Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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To explore the prevalence of substance use among emergency medicine (EM) residents and compare to a prior study conducted in 1992. ⋯ Self-reported use of most street drugs remains uncommon among EM residents. Marijuana and alcohol use, however, do appear to be increasing. Educators should be aware of these trends, and this may allow them to target resources for impaired and at-risk residents.
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To quantify the frequency, cost, and characteristics associated with emergency department (ED) visits that are related to methamphetamine use. ⋯ Methamphetamine abuse accounts for a modest but substantial proportion of ED utilization and hospital cost. Methamphetamine-related ED visits are most commonly related to mental illness, trauma, skin, and dental-related problems.
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Review Comparative Study
Safety and clinical effectiveness of midazolam versus propofol for procedural sedation in the emergency department: a systematic review.
To synthesize the evidence comparing the adverse event (AE) profile and clinical effectiveness of midazolam and propofol for procedural sedation (PS) in adults in the emergency care setting. ⋯ The authors found no significant difference in the safety profile and the proportion of successful PS between midazolam and propofol for adults in the ED.
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Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) accounts for 1.5 million emergency department (ED) patient visits in the United States each year. ⋯ No single characteristic adequately discriminates CAP from ILI, but a derived clinical algorithm may detect most radiographic confirmed CAP patients in the triage setting. Prospective assessment of this algorithm will be needed to determine its effects on the care of ED patients with suspected pneumonia.
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The emergency medicine (EM) subinternship provides a varied experience for senior medical students depending on gender, specialty choice, and interest. A didactic curriculum can be standardized, but the clinical component is difficult to control. Students can be directed to see patients with specific chief complaints. ⋯ Students who participated in the usual didactic curriculum and were required to see ED patients with representative chief complaints performed better on a general EM exam than those who employed common methods of choosing patients.