The American journal of emergency medicine
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A study was conducted to determine the accuracy of tympanic thermometers for measuring the temperature of warmed fluids in fluid bags and in tubing at the delivery site (ie, beside the intravenous [IV] catheter). One-liter 0.9% saline bags were warmed in a microwave oven. A thermocouple electronic temperature probe was then used to measure the reference temperature. ⋯ Again, small differences were found on the order of 1 degree C. It was concluded that infrared thermometry is an accurate method for measuring the initial and delivery temperature of warmed fluids. Although tympanic thermometer measurements were statistically different from reference readings in certain temperature ranges, these differences were small and not clinically significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Patterns of utilization of emergency medical services transport (EMS) by the elderly are poorly understood. We determined population-based rates of EMS utilization by the elderly and characterized utilization patterns by age, gender, race, and reason for transport. This observational, population-based study was conducted in Forsyth County, NC, a semi-urban county served by one convalescent ambulance service and one EMS service. ⋯ Transport rates increased for successively older five-year age groups, demonstrating a 5.7-fold stepwise increase from ages 60-65 to 85+ (51/1,000 to 291/1,000). There was no difference in mean age between patients who were frequent EMS users (more than three transports during the year) (n = 66) and other elderly transportees. Reasons for transport differed little between those 60 to 84 years of age and those 85 years of age and older with the exception of chest pain, cardiac arrest, and seizures, all of which were significantly more prevalent in the younger age group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Abdominal pain (AP) is a common presenting complaint in emergency department (ED) patients. A 1972 study reported that unsupervised surgical residents in a university hospital ED were unable to make a specific diagnosis in 41% of 1,000 AP patients. In the intervening time, ED availability of diagnostic technology has increased, and the reference hospital acquired full-time emergency medicine (EM) faculty. ⋯ One 1993 patient with acute cholecystitis was initially misdiagnosed as having UDAP. Advances in technology and EM faculty presence were temporally associated with improved diagnostic accuracy in patients with AP in a university hospital ED. As compared with 20 years ago, fewer patients required hospitalization, more were assigned a specific diagnosis, and there were fewer cases of missed surgical disease.
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Recent animal studies of acute hemorrhage in the presence of a vascular injury have demonstrated improved survival and decreased hemorrhage volume with hypotensive resuscitation, but this has occurred at the expense of tissue perfusion. It was hypothesized that addition of an oxygen-carrying perfusate would improve tissue oxygen delivery during hypotensive resuscitation. Hypotensive resuscitation of severe uncontrolled hemorrhage was compared with and without supplementation with Oxygent HT, an emulsion of perflubron (perfluorooctylbromide; PFOB; Alliance Pharmaceutical Corporation, San Diego, CA), an oxygen-carrying perfusate. ⋯ Two-hour mortality rates were 12.5% and 43% for PFC-treated animals and controls, respectively (P > .05; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] for this difference in mortality is -13% to 74%). Oxygen content and delivery were significantly greater in the treatment group. In conclusion, administration of an oxygen-carrying perfusate significantly improves oxygen delivery in hypotensive crystalloid resuscitation of severe uncontrolled hemorrhage.
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Comparative Study
Clinical impact of radiograph misinterpretation in a pediatric ED and the effect of physician training level.
Radiograph interpretation in the pediatric emergency department (ED) is commonly performed by pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) attendings or physicians-in-training. This study examines the effect of physician training level on radiograph interpretation and the clinical impact of false-negative radiograph interpretations. Data were collected on 1,471 radiographs of the chest, abdomen, extremity, lateral neck, and cervical spine interpreted by PEM attendings, one PEM fellow, one physician assistant, and emergency medicine, pediatric and family practice residents. ⋯ Twenty (1.4%) radiographs had clinically significant (false-negative) misinterpretations, including 1.7% of physician-in-training and 0.8% of attending interpretations (P = 0.15). No morbidity resulted from the delay in correct interpretation. Radiograph misinterpretation by ED physicians occurs but is unlikely to result in significant morbidity.