CuratED: The emergency medicine pharmacotherapy literature of 2024

The purpose of this article is to summarize pharmacotherapy related emergency medicine (EM) literature indexed in 2024. Articles were selected utilizing a modified Delphi approach. The table of contents from predetermined journals were reviewed and independently evaluated via the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system by paired authors. Pharmacotherapy-related publications deemed to be GRADE 1A and 1B were reviewed by the collective group for inclusion in the review. This article synthesizes and evaluates findings from 11 randomized controlled trials, 10 guidelines, clinical policies, position statements, or consensus recommendations, and 7 meta-analyses, providing critical insight into their potential clinical impact. Covered topics include guideline updates on seizure prophylaxis in traumatic brain injury, corticosteroid use in sepsis and acute respiratory distress and antibiotic prophylaxis in trauma. Additional topics include updates on thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke, including tenecteplase versus alteplase, anticoagulation reversal strategies with andexanet alpha and prothrombin complex concentrate, and the use of tranexamic acid in traumatic brain injury, ketamine versus etomidate for intubation in critically ill adults, expert consensus on heart failure hospitalization management, geriatric emergency medication safety recommendations, and emerging data on dual antiplatelet therapy for stroke management.