Joseph K. Maddry

Validation of the American Association of Poison Control Centers out of hospital guideline for pediatric diphenhydramine ingestions

Context. In 2006, the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) published an out of hospital guideline for diphenhydramine overdoses in children. This guideline has not been validated. Objective. Our objective was to determine the incidence of serious clinical effects or use of medical treatments after unintentional diphenhydramine ingestions in children. We sought to determine if patients with less than 7.5 mg/kg ingestions developed medical complications of diphenhydramine toxicity. Materials and methods. In our observational case series, we searched 7 years of data (2000–2006) in the Texas Poison Center Network for diphenhydramine using the AAPCC generic codes. We included only acute, single ingestions of diphenhydramine in children under 6 years old. We included only patients with a recorded weight, known amount of ingestant, and known follow-up. We defined “serious clinical effects” as hallucinations, seizure, wide QRS on electrocardiogram, wide complex dysrhythmia, any conduction block, hypotension, hypertension, rhabdomyolysis, pyrexia, dystonia, coma, respiratory depression, or death. One trained abstractor reviewed the data and entered it into an electronic data collection form. Twenty percent of the charts were audited for abstractor agreement. Results. Our search resulted in 928 cases. Of these, 305 were included in our study. Of the patients who ingested doses less than 7.5 mg/kg, 99.7% (299/300) did not require critical treatments or were without serious clinical effects. One child was admitted. Five children ingested doses of more than 7.5 mg/kg. All five were observed in the emergency department and discharged home. Two patients had serious clinical effects of hallucinations, one of which ingested more than 7.5 mg/kg. No child required critical treatments. Our agreement on chart review for 20% of the cases was very good for “serious clinical effects” (kappa, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.39–1.0) and excellent for “critical treatments” (kappa, 1.0). Conclusion. Based on our observational case series, 99.6% of patients who reportedly ingested doses less than 7.5 mg/kg did not develop serious clinical effects or require admission. Pediatric ingestions over 7.5 mg/kg were uncommon in our study population. Serious clinical effects, critical treatments, and admission from diphenhydramine were rare in children under 6 years old.

Incidence of tricyclic antidepressant-like complications after cyclobenzaprine overdose

BACKGROUND The cyclobenzaprine structure is similar to amitriptyline; however, tricyclic antidepressant (TCA)-like wide complex dysrhythmia has not been reported. Our objective was to determine the incidence of TCA-like effects in cyclobenzaprine overdoses as reported to 6 poison centers for 2 years. We compared the incidence of these effects to amitriptyline overdoses collected during the same period. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of 2 years of cases as reported to the Texas Poison Center Network. We identified sole ingestions of cyclobenzaprine and of amitriptyline. Cases had a recorded clinical outcome and clinical effect. A trained reviewer used a standard data collection sheet within a secured electronic database. One investigator audited a random sample of charts. RESULTS We identified 3974 cases of cyclobenzaprine calls. Of these, we collected 209 cases of acute overdoses without coingestions. There were no deaths. No cases of cyclobenzaprine ingestions were reported to have died or have a wide QRS or ventricular dysrhythmia. Seizures were reported in 2 cases; however, both were unrelated to cyclobenzaprine. Hypotension was reported in 1.4% (3/209) of cases, and a vasopressor was used in one case (0.5%). Patients with an amitriptyline overdose were more likely to have seizure, coma, tachycardia, a wide QRS or ventricular dysrhythmia, and have received sodium bicarbonate or be intubated. CONCLUSIONS Cyclobenzaprine overdoses were not reported to cause widened QRS, ventricular dysrhythmias, or seizures, and hypotension was rarely reported. Tricyclic antidepressant-related effects occurred more often in our comparison group of amitriptyline overdoses.

Combat MEDEVAC: A comparison of care by provider type for en route trauma care in theater and 30-day patient outcomes.

