Emergency medicine https://medicalxpress.com/emergency-medicine-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Emergency medicine Blood test can help clinicians better identify brain injury severity in patients Clinician-scientists hope to expand the use of blood-based biomarker tests for traumatic brain injury (TBI) to improve identification and escalation of care for patients whose diagnosis otherwise might be missed. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-blood-clinicians-brain-injury-severity.html Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:00:07 EDT news711879829 Why using AI saves doctors time but won't fix physician burnout AI adoption in medicine is accelerating: More than 12,000 primary care clinicians have enrolled in Canada Health Infoway's national AI scribe program, about 5,000 Ontario physicians use AI scribes and roughly one in five Canadian physicians now use AI tools. Almost 60% report a cut in administrative time. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-ai-doctors-wont-physician-burnout.html Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:20:08 EDT news711883698 Stigmatizing patient details can push AI to deprioritize high-risk emergency cases Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tools used in emergency triage may be susceptible to the same clinical stigmas associated with human assessments, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center reported in a study published in npj Digital Medicine. Their findings suggest this could result in harmful biases and wrongful prioritization of patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-stigmatizing-patient-ai-deprioritize-high.html Tue, 20 Oct 2026 18:00:13 EDT news711726121 Learn CPR: Why it matters more than you may realize A family member collapses at home. A co-worker suddenly becomes unresponsive. A child stops breathing. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-cpr.html Thu, 15 Oct 2026 14:20:07 EDT news711292083 Researchers explore outcomes for patients with high potassium High levels of potassium in the blood, common in people on certain medications or with kidney disease, often come with no symptoms but can be deadly in severe cases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-explore-outcomes-patients-high-potassium.html Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:00:12 EDT news711271577 Safer nurse workloads could alleviate emergency department crowding A new study led by researchers from Penn Nursing's Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research (CHOPR) finds that improving hospital nurse workloads could alleviate delays in care contributing to emergency department crowding. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-safer-nurse-workloads-alleviate-emergency.html Wed, 14 Oct 2026 07:20:01 EDT news711174311 When it comes to health care access, more isn't always better Hospitals and policymakers routinely face a difficult question when investing in specialized emergency services: Will adding another facility improve care, or would those resources do more good somewhere else? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-health-access-isnt.html Mon, 12 Oct 2026 11:00:43 EDT news710753221 Global injury crisis highlights urgent need for smarter trauma care A study of almost 9,000 injury patients across Africa and South Asia has found that nearly half were dead or disabled after three months—highlighting the need for smarter, locally tailored trauma-care systems. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-global-injury-crisis-highlights-urgent.html Thu, 08 Oct 2026 08:20:12 EDT news710655121 Intranasal sufentanil-ketamine appears safe, effective for pediatric acute pain Intranasal sufentanil-ketamine is fast-acting and appears to be well tolerated and effective at curbing acute pain for pediatric patients in the emergency department, according to a study presented at the annual European Emergency Medicine Congress, held Sept. 23–27 in Paris. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-intranasal-sufentanil-ketamine-safe-effective.html Wed, 07 Oct 2026 18:40:09 EDT news710574505 Digital alerts support timely treatment decisions of critically ill cardiac patients For busy health care workers, the electronic health record (EHR) can feel like an endless stream of clicks and prompts. But three Michigan Medicine studies suggest that well-designed alerts for critically ill cardiac patients can change what happens at the bedside, prompting clinicians to make recommended treatment decisions and recognize when patients are deteriorating. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-digital-treatment-decisions-critically-ill.html Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:20:21 EDT news710500021 As immigration enforcement increased in L.A., foreign-born patients made fewer ER visits Emergency room visits among people born outside the United States declined sharply at Los Angeles County safety-net hospitals after immigration enforcement intensified in the region last year, according to new USC research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-immigration-la-foreign-born-patients.html Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:20:02 EDT news710421241 Injectable foam prototype could seal deep wounds and help prevent amputations A caulking gun filled with silicone compound is set to enable doctors and nurses in the future to seal even deep wounds caused by blast injuries—thereby preventing amputations and reducing mortality among patients with severe wounds. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-foam-prototype-deep-wounds-amputations.html Sat, 03 Oct 2026 08:40:01 EDT news710072118 New research links declines in ED pediatric readiness to thousands of child deaths A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics provides evidence that being prepared to care for children in an emergency—and staying prepared over time—can be a matter of life and death. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-links-declines-ed-pediatric-readiness.html Thu, 01 Oct 2026 08:20:08 EDT news710060882 Even short-term rises in air pollution are linked to more asthma emergency visits in Singapore Even relatively small increases in fine-particle air pollution can be followed by more asthma- and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-related emergency department visits, according to a nationwide study in Singapore. The increase was most pronounced for asthma, while COPD showed a similar direction of effect but did not reach statistical significance at lower pollution levels. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-short-term-air-pollution-linked.html Wed, 30 Sep 2026 10:20:10 EDT news709978441 Emergency room intervention pairs smartphone and telehealth counseling to reduce risky firearm behavior Among U.S. teens and young adults, firearm violence accounts for about 65,000 emergency department visits annually, and 60% of all firearm deaths in this age group result from interpersonal violence. