The American journal of emergency medicine
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The primary concern of emergency physicians (EPs) in symptomatic patients in their early pregnancy is to rule out ectopic pregnancy by identifying a definite intrauterine pregnancy (IUP). Then an assessment of viability is required for the IUPs. Although transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) stands as the best modality for these patients, it is not available in most emergency settings. This study aimed to investigate the effects of high-frequency linear transducers (HFLT) on the accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) for detection of IUP and the agreement between EPs and obstetricians for patients' diagnosis. ⋯ POCUS plus HFLT performed by EPs in evaluating symptomatic patients in their first-trimester pregnancy improves the accuracy to a non-inferior level compared to TVUS performed by obstetricians. Hence, EPs can securely rely on POCUS to confirm IUP and FCA. However, they should be cautious about using it as a rule-out tool. Moreover, HFLT use could enhance the accuracy of POCUS in viability assessment as an alternative to TVUS.
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A decrease in muscle mass of the diaphragm could be a significant risk factor for pneumonia. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether diaphragm thickness (DT) and density measured on chest computed tomography (CT) were associated with clinical course and mortality in adult patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in emergency department admission. ⋯ Our study demonstrated that a low diaphragm thickness and density measured on chest CT were associated with severe disease in patients with COVID-19 and could be evaluated as poor prognostic markers.
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Observational Study
Transient synovitis of the hip: Current practice and risk of misdiagnosis.
Transient synovitis (TS) is a common and benign cause of hip pain in children, but must be distinguished from more serious entities such as septic arthritis, osteomyelitis, and pyomyositis. Our objectives were to determine the risk of missed bacterial musculoskeletal infection and rates of diagnostic testing in children diagnosed with TS. ⋯ In this large observational study, missed bacterial musculoskeletal infection in children diagnosed with TS was rare but more common in younger children. The optimal combination of bloodwork and radiographic testing, especially ultrasound, to distinguish TS from more serious disease remains unclear.
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Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning can cause serious neurological sequelae. However, there is neither effective treatment strategy nor reliable indicators to determine the prognosis of patients with CO poisoning. The present study aimed to observe the changes of neurological function score, disease severity score, cerebral oxygen utilization (O2UCc), bispectral (BIS) index and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) concentration, and to elucidate the clinical significance of these potential indicators and the neuroprotective effect of mild hypothermia on brain injury in patients with severe acute CO poisoning. ⋯ The study protocol was granted from Qingdao University Research Ethics Committee (Clinical trial registry and ethical approval number: QD81571283).