BACKGROUND Medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) is the movement and en route care of injured and medically compromised patients by medical care providers via helicopter. Military MEDEVAC platforms provide lifesaving interventions that improve survival in combat. There is limited evidence to support decision making related to en route care and allocation of resources. The association between provider type and en route care is not well understood. Our objective was to describe MEDEVAC providers and identify associations between provider type, procedures performed, and outcomes. METHODS We conducted an institutional review board–approved, retrospective record review of patients traumatically injured in combat, evacuated by MEDEVAC from the point of injury, between 2011 and 2014. Data abstracted included injury description, provider type, procedures performed, medications administered, survival, and 30-day outcomes. Subjects were grouped according to provider type: medics, paramedics, and ADVs (advanced-level providers to include nurses, physician assistants, and physicians). Groups were compared. Analyses were performed using &khgr;2 tests for categorical variables and analysis of variance tests (Kruskal-Wallis tests) for continuous variables; p < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS The MEDEVAC records were reviewed, and data were abstracted from 1,237 subjects. The providers were composed of medics, 76%; paramedics, 21%; and ADVs, 4%. Patient and injury demographics were similar among groups. The ADVs were most likely to perform intubation, chest needle decompressions (p < 0.0001), and hypothermia prevention (p = 0.01). Paramedics were most likely to administer blood en route (p < 0.0001). All other procedures were similar between groups. Paramedics were most likely to administer ketamine (p < 0.0001), any analgesic (p < 0.0001), or any medication en route (p < 0.0001). Incidence rates of en route events (pain, hypoxia, abnormal hemodynamics, vital signs) were similar between provider types. In-theater and 30-day survival rates were similar between provider types. CONCLUSION Providers with higher-level training were more likely to perform more advanced procedures during en route care. Our study found no significant association between provider type and in-theater or 30-day mortality rates. Upon subgroup analysis, no difference was found in patients with an injury severity score greater than 16. More evidence is needed to determine the appropriate level of MEDEVAC personnel training and skill maintenance necessary to minimize combat mortality. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic study, level III.

Multicenter, Prospective Study of Prehospital Administration of Analgesia in the U.S. Combat Theater of Afghanistan

Abstract Background: Published data on prehospital medical care in combat is limited, likely due to the chaotic and unpredictable nature of care under fire and difficulty in documentation There is limited data on how often analgesic agents are administered, which drug are being used, and whether there is an association with injury patterns. Methods: This study was a prospective, multicenter, observational study to determine which analgesic agents are being used prehospital and whether there is an association with injury patterns. Data was collected and recorded as casualties were brought into combat surgical hospitals in Afghanistan from October 2012 to April 2014. Onsite, trained investigators collected the data as part of a IRB approved protocol. Outcome data to 30 days was obtained from the DoD Trauma Registry (DODTR) within the Joint Trauma System. Results: During the study period 532 patient encounters available for inclusion with 378 receiving an analgesic agent (total of 541 administrations). The average age was 27 (range 21–31), 99% male, 40% were US or coalition forces. Parenteral medications used were ketamine, fentanyl, morphine, hydromorphone and ketorolac. Penetrating injuries were more likely to receive analgesic agent (89% vs 79%, p=0.0057). Blunt trauma was less likely to receive ketamine (p=0.008). Fentanyl was used more for patients with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) >15 (p=0.016). Conclusion: Patients with penetrating trauma are more likely to receive analgesic agents in the combat prehospital setting. The most common analgesic used was ketamine. Patient ISS was not associated with administration of analgesia. Patients receiving analgesia were more likely to still be hospitalized at 30 days. The prospective nature of this study supports feasibility for future, larger, more comprehensive projects.

A Prospective Observation Study of Medical Toxicology Consultation in a U.S. Combat Theater

OBJECTIVES Since 2001, U.S. military personnel and active duty, uniformed physicians providing medical support have been deployed to Afghanistan. Medical toxicologists are among the physicians deployed. There is a paucity of information present in the literature that has documented cases treated by toxicologists in theater. This prospective observational study describes 15 male patients treated in theater by a military medical toxicologist. METHODS We performed a prospective observational study in which a medical toxicologist consulted and reported on deployed toxicology cases occurring during a 5-month deployment to Bagram, Afghanistan. RESULTS Fifteen toxicology cases were collected during the 5-month period. The patients included three Afghan civilians, three U.S. civilians, and nine U.S. military personnel. Eight cases were attempts at recreational euphoria, two were self-harm attempts, two were from performance-enhancing supplements, two were accidental occupational exposures and one was alcohol withdrawal. Methanol was the most common exposure followed by dextromethorphan, supplements, opiates, and chlorine gas. CONCLUSION In our study, we found that toxic alcohols and nonprescription medications were the most common exposures. In addition, this is the first study to describe bedside toxicology consults for U.S. combat forces in theater and the use of an observation unit for critically ill patients.