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-emergency-room-intervention-pairs-smartphone.html Tue, 29 Sep 2026 17:20:01 EDT news709916882 New opioid up to 10 times stronger than fentanyl spreading across US A powerful new lab-made opioid is moving through the illegal U.S. drug supply, and federal officials warn it could keep spreading. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-opioid-stronger-fentanyl.html Tue, 29 Sep 2026 17:00:02 EDT news709919822 Bedside blood test can deliver results in under 10 minutes to guide urgent stroke care Minutes count when a patient with a stroke arrives at a hospital emergency room. Doctors stand ready to treat the patient, but whether medication can dissolve the blood clot depends on what the patient is already taking. Even if a blood sample is rushed to the laboratory, results can take up to an hour to arrive. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-bedside-blood-results-minutes-urgent.html Mon, 28 Sep 2026 16:20:05 EDT news709827121 Nasal spray brings pain relief for children treated in the emergency department A pain treatment delivered by nasal spray offers an effective, needle-free option for children being seen in emergency departments for a range of injuries, according to research presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-nasal-spray-pain-relief-children.html Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:00:01 EDT news709538643 Blood test shows whether newborns with fever have bacterial or viral infection A test that compares the levels of two molecules in the blood can accurately distinguish between bacterial and viral infections in newborn babies with fever, according to a small study presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-blood-newborns-fever-bacterial-viral.html Sat, 26 Sep 2026 18:00:02 EDT news709464072 Virtual reality and classical music help to reduce blood pressure in patients in emergency department A virtual reality landscape of a flowing river and trees, accompanied by classical music, can significantly reduce patients' blood pressure within 15 minutes of being seen in an emergency department. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-virtual-reality-classical-music-blood.html Fri, 25 Sep 2026 18:00:04 EDT news709461864 Drones could speed up delivery of automated external defibrillators to patients suffering cardiac arrest Drones could be used to deliver automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to people experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, according to a study presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-drones-delivery-automated-external-defibrillators.html Fri, 25 Sep 2026 18:00:01 EDT news709461745 Deaths linked to treatable emergency surgical conditions are rising in the US Death rates associated with three common, treatable emergency general surgery conditions rose about 50% among U.S. adults ages 18 to 64 between 1999 and 2020—and rose nearly twice as fast in rural communities as in urban ones, according to a national analysis of nearly 20,000 deaths. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-deaths-linked-treatable-emergency-surgical.html Fri, 25 Sep 2026 11:00:20 EDT news709538570 Risk of death rises with rate of overcrowding, corridor care in hospital emergency department The risk of death for patients treated in the emergency department increases by 1% for every 10% increase in occupancy, according to research that will be presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-death-overcrowding-corridor-hospital-emergency.html Thu, 24 Sep 2026 18:00:17 EDT news709461850 New ambulance triage method could reduce emergency visits for chest pain Researchers in the Netherlands have found that about 30% of emergency department visits by patients with chest pain could be avoided if ambulance crews used a high-sensitivity troponin test alongside other measures during prehospital triage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-ambulance-triage-method-emergency-chest.html Thu, 24 Sep 2026 18:00:10 EDT news709461856 Violence against emergency workers is increasing: Hospital overcrowding a major contributor Some 75% of workers in emergency medical departments and services have witnessed violence in the past year, according to a survey of more than 1,300 health care professionals in 81 countries. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-violence-emergency-workers-hospital-overcrowding.html Thu, 24 Sep 2026 18:00:06 EDT news709461842 Researchers test drones as a new way to deliver blood products in emergencies Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz are studying whether drones can deliver freeze-dried plasma to critically injured patients when conventional transportation cannot get them to a hospital quickly enough. The research, currently underway in Ukraine, has delivered the blood product to medical teams treating severely injured military personnel. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-drones-blood-products-emergencies.html Thu, 24 Sep 2026 07:20:03 EDT news709443661 Predictive anatomical guidance system helps novice users acquire trauma ultrasound images Ultrasound is widely used in emergency and trauma care because it can provide rapid information at a patient's bedside. One of its most common applications is the focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) examination, which helps clinicians look for signs of internal bleeding and free fluid in injured patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-anatomical-guidance-novice-users-trauma.html Wed, 23 Sep 2026 19:20:06 EDT news709395541 Bystander CPR: You never know when you may need it According to the American Heart Association, only about half of Americans say they would feel confident performing CPR in an emergency. Many people worry they might do something wrong, injure the person or face legal consequences. Others assume someone else will step in. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-bystander-cpr.html Wed, 23 Sep 2026 13:40:12 EDT news709385521 Hospital drills reveal keys to wartime mass casualty response Regular drills are crucial if a mass casualty plan is to work in a wartime situation. Focusing on staff safety in the plan itself and taking information flows into account are also important factors for success. These are the findings of a study from Linköping University published in the journal Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-hospital-drills-reveal-keys-wartime.html Mon, 21 Sep 2026 10:00:01 EDT news709202130 Emergency medicine physicians safely eliminate thousands of unnecessary CT scans Emergency medicine physician-researchers at the University of Cincinnati have shown that a targeted quality improvement campaign can safely reduce unnecessary head and cervical spine (neck) computed tomography (CT) scans in low-risk trauma patients—with no downside. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-emergency-medicine-physicians-safely-thousands.html Fri, 18 Sep 2026 11:00:06 EDT news708947041