The American journal of emergency medicine
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Case Reports
Case series of: Iatrogenic digital compression ischaemic injury in the emergency department.
This brief report is a retrospective review of three cases of iatrogenic digital ischemia and clinical outcome at six months. Hand injuries are one of the most common injuries that occur in the working population. ⋯ Currently, there is no consensus regarding the best treatment for these injuries. Our aim is to remind clinicians of this rare condition, and to highlight prevention and treatment strategies.
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Observational Study
Predicting 30 - Day outcomes in emergency department patients discharged with COVID-19.
Determining disposition for COVID-19 patients can be difficult for emergency medicine clinicians. Previous studies have demonstrated risk factors which predict severe infection and mortality however little is known about which risk factors are associated with failure of outpatient management and subsequent admission for COVID-19 patients. ⋯ Emergency Department providers should consider age, chief complaint, vital signs and comorbid medical conditions when determining disposition for patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of paper and electronic documentation for trauma activations in a pediatric trauma center.
There are limited data on the accuracy of documentation of trauma activations in the electronic medical record (EMR) compared with a paper chart. Our primary objective was to compare the accuracy of documentation between a paper chart and EMR in pediatric trauma. ⋯ Documentation of trauma activations is overall more accurate using a paper chart than EMR. Although documentation was accurate for most categories using both a paper chart and EMR, we found significantly less accuracy in documentation of the primary and secondary survey in the EMR.
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Observational Study
The additive value of copeptin for early diagnosis and prognosis of acute coronary syndromes.
One promising biomarker that has received substantial interest for the evaluation of suspected acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is copeptin. Therefore, our goal was to assess the additive value of copeptin for early diagnosis and prognosis of Non-ST segment acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS). ⋯ The combination of copeptin and conventional troponin I aids in early rule out of NSTEMI virtually independent of chest pain onset (CPO) with high NPV in patients presenting within three hours from chest pain onset with excellent prognostic value for risk stratification and prediction of MACEs.
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Observational Study
Influence of Pennsylvania liquor store closures during the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol withdrawal consultations.
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is a serious consequence of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic there was a closure of Pennsylvania (PA) liquor stores on March 17, 2020. ⋯ There were nearly 2.5 times greater odds of ED recidivism among post-liquor store closure AWS patients compared with pre-closure AWS patients.