Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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To describe injury types, patterns, and health status in independently functioning elder patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) after a minor traumatic injury; and 2) to assess short-term functional decline in this population at three-month follow-up. ⋯ A significant proportion of functional elder patients with minor traumatic injury are at risk for short-term functional decline. Decline in ADL is related to injury type, while IADL decline is related to anatomic location of injury. Emergency physicians should consider initiating follow-up evaluation and possible intervention in highly functioning elders after minor traumatic injury.
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Acute scrotal pain is not a rare emergency department (ED) complaint. Traditional reliance on medical history and physical examination can be precarious as signs and symptoms can overlap in various etiologies of acute scrotal pain. ⋯ This study suggests that EPs using bedside ultrasonography are able to accurately diagnose patients presenting with acute scrotal pain. In addition, they appear able to differentiate between surgical emergencies, such as testicular torsion, and other etiologies.
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To determine what percentage of women presenting to an urban emergency department (ED) for any reason had been the victims of violence committed by another woman in the previous year. ⋯ Nine percent of the women in the study sample had been assaulted by another woman in the previous year. Further attention to the recognition and management of violence committed by women against other women may be warranted to ensure that patients receive appropriate treatment and referral.
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While etomidate is reported as a procedural sedative in adults, its use in children has not been extensively reported. The authors describe their experience with etomidate for procedural sedation in children with extremity fractures and major joint dislocations. ⋯ These results suggest that etomidate is a safe and effective agent for procedural sedation in children requiring fracture and major joint reductions.
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The Emergency Severity Index (ESI) is a new five-level triage instrument. The objective of this study was to determine whether there is an association between ESI triage status and short-term survival. ⋯ The ESI triage status is associated with six-month survival. Patients with the highest three triage groups experienced decreased survival during the follow-up period, whereas all patients in the two lowest triage strata survived at least six months.