The American journal of emergency medicine
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This study determined if rescuer body weight is a major determinant of chest compression depth (CCD) among novice rescuers by analyzing the results of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skill tests among medical students and determined the body weight threshold for those unable to achieve adequate CCD. ⋯ Rescuer body weight is a major determinant of CCD in novice rescuers. Based on these findings, if 2 or more rescuers are available to perform CPR, chest compression should preferentially be performed by rescuers of healthy weight or overweight.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Is retrograde intubation more successful than direct laryngoscopic technique in difficult endotracheal intubation?
Difficult airway intubation is an emergency condition both at the emergency department (ED) and in out-of-hospital situations. Retrograde intubation (RI) is another option for difficult airway management. There are limited data regarding the successful rate of RI compared with direct laryngoscopy (DL) intubation, the commonly used method in the ED. ⋯ The RI technique had a higher success rate in difficult airway intubation than the DL technique, regardless of experience.
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Addition of a biomarker panel to a clinical score to identify patients at low risk for appendicitis.
The diagnosis of pediatric acute appendicitis can be difficult. Although scoring systems such as the Pediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS) are helpful, they lack adequate sensitivity and specificity as standalone diagnostics. When used for risk stratification, they often result in large percentages of moderate-risk patients requiring further diagnostic evaluation. ⋯ The addition of negative biomarker test results to patients with a moderate risk of appendicitis based on the PAS can safely reclassify many to a low-risk group. This may allow clinicians to provide more conservative management in children with suspected appendicitis and decrease unnecessary resource utilization.
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Observational Study
Has the rescheduling of hydrocodone changed ED prescribing practices?
The objective was to examine the effect of hydrocodone-containing product (HCP) rescheduling on the proportion of prescriptions for HCPs given to patients discharged from the emergency department (ED). ⋯ Rescheduling HCPs from Schedule III to Schedule II led to a substantial decrease in HCP prescriptions in our ED and an increase in prescriptions for other Schedule III and non-Schedule II/III products.