Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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To determine the test performance of a single serum progesterone value <5.0 ng/mL for detecting ectopic pregnancy or other abnormal pregnancies in symptomatic ED patients with beta-hCG levels <1,000 mIU/mL. ⋯ A single progesterone value <5.0 ng/mL has high sensitivity and specificity in detecting abnormal pregnancy in symptomatic ED patients with beta-hCG values <1,000 mIU/mL.
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Comparative Study
University and community hospital medical student emergency medicine clerkship experiences.
To determine whether there is a significant difference between educational opportunities for fourth-year medical students rotating at a university hospital (UH) compared with several community hospitals (CHs) during a mandatory emergency medicine (EM) clerkship. ⋯ The educational opportunities for students in an EM clerkship to evaluate patients and perform procedures were significantly greater at the community hospitals. Inclusion of community hospital settings in a medical student EM clerkship may optimize the clinical experience.
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Comparative Study
Intravenous vs subcutaneous naloxone for out-of-hospital management of presumed opioid overdose.
To determine whether naloxone administered i.v. to out-of-hospital patients with suspected opioid overdose would have a more rapid therapeutic onset than naloxone given subcutaneously (s.q.). ⋯ There was no clinical difference in the time interval to respiratory rate > or =10 breaths/min between naloxone 0.8 mg s.q. and naloxone 0.4 mg i.v. for the out-of-hospital management of patients with suspected opioid overdose. The slower rate of absorption via the s.q. route was offset by the delay in establishing an i.v.
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This article reviews the federal regulations for emergency and acute resuscitation research in effect prior to October 1996, the historical issues that contributed to the development of these regulations, the controversies that arose surrounding the application of these regulations to emergency research circumstances, and the methods by which the regulations were changed. The new regulations introduced by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also are reviewed.
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To describe the training and certification of physicians who staff small EDs in rural West Virginia. ⋯ The majority of physicians staffing small rural EDs in West Virginia are neither residency-trained nor board-certified in EM. Further studies are warranted to determine the most efficient and effective way to maximize the skills and availability of emergency care providers in rural settings.