Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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The objective was to assess the effectiveness of a small-bore catheter (8F) connected to a one-way Heimlich valve in the emergency department (ED)-based outpatient management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). ⋯ This study suggests that the initial management of PSP with a small-bore catheter and Heimlich valve can easily be performed by emergency physicians in the community hospital setting and appears safe. A larger study systematically comparing this approach with alternative therapies is needed.
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The authors hypothesized that unethical recruiting practices and illegal questioning occur during emergency medicine (EM) resident recruitment. The objectives were to estimate the prevalence of specific unethical recruiting practices and illegal questioning by EM programs based on the perceptions of residency applicants and to measure the effect of these perceptions on applicant appraisal of programs. ⋯ These results demonstrate that among survey respondents, some perceived unethical recruiting behaviors and illegal questioning in the 2005 and 2006 Match. Perceptions of such behaviors appeared to have a negative impact on applicant appraisal of EM residency programs.
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Pain management continues to be suboptimal in emergency departments (EDs). Several studies have documented failures in the processes of care, such as whether opioid analgesics were given. The objectives of this study were to measure the outcomes following administration of intravenous (IV) opioids and to identify clinical factors that may predict poor analgesic outcomes in these patients. ⋯ Poor analgesic outcomes were common in this cohort of ED patients prescribed IV opioids. Patients taking long-acting opioids, those thought to be drug-seeking, older patients, those with an initial pain score of 10, and possibly African American patients are at especially high risk of poor analgesia following IV opioid administration.
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This study sought to account for trends in medical student specialty choice by examining the importance of lifestyle factors. Emergency medicine (EM) is among several medical specialties classified as having a "controllable lifestyle." The primary objective of this study was to determine if medical students choosing careers in EM have a different profile of influences, values, and expectations from students choosing other specialties or specialty groups. Of secondary interest was how much lifestyle influenced students choosing EM compared to students choosing controllable lifestyle (CL) specialties. ⋯ Students choosing a career in EM have distinctly different priorities and influences than students entering PC and SS. The profile of students who choose EM is very similar to those choosing traditional CL specialties. A more thorough understanding of the values and priorities that shape medical student career selection may allow educators to provide better career counseling.
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Given reported increases in antibiotic resistance among elders with urinary tract infection (UTI) and pyelonephritis, the authors identified national rates and trends in emergency department (ED) trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) and fluoroquinolone prescribing for older adults from 1996 to 2005. ⋯ From 1996 to 2005, TMP-SMX monotherapy in elder ED patients decreased while fluoroquinolone therapy increased. The majority of older patients receiving fluoroquinolone therapy received a single agent. Given the continued prevalence of monotherapy for elder ED patients with UTI or pyelonephritis, antibiotic resistance patterns in these patients should be better characterized to ensure institution of appropriate empiric therapy.