Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Preparing medical students for residency in emergency medicine involves education in many areas of knowledge and skill, including instruction in advanced emergency procedures. ⋯ These findings support the value of an advanced emergency procedural training course using an unembalmed cadaver-based laboratory and incorporating several teaching modalities.
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Comparative Study
Precise formulation and evidence-based application of resource-constrained triage.
To develop a precise mathematical formulation of resource-constrained triage, denoted the Sacco triage method (STM), to develop an evidence-based application to blunt trauma, and to compare the STM with the simple triage and rapid treatment (START) method. ⋯ Resource-constrained triage is modeled precisely as an evidence-based, outcome-driven method that maximizes expected survivors in consideration of resources. The lifesaving potential and operational advantages over current methods warrant scrutiny and further research.
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The aims of this study were to compare rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) across different medical specialties and health care sites in one metropolitan area, describe demographic characteristics of women with abusive partners, characterize health care provider assessment of IPV, and describe patient characteristics associated with health care assessment for partner violence. ⋯ Using the same instrument and protocol, different rates of IPV and detection of IPV were found across medical departments, with the highest rates in emergency departments and an addiction recovery program. It is especially important for assessment of IPV to include young women who present to medical departments.
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To develop a set of chief complaint groupings for pediatric emergency department (ED) visits that is comprehensive, parsimonious, clinically sensible, and evidence-based. ⋯ The proposed Pediatric Emergency Reason for Visit Cluster (PERC) system is a comprehensive yet parsimonious, clinically sensible means of categorizing pediatric ED complaints. The PERC system's association with measures of acuity and resource utilization makes it a potentially useful tool in epidemiologic and health services research.
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To evaluate the utility of routine abdominal computed tomographic (CT) scanning for abdominal evaluation of blunt trauma patients before urgent extra-abdominal surgery. ⋯ Abdominal CT scanning has a low yield in trauma patients whose sole indication for diagnostic abdominal evaluation is the need for general anesthesia for urgent extra-abdominal surgery. A small percentage of these patients, however, will have important intra-abdominal injuries such that further refinement of the recommendations for diagnostic study in this select population is needed.