The American journal of emergency medicine
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Seventy-seven percent of emergency physicians (EPs) work as either employees or independent contractors (ICs). In contrast, other hospital-based physicians such as radiologists and anesthesiologists have a much higher percentage of ownership in their medical practices. ⋯ This will inevitably result in less self-determination for their future. Combined with the great strides EM has achieved as a specialty, EPs' brightest future lies in being citizens of a broader, more expansive, all encompassing EM practice.
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Each year hundreds of thousands of children receive care in emergency departments after head injury. Minor head injuries account for a majority of these injuries. The prevalence, morbidity, and costs associated with pediatric minor head injuries make it an important topic. We review the management of pediatric minor head injury, emphasizing current areas of controversy, including criteria for neuroimaging, indications for hospitalization, the role of anticonvulsant therapy, and the long-term neurobehavioral sequelae of pediatric minor head injury.
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Patients with acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema (ACPE) are commonly seen in the emergency department (ED). Although the majority of patients respond to conventional medical therapy, some patients require at least temporary ventilatory support. ⋯ The past 2 decades have witnessed increasing interest in methods of noninvasive ventilatory support (NVS), notably continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP). We review the physiological consequences, clinical efficacy, and practical limitations of CPAP and BiPAP in the management of ACPE.