Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Nitrous oxide for early analgesia in the emergency setting: a randomized, double-blind multicenter prehospital trial.
Although 50% nitrous oxide (N(2) O) and oxygen is a widely used treatment, its efficacy had never been evaluated in the prehospital setting. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy of premixed N(2) O and oxygen in patients with out-of-hospital moderate traumatic acute pain. ⋯ This study demonstrates the efficacy of N(2) O for the treatment of pain from acute trauma in adults in the prehospital setting.
-
Review Meta Analysis
Technology-enhanced simulation in emergency medicine: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Technology-enhanced simulation is used frequently in emergency medicine (EM) training programs. Evidence for its effectiveness, however, remains unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of technology-enhanced simulation for training in EM and identify instructional design features associated with improved outcomes by conducting a systematic review. ⋯ Technology-enhanced simulation for EM learners is associated with moderate or large favorable effects in comparison with no intervention and generally small and nonsignificant benefits in comparison with other instruction. Future research should investigate the features that lead to effective simulation-based instructional design.
-
Recent legislation mandating reporting of undocumented immigrants may instill fear of discovery when they access emergency department (ED) services. The objectives of this study were to: 1) characterize the knowledge and beliefs of undocumented Latino immigrants (UDLI) about health care workers' reporting (or nonreporting) of illegal immigrants in the ED, 2) determine whether UDLI fear discovery when presenting to the ED, and 3) determine the nature and sources of this fear. ⋯ One in eight of UDLI presenting to the ED express fear of discovery and consequent deportation. Belief that medical staff report UDLI and recent immigration are risk factors for this fear. Family, friends, and media are the primary sources of these concerns.
-
Review
Critical appraisal of emergency medicine educational research: the best publications of 2011.
The objective was to critically appraise and highlight medical education research studies published in 2011 that were methodologically superior and whose outcomes were pertinent to teaching and education in emergency medicine (EM). ⋯ Forty-eight EM educational studies published in 2011 and meeting the criteria were identified. This critical appraisal reviews and highlights five studies that met a priori quality indicators. Current trends and common methodologic pitfalls in the 2011 papers are noted.
-
Review Case Reports
Systematic review: emergency department bedside ultrasonography for diagnosing suspected abdominal aortic aneurysm.
The use of ultrasound (US) to diagnose an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) has been well studied in the radiology literature, but has yet to be rigorously reviewed in the emergency medicine arena. ⋯ Seven high-quality studies of the operating characteristics of ED bedside US in diagnosing AAA were identified. All showed excellent diagnostic performance for emergency bedside US to detect the presence of AAA in symptomatic patients.