The American journal of emergency medicine
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Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a condition commonly seen in the emergency department (ED). Therefore, it is important for emergency clinicians to be aware of the current evidence regarding the diagnosis and management of this disease. ⋯ An understanding of literature updates can improve the ED care of patients with UGIB.
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Trauma accounts for nearly half of all deaths of pregnant women. Pregnant women have distinct physiologic and anatomic characteristics which complicate their management following major trauma. ⋯ Trauma is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in pregnant women. Emergency clinicians must understand the evaluation and management of pregnant trauma patients.
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Gallbladder distention has been described in radiology literature but its value on point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) performed by emergency physicians is unclear. We sought to determine the test characteristics of gallbladder distention on PoCUS for cholecystitis (acute or chronic), and secondarily whether distention was associated with an obstructing stone-in-neck (SIN), acute cholecystitis on subsequent pathology report, and longer cholecystectomy operative times. ⋯ Gallbladder distention on PoCUS was specific for cholecystitis (acute or chronic), and associated with SIN, acute cholecystitis on subsequent pathology report, and longer cholecystectomy operative times. Measurement of gallbladder dimensions as part of the assessment of cholecystitis may be advantageous.
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Lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) is a condition commonly seen in the emergency department. Therefore, it is important for emergency medicine clinicians to be aware of the current evidence regarding the diagnosis and management of this disease. ⋯ An understanding of literature updates can improve the care of patients with LGIB.
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Multicenter Study
Development and validation of a clinico-biological score to predict outcomes in patients with drowning-associated cardiac arrest.
While several scoring systems have been developed to predict short-term outcome in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients, there is currently no dedicated prognostic tool for drowning-associated cardiac arrest (DACA) patients. ⋯ In patients suffering from drowning induced initial cardiac arrest admitted to ICU with a DACA score ≥ 4, the likelihood of survival at day-28 is significantly lower. Prospective validation of the DACA score and assessment of its usefulness are warranted in the future.