The American journal of emergency medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Global end-diastolic volume index vs central venous pressure goal-directed fluid resuscitation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with septic shock: a randomized controlled trial.
This study aimed to investigate the clinical effects of early goal-directed therapy according to the global end-diastolic volume index (GEDI) on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with septic shock. ⋯ The GEDI goal-directed fluid resuscitation shows better clinical effects than that shown by central venous pressure for COPD patients with septic shock; however, it cannot reduce the mortality rate.
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Millions of patients are evaluated every year in the emergency department (ED) for bacterial infections. Emergency physicians often diagnose and prescribe initial antibiotic therapy for a variety of bacterial infections, ranging from simple urinary tract infections to severe sepsis. In life-threatening infections, inappropriate choice of initial antibiotic has been shown to increase morbidity and mortality. ⋯ In recent years, there have been several new antibiotic approvals as well as renewed interest in second and third line antibiotics because of the aforementioned concerns. In addition, several newly approved antibiotics have the advantage of being administered once weekly or even as a single infusion, which has the potential to decrease hospitalizations and healthcare costs. This article reviews newly approved antibiotics and antibiotics used to treat resistant infections with a focus on implications for emergency medicine.
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To determine the impact of delayed admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) on the clinical outcomes of patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ For patients with ARF who required mechanical ventilation support and intensive care, a delayed ICU admission more than 1.0 hour is a strong determinant of mortality and is associated with a longer ICU stay and a longer need for ventilation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Does gender bias in cardiac stress testing still exist? A videographic analysis nested in a randomized controlled trial.
Despite a high prevalence of coronary heart disease in both genders, studies show a gender disparity in evaluation whereby women are less likely than men to undergo timely or comprehensive cardiac investigation. Using videographic analysis, we sought to quantify gender differences in provider recommendations and patient evaluations. ⋯ Despite a lower pretest probability of acute coronary syndrome in women, we did not observe any significant gender disparity in how patients were managed and evaluated. When the patients' and providers' gender matched, the provider involved them less in the decision making process, and the information provided was less helpful than when the genders did not match.