Annals of emergency medicine
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Improved understanding of factors affecting prolonged emergency department (ED) length of stay is crucial to improving patient outcomes. Our investigation builds on prior work by considering ED length of stay in operationally distinct time periods and using benchmark and novel machine learning techniques applied only to data that would be available to ED operators in real time. ⋯ This study identified granular capacity, flow, and nurse staffing predictors of ED length of stay not previously reported in the literature. Our novel methodology allowed for more accurate and operationally meaningful findings compared to prior modeling methods.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of Nebulized Ketamine to Intravenous Subdissociative Dose Ketamine for Treating Acute Painful Conditions in the Emergency Department: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Double-Dummy Controlled Trial.
We aimed to assess and compare the analgesic efficacy and adverse effects of intravenous subdissociative-dose ketamine to nebulized ketamine in emergency department (ED) patients with acute painful conditions. ⋯ We found no difference between the administration of IV and nebulized ketamine for the short-term treatment of moderate to severe acute pain in the ED, with both treatments providing a clinically meaningful reduction in pain scores at 30 minutes.
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Meta Analysis
Diagnostic Accuracy of D-Dimer for Acute Aortic Syndromes: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Acute aortic syndrome is a life-threatening emergency condition. Previous systematic reviews of D-dimer diagnostic accuracy for acute aortic syndrome have been contradictory and based on limited data, but recently published studies offer potential for a more definitive overview. We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the diagnostic accuracy of D-dimer for diagnosing acute aortic syndrome. ⋯ D-dimer concentration has high sensitivity (96.5%) and moderate specificity (56.2%) for acute aortic syndrome, with some uncertainty around estimates due to risk of bias and heterogeneity. Previous meta-analysis reporting higher specificity may be explained by inclusion of case-control studies that may overestimate accuracy.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Rapid Acute Coronary Syndrome Evaluation Over One Hour With High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin I: A United States-Based Stepped-Wedge, Randomized Trial.
The real-world effectiveness and safety of a 0/1-hour accelerated protocol using high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) to exclude myocardial infarction (MI) compared to routine care in the United States is uncertain. The objective was to compare a 0/1-hour accelerated protocol for evaluation of MI to a 0/3-hour standard care protocol. ⋯ A 0/1-hour accelerated protocol using high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I did not lead to more safe ED discharges compared with standard care.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Out-of-Hospital Intranasal Ketamine as an Adjunct to Fentanyl for the Treatment of Acute Traumatic Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
To evaluate if out-of-hospital administration of fentanyl and intranasal ketamine, compared to fentanyl alone, improves early pain control after injury. ⋯ In our sample, we did not detect an analgesic benefit of adding 50 mg intranasal ketamine to fentanyl in out-of-hospital trauma patients.