Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Inducing therapeutic hypothermia using chilled saline in resuscitated cardiac arrest patients has been shown to be feasible and effective. Limited research exists assessing the efficiency of this cooling method. The objective of this study was to assess the change in temperature of 4°C saline upon exiting an infusion set in the laboratory setting while varying conditions of fluid delivery. ⋯ In a laboratory setting, the most efficient method of infusing cold fluid appears to be a method that both keeps the bag of fluid insulated and infused at a faster rate.
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Comparative Study
Does the current definition of contrast-induced acute kidney injury reflect a true clinical entity?
Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is defined as either a 25% increase in or an absolute elevation in serum creatinine (SCr) of 0.5 mg/dL, 48 to 72 hours after parenteral contrast exposure. The objective of this study was to compare the incidence and complications of AKI between patients exposed and those unexposed to intravenous (IV) contrast. ⋯ The definition of CI-AKI for ED patients with normal renal function may not represent a true clinical entity and the definition warrants revision.
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Comparative Study
An international view of how recent-onset atrial fibrillation is treated in the emergency department.
This study was conducted to determine if there is practice variation for emergency physicians' (EPs) management of recent-onset atrial fibrillation (RAF) in various world regions (Canada, United States, United Kingdom, and Australasia). ⋯ There is much variation in emergency department (ED) management of RAF among world regions, most markedly for use of rate versus rhythm control, choice of drugs, and use of electrical cardioversion. Canadians are more likely to use an aggressive approach for management of RAF, whereas Americans are more likely to employ conservative management. U.K. and Australasian EPs fall somewhere in the middle. These differences demonstrate the need for better evidence, or better synthesis of existing knowledge, to create guidelines to guide ED management of this common dysrhythmia.
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Comparative Study
Emergency medicine journal impact factor and change compared to other medical and surgical specialties.
A journal impact factor represents the mean number of citations per article published. Designed as one tool to measure the relative importance of a journal, impact factors are often incorporated into academic evaluation of investigators. The authors sought to determine how impact factors of emergency medicine (EM) journals compare to journals from other medical and surgical specialties and if any change has taken place over time. ⋯ Emergency medicine journals rank low in impact factor summary statistics and growth trends among 31 medical and surgical specialties.
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Comparative Study
A comparative study of the surgically relevant mechanical characteristics of the topical skin adhesives.
Topical skin adhesives (TSAs) offer a noninvasive alternative to sutures. The growing trend is to use them in addition to sutures and staples to add strength and provide a microbial barrier. The authors compared the mechanical characteristics of recently approved TSAs that are most likely to be of surgical relevance in the emergency department. ⋯ Of all the TSAs tested in this study, Dermabond Advanced was the strongest and most flexible, set in the shortest time, and was a fairly viscous adhesive, all of which are clinically desirable characteristics.