The American journal of emergency medicine
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The objective of this study is to analyze the differences in clinical presentation and outcome of community-onset bacteremia between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected adults and HIV-uninfected adults visiting the emergency department (ED). ⋯ This study demonstrated that the clinical characteristics, the severity, and the character of bacteremia in HIV-infected and uninfected patients varied among community-onset bacteremic patients visiting the ED, despite the limited impact of HIV infection on short-term outcomes.
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Observational Study
The inaccuracy of determining overcrowding status by using the National ED Overcrowding Study Tool.
Emergency department (ED) crowding has become more common, and perceptions of crowding vary among different health care providers. The National Emergency Department Overcrowding Study (NEDOCS) tool is the most commonly used tool to estimate ED crowding but still uncertain of its reliability in different ED settings. ⋯ Using the NEDOCS tool to determine ED crowding might be inaccurate in an extremely high-volume ED setting.
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Multicenter Study
Factors influencing the development of antibiotic associated diarrhea in ED patients discharged home: risk of administering intravenous antibiotics.
Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) and Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) are well-known outcomes from antibiotic administration. Because emergency department (ED) visits frequently result in antibiotic use, we evaluated the frequency of AAD/CDI in adults treated and discharged home with new prescriptions for antibiotics to identify risk factors for acquiring AAD/CDI. ⋯ Intravenous antibiotic therapy administered to ED patients before discharge was associated with higher rates of AAD and with 2 cases of CDI. Care should be taken when deciding to use broad-spectrum IV antibiotics to treat ED patients before discharge home.