Emergency Medicine Medical Journal Abstracts
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Pertussis and Persistent Cough: Practical, Clinical and Epidemiologic Issues
Journal of Emergency Medicine
Jan 2013
Pertussis and Persistent Cough: Practical, Clinical and Epidemiologic Issues
Background: Epidemiologic issues of testing, treatment, prevention, immunization, mandated reporting, and post-exposure prophylaxis do not often intrude on the Emergency Department management of the well-appearing adolescent or adult with a couple of weeks of cough. Objectives: Considering that waning immunity to..A Case of Necrotizing Fasciitis with a LRINEC Score of Zero: Clinical Suspicion Should Trump Scoring Systems
Journal of Emergency Medicine
Jan 2013
A Case of Necrotizing Fasciitis with a LRINEC Score of Zero: Clinical Suspicion Should Trump Scoring Systems
Background: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a potentially lethal infection involving the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and fascia. The Laboratory Risk Indicator for Necrotizing fasciitis (LRINEC) score has been proposed as a way of using abnormal laboratory values to distinguish between severe cellulitis and necrotizing..Emergency Department Management of Pediatric Patients with Cyanotic Heart Disease and Fever
Journal of Emergency Medicine
Dec 2012
Emergency Department Management of Pediatric Patients with Cyanotic Heart Disease and Fever
Background: Children with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) are living longer and presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) in larger numbers. A greater understanding of their diagnoses and appropriate management strategies can improve outcomes. Objective: Our objective was to describe the ED diagnoses,..Severe Sepsis in Do-not-resuscitate Patients: Intervention and Mortality Rates
Journal of Emergency Medicine
Dec 2012
Severe Sepsis in Do-not-resuscitate Patients: Intervention and Mortality Rates
Background: Severe sepsis is a high-mortality disease, and early resuscitation decreases mortality. Do-not-resuscitate (DNR) status may influence physician decisions beyond cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but this has not been investigated in sepsis. Objective: Among Emergency Department (ED) severe sepsis patients,..Emergency Department Vancomycin Use: Dosing Practices and Associated Outcomes
Journal of Emergency Medicine
Dec 2012
Emergency Department Vancomycin Use: Dosing Practices and Associated Outcomes
Background: Emergency Department (ED) dosing of vancomycin and its effect on outcomes has not been examined. Study Objective: To describe current vancomycin dosing practices for ED patients, focusing on patient factors associated with administration, dosing accuracy based on patient body weight, and clinical outcomes...Glass Intact Assures Safe Cervical Spine Protocol
Journal of Emergency Medicine
Dec 2012
Glass Intact Assures Safe Cervical Spine Protocol
Background: Selective cervical spine immobilization performed by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is being utilized with increasing frequency. These protocols, although very sensitive, still include subjective data such as “mild cervical discomfort.” The aim of this study is to create an objective clinical decision..Medical emergencies in the imaging department of a university hospital: event and imaging characteristics
Resuscitation
Jun 2012
Medical emergencies in the imaging department of a university hospital: event and imaging characteristics
We aimed to describe the characteristics of medical emergencies that occurred in the medical imaging department (MID) of a university hospital in Melbourne, Australia. A database of ‘Respond Medical Emergency Team (MET)’ and ‘Respond Blue’ calls was retrospectively examined for the period June 2003 to November 2010 in..Quality of chest compressions performed by inexperienced rescuers in simulated cardiac arrest associated with pregnancy
Resuscitation
Jun 2012
Quality of chest compressions performed by inexperienced rescuers in simulated cardiac arrest associated with pregnancy
Objective: We aimed to compare the quality of chest compressions performed by inexperienced rescuers in different positions, notably supine and at a 30° inclined lateral position, to ascertain whether high-quality chest compression is feasible on a pregnant subject in cardiac arrest. Subjects and Methods: We performed..Does the number of rescuers affect the survival rate from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests? Two or more rescuers are not always better than one.
Resuscitation
Jun 2012
Does the number of rescuers affect the survival rate from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests? Two or more rescuers are not always better than one.
