Annals of emergency medicine
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Comparative Study
Detection of soft-tissue foreign bodies by plain radiography, xerography, computed tomography, and ultrasonography.
Detection of a soft-tissue foreign body is common yet often difficult, particularly when the foreign material is not radiopaque. Various imaging modalities have been advocated for detecting foreign bodies that are not revealed by plain radiography. The abilities of plain radiography, xerography, computed tomography, and ultrasonography to detect glass, wooden, and plastic foreign bodies in an in vitro preparation are compared. While all of these imaging techniques demonstrated a glass foreign body, only ultrasonography clearly identified wooden and plastic foreign bodies.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A comparison of wound irrigation solutions used in the emergency department.
The purpose of our study was to examine which of the wound irrigants commonly used in the emergency department is the most efficacious in reducing the risk of wound infection. Five hundred thirty-one patients were randomized into three groups. All patients had their wounds irrigated using a 20-mL syringe with a 20-gauge IV catheter. ⋯ This was not statistically significant. We conclude that there is not a significant difference in infection rates among sutured wounds irrigated with NS, PI, or SC. The cost of NS was the lowest of the three treatments in our ED.
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Amantadine is an antiviral agent that is also used in the treatment of parkinsonism and neuroleptic-induced extrapyramidal symptoms. Toxic effects of amantadine relate primarily to the central nervous system and range from mild symptoms to disorientation and hallucinations. ⋯ Concomitant use of diphenhydramine contributed to the clinical presentation. Amantadine toxicity should be considered in the differential diagnosis of altered mental status in patients known to be taking the drug or with conditions commonly treated with amantadine.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Effect of povidone-iodine and saline soaking on bacterial counts in acute, traumatic, contaminated wounds.
It is common practice to soak acute traumatic wounds in dilute povidone-iodine solution before definitive wound cleaning and debridement. The effectiveness of soaking wounds is unknown. Using quantitative wound bacterial counts as a measure of efficacy, we compared wounds soaked in 1% povidone-iodine solution or in normal saline with wounds receiving no treatment. ⋯ Wounds with counts of less than 10(5) bacteria/g tissue are unlikely to become infected. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the changes in bacterial count after treatment as a function of experimental group and initial bacterial count. There was no significant difference between the control and povidone-iodine groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)