Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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To survey academic departments of emergency medicine (ADEMs) concerning the effects of managed care on their operation and practice. ⋯ ADEMs have experienced significant changes in nearly every aspect of their practice over the two academic years under study, much of which is due to managed care. ADEMs must take a leadership role in dealing with MCOs.
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The study hypothesis was that irrigation with tap water is as efficacious as irrigation with sterile saline in removing bacteria from simple lacerations in preparation for wound closure. ⋯ In this animal model, bacterial decontamination of simple lacerations was not compromised, and was actually improved using tap water irrigation. This is most likely due to the mechanical differences in the types of irrigation. In certain instances, such as with upper-extremity lacerations, tap water irrigation would likely be cheaper and less labor-intensive than irrigation with normal saline from a syringe.