Thoracic spinal cord compression masquerading as cauda equina syndrome.

Epidural compression syndrome is a collective term encompassing disease processes causing compression of the spinal cord, conus medullaris, or cauda equina. Most frequently discussed among these subsets is cauda equina syndrome, characterized by back pain, lowerextremity motor weakness, saddle anesthesia, decreased rectal tone, and urinary or fecal incontinence. The study of choice for cauda equina syndrome is lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Yet symptom complexes consistent with cauda equina syndrome may instead be due to higher-level compressive lesions not identified by lumbar MRI. We present the case of a woman presentingwith low back pain, urinary retention, and bilateral lower-extremity weakness with an equivocal lumbar MRI. Given clinical suspicion for epidural compression, neurosurgery was consulted; and the patient underwent partial laminectomy and decompression at L1-2 and L3-4, and a laminectomy and decompression at L2-3. The patient did not experience symptom resolution, and subsequent thoracic and lumbar MRI demonstrated a T10-11 right paracentral disk extrusion resulting in severe thoracic spinal cord compression. The patient underwent emergent T10-11 laminectomy and decompression, but residual lower-extremity motor deficits remained. The present case highlights the importance of considering thoracic MRI, in addition to lumbar spine MRI, for patients presenting with symptom complexes suggestive of cauda equina syndrome.

Trends in Prehospital Analgesia Administration by US Forces From 2007 Through 2016

Abstract Background: Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) guidelines regarding prehospital analgesia agents have evolved. The guidelines stopped recommending intramuscular (IM) morphine in 1996, recommending only intravenous (IV) routes. In 2006, the guidelines recommended oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (OTFC), and in 2012 it added ketamine via all routes. It remains unclear to what extent prehospital analgesia administered on the battlefield adheres to these guidelines. We seek to describe trends in analgesia administration patterns on the battlefield during 2007–2016. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a Department of Defense Trauma Registry data set from January 2007 to August 2016. Within that group, we searched for subjects who received IM morphine, IV morphine, OTFC, parenteral fentanyl, or ketamine (all routes). Results: Our predefined ED search codes captured 28,222 subjects during the study period. Of these, 594 (2.1%) received IM morphine; 3,765 (13.3%) received IV morphine; 589 (2.1%) received OTFC; and 1,510 (5.4%) subjects received ketamine. Annual rates of administration of IM morphine were relatively stable during the study period, while those for OTFC and ketamine generally trended upward starting in 2012. In particular, the proportion of subjects receiving ketamine rose from 3.9% (n = 995/25,618) during the study period preceding its addition to the TCCC guidelines (2007 to 2012) to 19.8% thereafter (2013–2016, n = 515/2,604, p < 0.001). Conclusions: During the study period, rates of prehospital administration of IM morphine remained relatively stable while those for OTFC and ketamine both rose. These findings suggest that TCCC guidelines recommending the use of these agents had a material impact on prehospital analgesia patterns.

