Emergency medicine clinics of North America
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Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. · Feb 2020
ReviewThe Emergency Evaluation and Management of Pediatric Extremity Fractures.
Approximately one-third of children sustain a fracture before the age of 16 years; however, their unique anatomy and healing properties often result in a good outcome. This article focuses on the diagnosis and management of pediatric extremity injuries. The article describes the anatomic features and healing principles unique to children and discusses pediatric upper and lower extremity fractures and presents evidence-based and standard practice for their management. Finally, the article describes the conditions under which emergency physicians are likely to miss pediatric fractures by highlighting specific examples and discussing the general factors that lead to these errors.
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Traumatic injuries of the hip and pelvis are commonly encountered in the emergency department. This article equips all emergency medicine practitioners with the knowledge to expertly diagnose, treat, and disposition these patients. Pelvic fractures occurring in young patients tend to be associated with high-energy mechanisms and polytrauma. Pelvic and hip fractures in the elderly are often a result of benign trauma but are associated with significant morbidity and mortality.
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Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. · Feb 2020
ReviewEmergency Medicine Orthopedic Assessment: Pearls and Pitfalls.
Acute musculoskeletal injuries are commonly seen in our emergency departments, and are commonly missed. There are many reasons for more missed injures and a significant one is over-reliance on radiographs. ⋯ That injury must be understood in the context of the patient, because older and much younger patients have weaker bone. Finally, the physical examination is instrumental in localizing the pathology and is essential to put radiograph results in the proper clinical context.
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Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. · Feb 2020
ReviewThe Emergent Evaluation and Treatment of Hand and Wrist Injuries: An Update.
Injury patterns of the hand and wrist can be complex and challenging for the emergency physician to diagnose and treat. The ability of the hand to perform delicate maneuvers requires a very intricate interplay of bones, ligaments, and tendons. ⋯ These injuries can be debilitating if not treated correctly and can be both time-consuming and fraught with medicolegal risk. This article provides the necessary knowledge to diagnose and treat common hand and wrist injuries encountered in the emergency department.
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With the high cost and limited availability of gold standard imaging modalities, ultrasound has become an alternative in many musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries. Ultrasound has become increasingly portable and readily available in many acute care settings. ⋯ It helps guide fracture and dislocation reductions and aids in regional anesthesia for pain management. This article reviews the common MSK injuries that can be diagnosed with ultrasound with a focus on point-of-care ultrasound.