Annals of emergency medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Resistive heating is more effective than metallic-foil insulation in an experimental model of accidental hypothermia: A randomized controlled trial.
We study a resistive-heating blanket in a volunteer model of severe accidental hypothermia to evaluate differences in rates of rewarming, core temperature afterdrop, and body heat content and distribution during active and passive rewarming. ⋯ Resistive heating more than doubles the rewarming rate compared with that produced by reflective metal foil and does so without producing an afterdrop. It is therefore likely to be useful in the prehospital setting.
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We sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a shorter N-acetylcysteine (NAC) regimen in the treatment of acute acetaminophen overdose. ⋯ This observational study suggests that a shorter course of oral NAC therapy in patients who do not show evidence of hepatotoxicity within 36 hours of an acute acetaminophen overdose is safe and effective.
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Chest pain is a common emergency department complaint. Many patients presenting with this complaint are discharged with the nonspecific diagnosis of musculoskeletal chest pain. That was the diagnosis given to the patient in this case at the time of her initial presentation to the ED, a diagnosis that was correct but incomplete. This case illustrates the importance of taking a complete history, including a thorough review of systems in every patient, even when the diagnosis seems obvious.
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To investigate the ability of an emergency department screening protocol to initiate respiratory isolation of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis at ED triage before chest radiography. ⋯ The RIPT screening protocol was only moderately sensitive for isolating patients with pulmonary tuberculosis at ED triage. Future studies should evaluate modified and abridged screening protocols, as well as the cost-effectiveness of triage screening.