Opioid Use Patterns Among Active Duty Service Members and Civilians: 2006–2014

Introduction Between 2001 and 2009, opioid analgesic prescriptions in the Military Health System quadrupled to 3.8 million. The sheer quantity of opioid analgesics available sets the stage for issues related to misuse, abuse, and diversion. To address this issue, the Department of Defense implemented several directives and clinical guidelines to improve access to appropriate pain care and safe opioid prescribing. Unfortunately, little has been done to characterize changing patterns of opioid use in active duty service members (ADSM), so little is known about how combat operations and military health care policy may have influenced this significant problem. We examined changes in opioid use for ADSM between 2006 and 2014, compared trends with the civilian population, and explored the potential role of military-specific factors in changes in opioid use in the Military Health System. Materials and Methods After obtaining Institutional Review Board approval, administrative prescription records (Pharmacy Data Transaction Records) for non-deployed ADSM were used to determine the number of opioid prescriptions dispensed each year and the proportion of ADSM who received at least one prescription per month between 2006 and 2014. Based on the observation and the literature, we identified December 2011 as the demarcation point (the optimal point to identify the downturn in opioid use) and used it to compare opioid use trends before and after. We used an autoregressive forecast model to verify changes in opioid use patterns before and after 2011. Several interrupted time series models examined whether military system-level factors were associated with changes in opioid use. Results Between 2006 and 2014, 1,516,979 ADSM filled 7,119,945 opioid prescriptions, either in military treatment facilities or purchased through TRICARE. Both active duty and civilian populations showed signs of decreasing use after 2011, but this change was much more pronounced among ADSM. The forecast model showed a significant difference after 2011 between the projected and actual proportion of ADSM filling an opioid prescription, confirming 2011 as a point of divergence in opioid use. Interrupted time series models showed that the deflection point was associated with significant decreases. A significant increase of 0.261% in opioid prescriptions was seen for every 1,000 wounded in action service members in a given month. Troops returning from Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn did not appear to influence the rates of use. Even after accounting for returning troops from Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn and wounded in action counts, the deflection point was associated with a lower proportion of ADSM who filled an opioid prescription, leading to a decrease of 1.61% by the end of the observation period (December 2014). Conclusion After December 2011, opioid use patterns significantly decreased in both civilian and ADSM populations, but more so in the military population. Many factors, such as numbers of those wounded in action and the structural organization of the Military Health System, may have caused the decline, although more than likely the decrease was influenced by many factors inside and outside of the military, including policy directives and cultural changes.

An analysis of casualties presenting to military emergency departments in Iraq and Afghanistan

Background: During the past 17 years of conflict the deployed US military health care system has found new and innovative ways to reduce combat mortality down to the lowest case fatality rate in US history. There is currently a data dearth of emergency department (ED) care delivered in this setting. We seek to describe ED interventions in this setting. Methods: We used a series of ED procedure codes to identify subjects within the Department of Defense Trauma Registry from January 2007 to August 2016. Results: During this time, 28,222 met inclusion criteria. The median age of causalities in this dataset was 25 years and most (96.9%) were male, US military (41.3%), and part of Operation Enduring Freedom (66.9%). The majority survived to hospital discharge (95.5%). Most subjects sustained injuries by explosives (55.3%) and gunshot wound (GSW). The majority of subjects had an injury severity score that was considered minor (74.1%), while the preponderance of critically injured casualties sustained injuries by explosive (0.7%). Based on AIS, the most frequently seriously injured body region was the extremities (23.9%). The bulk of administered blood products were packed red blood cells (PRBC, 26.4%). Endotracheal intubation was the most commonly performed critical procedure (11.9%). X‐ray (79.9%) was the most frequently performed imaging study. Conclusions: US military personnel comprised the largest proportion of combat casualties and most were injured by explosive. Within this dataset, ED providers most frequently performed endotracheal intubation, administered blood products, and obtained diagnostic imaging studies.

Using Pill Identification Calls to Poison Centers as a Marker of Drug Abuse at Three Texas Military Bases

Objectives Opioid abuse is a growing problem in civilian communities, and it has developed in the military as well. Telephone calls to poison centers requesting pill identification (ID) is a marker of drug abuse. This study identifies the number of pill ID calls made to the poison centers from areas containing and surrounding three Texas military bases during an 8-year period. Methods We performed a retrospective observational study identifying calls to certified poison centers in Texas from 2002 to 2009 that identified hydrocodone tablets and other pain medications. We noted the calls made from ZIP codes containing and surrounding the three largest military bases in Texas. Results We reviewed 75,537 drug ID calls for any drug from the ZIP codes of interest. Total drug ID calls increased 105% and the number of calls for hydrocodone increased 463%. Conclusions In our study most of the drug ID calls from military communities in Texas were for hydrocodone. The rate of calls for hydrocodone increased more than the rate of calls for other analgesics from 2002 to 2009. Using drug ID calls as a surrogate of drug abuse, our results suggest that hydrocodone abuse has increased within military communities and that poison center data can be a reliable surrogate for prescription drug abuse near military bases. Future studies are needed to further understand the extent of this problem in military and civilian communities. We can use this information to heighten awareness, influence prescription practices, establish practice guidelines, and develop educational programs to mitigate the increasing rate of prescription analgesic abuse in the United States.