The American journal of emergency medicine
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Success of ultrasound-guided versus landmark-guided arthrocentesis of hip, ankle, and wrist in a cadaver model.
The objectives of this study were to evaluate emergency medicine resident-performed ultrasound for diagnosis of effusions, compare the success of a landmark-guided (LM) approach with an ultrasound-guided (US) technique for hip, ankle and wrist arthrocentesis, and compare change in provider confidence with LM and US arthrocentesis. ⋯ EM residents were able to successfully identify joint effusions with ultrasound, however we were unable to detect significant differences in actual procedural success between the two modalities. Further studies are needed to define the role of ultrasound for arthrocentesis in the emergency department.
-
Obesity is a well-known risk factor in various health conditions. We analyzed the association between obesity and clinical outcomes, and its effect on targeted temperature management (TTM) practice for cardiac arrest survivors by calculating and classifying their body mass indexes (BMIs). ⋯ Overweight BMI compared to normal BMI classification was found to be associated with lower six-month mortality and poor neurologic outcome at discharge in cardiac arrest survivors treated with TTM. Higher BMI correlated with a slower induction rate.
-
Patients with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage and mild traumatic brain injury (mTIH) receive broadly variable care which often includes transfer to a trauma center, neurosurgery consultation and ICU admission. However, there may be a low risk cohort of patients who can be managed without utilizing such significant resources. ⋯ Patients with mTIH, particularly those with iSAH, have very low rates of clinical or radiographic deterioration and may be safe for monitoring in an emergency department observation unit.