The American journal of emergency medicine
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Observational Study
Hypertensive ED patients: Missed opportunities for addressing hypertension and facilitating outpatient follow-up.
Hypertension is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The emergency department (ED) frequently serves populations with unmet health needs and could have a greater and more systematic role in secondary prevention for hypertension. This study sought to determine, among hypertensive patients discharged from the ED, the frequency that patients 1) received hypertension-specific education, and 2) followed-up with a primary care provider. We secondarily assessed participant beliefs about hypertension. ⋯ Over half of markedly hypertensive patients discharged from the ED followed up with primary care within four weeks. Nonetheless, missed opportunities for improved secondary prevention among ED patients with hypertension are common. There is an urgent need for evidence-based interventions to assist emergency departments in addressing this health threat.
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Letter Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Comparative analysis of incapacitated versus forcible sexual assault in a community-based population.
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An intubation in the Emergency Department (ED) would never occur without suction set up and tested. However, due to the complexity and inherent failure potential of these devices, even checked suction devices can fail at a crucial juncture. We present a case report of suction that worked properly during pre-intubation preparation, but critically failed due to inappropriate set up. This situation is an example of a dangerous dormant failure that can easily reoccur in any ED.
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To document the level of interobserver agreement and compare the diagnostic performances of emergency physicians and radiologists at interpreting low radiation CT images of acute appendicitis in adolescents and young adults. ⋯ The emergency physicians and radiologists showed good interobserver agreement and comparable diagnostic performances for appendicitis in adolescents and adults using low-dose CT images. Low-dose CT could be a useful tool for the diagnosis of appendicitis by emergency physicians.