Review: An increased number of rescuers may improve the survival rate from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs). The majority of OHCAs occur at home and are handled by family members. Materials and Methods: Data from 5078 OHCAs that were witnessed by citizens and unwitnessed by citizens or emergency medical..Current termination of resuscitation (TOR) guidelines predict neurologically favorable outcome in Japan
Resuscitation
Jun 2012
Current termination of resuscitation (TOR) guidelines predict neurologically favorable outcome in Japan
Background: It is unclear whether the basic life support (BLS) and advanced life support (ALS) pre-hospital termination of resuscitation (TOR) rules developed in North America can be applied successfully to patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in other countries. Objectives: To assess the performance of..Emergent Pediatric Thoracotomy Following Traumatic Arrest
Resuscitation
Jun 2012
Emergent Pediatric Thoracotomy Following Traumatic Arrest
Objectives: Emergent thoracotomy is a potentially life-saving procedure following traumatic cardiac arrest. The procedure has been studied extensively in adults, but its role in pediatric traumatic cardiac arrest remains unclear. We aimed to determine the prevalence of survival following emergent resuscitative..Does a Simple Bedside Sonographic Measurement of the Inferior Vena Cava Correlate to Central Venous Pressure?
The Journal of Emergency Medicine
Dec 2011
Does a Simple Bedside Sonographic Measurement of the Inferior Vena Cava Correlate to Central Venous Pressure?
Background: Bedside ultrasound has been suggested as a non-invasive modality to estimate central venous pressure (CVP). Objective: Evaluate a simple bedside ultrasound technique to measure the diameter of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and correlate to simultaneously measured CVP. Secondary comparisons include anatomic..Hazardous drinking among patients attending a minor injuries unit: a pilot study
Emerg Med J
Dec 2011
Hazardous drinking among patients attending a minor injuries unit: a pilot study
Excessive alcohol consumption increases the likelihood of accidental injury. This pilot study reports on the prevalence of hazardous drinkers presenting to a minor injuries unit. The proportion of hazardous drinkers is broadly similar to that found in emergency departments, suggesting that such units could also host..Diagnostic Accuracy of Pulmonary Embolism Rule-Out Criteria: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Annals of Emergency Medicine
Dec 2011
Diagnostic Accuracy of Pulmonary Embolism Rule-Out Criteria: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Study objective:To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to define the diagnostic performance of pulmonary embolism rule-out criteria (PERC) in deferring the need for D-dimer testing to rule out pulmonary embolism in the emergency department (ED). Methods: We searched EMBASE, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Knowledge,..The National Falls and Bone Health Audit: implications for UK emergency care
Emerg Med J
Nov 2011
The National Falls and Bone Health Audit: implications for UK emergency care
Introduction The National Clinical Audit of Falls and Bone Health, coordinated by the Royal College of Physicians, assesses progress in implementing integrated falls services across the UK against national standards and enables benchmarking between service providers. Nationally, falls are a leading contributor towards..Airway management in unconscious non-trauma patients
Emerg Med J
Oct 2011
Airway management in unconscious non-trauma patients
Background Tracheal intubation is recommended in unconscious trauma patients to protect the airway from pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents and also to ensure ventilation and oxygenation. Unconsciousness is often defined as a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score below 9. In non-trauma patients, however, there are no..Remote specialist assessment for intravenous thrombolysis of acute ischaemic stroke by telephone
Emerg Med J
Oct 2011
Remote specialist assessment for intravenous thrombolysis of acute ischaemic stroke by telephone
Objective To describe the process, efficacy and safety of intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischaemic stroke in an emergency department (ED) setting with remote specialist support through structured telephone consultation. Design Retrospective case series. Setting Three EDs within a single stroke service in northern..The European Paediatric Life Support course improves assessment and care of dehydrated children in the emergency department
European Journal of Pediatrics
Sep 2011
The European Paediatric Life Support course improves assessment and care of dehydrated children in the emergency department
We tested the hypothesis that application of the principles learned from the European Paediatric Life Support (EPLS) course improves child health assessment and care. In a retrospective study, residents from five paediatric emergency departments were included. For each of them, we analysed five medical records of..Clinical scores for the identification of stroke and transient ischaemic attack in the emergency department: a cross-sectional study
Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry
Mar 2011
Clinical scores for the identification of stroke and transient ischaemic attack in the emergency department: a cross-sectional study
Objective: To compare the sensitivity and specificity of bedside diagnostic stroke scales in patients with suspected stroke. Design: A cross-sectional observational study of patients with suspected acute stroke in an emergency department in a UK hospital. Diagnostic scales: The results of an assessment with the..The relationship between temperature and ambulance response calls for heat-related illness in Toronto, Ontario, 2005
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Nov 2010
The relationship between temperature and ambulance response calls for heat-related illness in Toronto, Ontario, 2005
Background: Concern over the adverse effects of heat on human health has led to numerous studies assessing the relationship between heat and mortality. Few studies have quantified the impact of heat on morbidity, including ambulance response calls. This study describes the association between temperature and ambulance..
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