Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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To assess the change in prevalence of bioterrorism training among emergency medicine (EM) residencies from 1998 to 2005, to characterize current training, and to identify characteristics of programs that have implemented more intensive training methods. ⋯ Training of EM residents in bioterrorism preparedness has increased markedly since 1998. However, training is often of low intensity, relying mainly on nonexperiential instruction such as lectures. Although current recommendations are that training in bioterrorism include experiential learning experiences, the authors found the rate of these experiences to be low.
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Comparative Study
Duplex ultrasound in the emergency department for the diagnostic management of clinically suspected deep vein thrombosis.
To evaluate the accuracy and safety of an emergency duplex ultrasound (EDUS) evaluation performed by emergency physicians in the emergency department. ⋯ EDUS examination yielded a high negative predictive value and good positive predictive value, allowing rapid discharge and avoiding improper anticoagulant treatment.
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Comparative Study
Relationship between a clear-cut alternative noncardiac diagnosis and 30-day outcome in emergency department patients with chest pain.
Accurate identification of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACSs) in the emergency department (ED) remains problematic. Studies have not been able to identify a cohort of patients that are safe for immediate ED discharge; however, prior studies have not examined the utility of a clear-cut alternative noncardiac diagnosis. ⋯ In the ED chest pain patient, the presence of a clear-cut alternative noncardiac diagnosis reduces the likelihood of a composite outcome of death and cardiovascular events within 30 days. However, it does not reduce the event rate to an acceptable level to allow ED discharge of these patients.