The American journal of emergency medicine
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Case Reports
Carotid artery dissection presenting with isolated headache and Horner syndrome after minor head injury.
A woman aged 31 years presented to the emergency department after a minor head injury. She reported mild headache and a metallic taste in her mouth. Full neurologic examination was remarkable only for left-sided Horner syndrome. ⋯ She was treated with aspirin. Symptoms and signs persisted 3 months later, but there was no additional neurologic deficit. We stress the importance of early detection of Horner syndrome to minimize the risk of disabling stroke.
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Noninvasive technology may assist the emergency department (ED) physician in determining the hemodynamic status in critically ill patients. The objective of our study was to show that ED physicians can accurately measure cardiac index (CI) by performing a bedside focused cardiac ultrasound examination. ⋯ Emergency department ED physicians can accurately measure CI using standard bedside ultrasound. A focused ultrasound cardiac examination to derive CI has potential use in the management of critical ill patients in the ED.
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The aim of the study was to investigate racial/ethnic differences in emergency care for patients with joint dislocation. ⋯ Black patients presenting to the ED with joint dislocations received lower quality of care in some, but not all, areas compared with white patients. Future interventions should target these areas to eliminate racial disparities in dislocation care.
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The aim of the study was to determine whether the number of procedures performed by residents and medical students in the emergency department (ED) is affected by ED crowding. ⋯ Crowding was not significantly associated with the number of procedures availed to ED trainees. In patients being considered for admission, however, when the managing EP felt that it was crowded, there was an association with giving procedures to consulting services.
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The goal of this study is to identify clinical variables associated with bacteremia. Such data could provide a rational basis for blood culture testing in emergency department (ED) patients with suspected infection. ⋯ This study identified several clinical factors associated with bacteremia as well as MRSA and Gram-negative subtypes, but the magnitude of their associations is limited. Combining these covariates into a multivariable model moderately increases their predictive value.