The American journal of emergency medicine
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Women with acute coronary syndrome appear to be treated less aggressively than men. However, little is known about potential sex biases in the evaluation of patients with low-risk chest pain admitted to emergency department (ED) chest pain units. ⋯ This study demonstrates no association between physician discretionary uses of stress testing based on sex. There is a need for further research on patient- or provider-specific factors that determine stress use and on how differences may affect clinical outcomes.
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The transmission of medical images and other data over mobile phone networks may facilitate remote medical consultations between neurosurgeons and regional hospitals treating spinal injury patients. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of mobile phone consultations with standard hospital workstation consultations in spinal injury patients. ⋯ Mobile phone consultations for patients with spinal injuries was as effective as workstation consultations. Mobile phone consultations can increase the expertise available to regional hospitals, which are often the first responders to medical emergencies.
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The aim of the study was to evaluate the risk of Friday the 13th on hospital admission rates and emergency department (ED) visits. ⋯ Although the fear of Friday the 13th may exist, there is no worry that an increase in volume occurs on Friday the 13th compared with the other days studies. Of 13 different conditions evaluated, only penetrating traumas were seen more often on Friday the 13th. For those providers who work in the ED, working on Friday the 13th should not be any different than any other day.
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Olanzapine (Zyprexa; Eli Lilly, Indianapolis, IN) is an antipsychotic medication that has been useful in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. In cases of overdose, cardiovascular and neurologic changes are seen. ⋯ Treatment with lipid emulsion resulted in amelioration of the symptoms. Inadvertent discontinuation of a lipid emulsion infusion led to recurrence of symptoms, which quickly resolved with an additional loading dose of lipid emulsion.
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In 2007, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services created a measure known as "diagnostic uncertainty" in emergency department (ED) pneumonia admissions. This documentation excludes the antibiotic timing measure, as pressure to quickly diagnose pneumonia may serve to reduce overall accuracy. ⋯ Correlation between ED and discharge diagnosis of pneumonia was limited. Use of diagnostic uncertainty documentation decreased the likelihood of a hospital discharge diagnosis of pneumonia. Further analysis of the effects of artificially imposed time constraints on ED diagnoses appears warranted.