales. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-advances-accurately-sepsis.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 16:00:04 EDT news693498241 Many seriously injured patients in Global South countries are failing to reach medical care within the lifesaving "golden hour" and ambulances are often associated with these delays. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-global-south-patients-medical-hour.html Sun, 22 Mar 2026 20:00:01 EDT news693123694 Nationally, heat-related mortality has risen by nearly 17% per year since 2016. As a result, New York City now issues heat alerts and opens cooling centers when the heat index is forecast to reach 95 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for at least two consecutive days or a heat index of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for any length of time. Meanwhile, older adults are known to have a higher risk of heat stroke and related death, to have more heat-sensitive chronic conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease, and diabetes, and to be more likely to take medications that impair heat regulation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-older-adults-illness-health.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 11:00:10 EDT news693154137 One in ten emergency patients with visible blood in their urine dies within three months of presenting at hospital emergency departments, new research has found. The WASHOUT study, presented at the European Association of Urology Congress (EAU26) in London, has found that a scan within 48 hours could reduce this risk. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-scan-emergency-department-patients-blood.html Sun, 15 Mar 2026 20:10:01 EDT news692551321 Results from the RAPID-MIRACLE trial have found, for the first time, that the widely used MIRACLE2 risk score can be applied outside a hospital setting to accurately predict brain injury following a cardiac arrest. This could inform the type of immediate care patients receive, helping to ensure they have the best treatment available while saving crucial resources. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-algorithm-paramedics-brain-cardiac.html Sat, 14 Mar 2026 13:30:01 EDT news692357683 Researchers at Mass General Brigham have developed a series of artificial intelligence (AI) tools that uses machine learning to identify individuals who may be at risk for intimate partner violence (IPV) using information from their electronic medical records (EMRs). In a study published in npj Women's Health, the researchers report the tools could detect IPV up to four years before the individual sought care at a domestic violence treatment center. The findings highlight its potential for proactive screening and supporting health care providers in initiating earlier conversations about IPV with patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-ai-tools-enable-early-intimate.html Fri, 13 Mar 2026 06:00:07 EDT news692550661 Sepsis moves fast. A patient can arrive at hospital with what appears to be a routine infection and, within hours, develop organ failure. Survival often depends on how quickly treatment begins. Across Europe, doctors are seeing increasingly complex cases. Populations are aging and more people are living with chronic illness. At the same time, antimicrobial resistance, when bacteria no longer respond to antibiotics, is making infections harder to treat. Together, these pressures are reshaping the landscape of sepsis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-sepsis-harder-europe.html Wed, 11 Mar 2026 19:50:01 EDT news692454709 Research conducted by University of Calgary scientists informed patient care when hundreds of children became sick from exposure to a severe strain of E. coli. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea. One in five infected children experience life-threatening complications. In summer 2023, a large STEC outbreak occurred at several Calgary daycare centers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-daily-blood-curb-coli-complications.html Wed, 11 Mar 2026 17:10:02 EDT news692467741 Researchers at University of Tsukuba conducted a systematic review of published case reports and case series examining carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning associated with waterpipe tobacco use. The findings have been published in JMA Journal. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-links-waterpipe-poisonings-outdoor-short.html Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:50:03 EDT news692263693 Billings Clinic investigators tracked trauma patients arriving directly from the scene versus patients transferred between facilities and found much longer times to reach the tertiary center for transfers, while adjusted mortality aligned with Injury Severity Score, age, hospital length of stay, and shock index rather than transfer status. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-golden-hour-distance-delay-rural.html Sat, 07 Mar 2026 14:00:05 EST news691930974