Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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To investigate the association of seatbelt nonuse with injury patterns, injury severity, and in-patient hospital admission among adults presenting to emergency departments (EDs) in a statewide, population-based, sample of motor vehicle crashes. ⋯ Among patients presenting to an ED after a motor vehicle crash, unbelted occupants are more likely to require inpatient admission and to have sustained a severe injury to numerous body regions than are belted occupants.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
An emergency department intervention to increase booster seat use for lower socioeconomic families.
To evaluate the effectiveness of booster seat education within an emergency department (ED) setting for families residing in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods. ⋯ Education in a pediatric ED did not convince parents to purchase and use booster seats; however, the combination of education with installation significantly increased booster seat use in this population.
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Multicenter Study
How many attempts are required to accomplish out-of-hospital endotracheal intubation?
An important goal of emergency airway management is to complete endotracheal intubation (ETI) correctly, safely, and quickly, and repeated ETI attempts can increase patient morbidity and mortality. Clinical protocols limiting the number of ETI attempts may minimize harm, but this strategy also may reduce the frequency of successful ETI. ⋯ Out-of-hospital rescuers often require multiple attempts to accomplish ETI. A protocol limit of three attempts offers reasonable opportunity for accomplishing ETI within the constraints of the out-of-hospital environment.
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To test a hypothesis that patients would accept alternatives to transport to an emergency department (ED) by ambulance and to evaluate factors related to patient willingness to consider alternatives. Concerns about resource utilization have prompted emergency medical services (EMS) systems to explore alternatives to ambulance transport to an ED, but studies have evaluated the safety of alternatives, not patient preferences. ⋯ Many patients transported by ambulance to an ED would have considered an alternative, if one were offered.
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To evaluate the effect of diagnostic soft-tissue ultrasound (US) on management of emergency department (ED) patients with clinical cellulitis. ⋯ Soft-tissue US changes physician management in approximately half of patients in the ED with clinical cellulitis. US may guide management of cellulitis by detection of occult abscess, prevention of invasive procedures, and guidance for further imaging or consultation.