Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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The study objective was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) triage instrument for the identification of elder patients receiving an immediate life-saving intervention in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ The ESI triage instrument identified fewer than half of elder patients receiving an immediate life-saving intervention. Failure to follow established ESI guidelines in the triage of elder patients may contribute to apparent undertriage.
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The authors assessed the association between measures of emergency department (ED) crowding and treatment with analgesia and delays to analgesia in ED patients with back pain. ⋯ As ED crowding increases, there is a higher likelihood of delays in administration of pain medication in patients with back pain. Analgesia administration was not related to three measures of ED crowding; however, patients were actually more likely to receive analgesics when the waiting room was at peak levels in the academic ED.
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Diagnosing acute appendicitis is a daunting clinical challenge, as there is no single test that reliably distinguishes acute appendicitis from other etiologies of acute abdominal pain. In this study, the authors examined whether circulating levels of S100A8/A9 could be useful as a marker to aid in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. ⋯ This is the first report exploring the relationship between circulating S100A8/A9 and acute appendicitis and establishes proof of concept for this biomarker as a diagnostic test for acute appendicitis. Further studies are indicated to optimize the use of this biomarker, in conjunction with other established approaches.
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Critical care medicine (CCM) is of growing interest among emergency physicians (EPs), but the number of CCM-trained EPs and their postfellowship practice is unknown. This study's purpose was to conduct a descriptive census survey of EPs who have completed or are currently in a CCM fellowship. ⋯ Emergency physicians are entering CCM fellowships in increasing numbers. Almost half of these EPs practice both EM and CCM.
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The evolving relationship between emergency and palliative medicine is expected to benefit patients of each. Two collaborative care encounters involving home hospice patients are discussed. ⋯ The interface of emergency and palliative care and the use of paracentesis in cancer palliation are briefly reviewed. It is concluded that home-performed ultrasound and ultrasound-guided procedures are promising palliative modalities for care at the end of life.