Annals of emergency medicine
-
Retraction Of Publication Comparative Study
Identifying Injury Patterns Associated With Physical Elder Abuse: Analysis of Legally Adjudicated Cases.
Elder abuse is common and has serious health consequences but is underrecognized by health care providers. An important reason for this is difficulty in distinguishing between elder abuse and unintentional trauma. Our goal was to identify injury patterns associated with physical elder abuse in comparison with those of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with unintentional falls. ⋯ Specific, clinically identifiable differences may exist between unintentional injuries and those from physical elder abuse. This includes specific injury patterns that infrequently occur unintentionally.
-
We determine the association between use of specific cephalosporins and macrolides and hospital length of stay in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) who are admitted with acute chest syndrome, and determine treatment risk factors for acute chest syndrome-related 30-day readmission. ⋯ Guideline-compliant therapy for acute chest syndrome could preferentially include ceftriaxone and azithromycin. All-cause 30-day readmission for acute chest syndrome is lower than that reported for all-cause readmissions for SCD and more consistent with rates of readmission for pneumonia in the general population.
-
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited hematologic disorder that affects approximately 100,000 US individuals and results in greater than 200,000 emergency department (ED) visits annually in the United States, with pain being the most common complaint. The objective of this retrospective study is to determine the effect of implementing individualized pain plans in the treatment of patients with SCD in the ED on time to first opioid, length of stay, and disposition. ⋯ The use of individualized pain plans in the treatment of patients with SCD in the ED is a useful method of not only ensuring rapid and adequate treatment but also decreasing use of health care resources.
-
We provide an updated assessment of trends in sickle cell disease (SCD)-related mortality, a significant source of mortality in the United States among black persons, using 1979 to 2017 US mortality data. ⋯ These data indicate SCD-related deaths are now more likely to be related to chronic complications of the disease than to acute complications. More research regarding prevention and treatment of chronic complications of SCD is necessary because persons with SCD are living longer.