Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Comparative Study
Association between the "seat belt sign" and intra-abdominal injury in children with blunt torso trauma.
To determine the association between an abdominal "seat belt sign" (SBS) and intra-abdominal injury (IAI) in children presenting to the emergency department (ED) after blunt trauma. ⋯ Patients with an SBS after an MVC are more likely to have IAIs than patients without an SBS, predominately due to a higher rate of gastrointestinal injuries. Patients with an SBS but without abdominal pain or tenderness appear to be at low risk for IAI.
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Clinical Trial
Octylcyanoacrylate for the treatment of small, superficial, partial-thickness burns: a pilot study.
Octylcyanoacrylate (OCA) is a tissue adhesive used to close wounds and to treat minor abrasions. ⋯ The results of this pilot study suggest that OCA may be useful for some, but not all, small, superficial, partial-thickness burns. Further studies may help clarify the indications and contraindications to proper usage of OCA in small, superficial burns.
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Neurologic complaints are a frequent cause of emergency department visits. The morbidity and mortality of neurologic complaints such as headache and stroke can be extensive. Thus, emergency medicine residency programs should ensure adequate training in such neurologic emergencies. The authors sought to determine what methods are being used to educate residents on neurologic emergencies. ⋯ Currently, the primary method of educating residents to treat neurologic emergencies is through didactic lectures, as opposed to clinical rotations in neurology or neurosurgery. Improving resident education in neurologic emergencies within the current educational format must focus on improving didactic lectures in neurologic topics. Expanding clinical rotations or electives to enhance education in neurologic emergencies also warrants future attention.
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Prior evidence suggests that physicians may alter process of care based on race/ethnicity. The objective of this study was to determine whether race/ethnicity predicts whether a patient receives computed tomography of the head (head CT) during evaluation of blunt head injury. ⋯ Minority and non-Hispanic white patients may not have significantly different rates of receiving head CT during evaluation of blunt head injury. A multicenter prospective study is necessary to confirm these preliminary findings.
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Acute decompensated heart failure (adHF) is the cause of approximately 1 million annual hospital admissions. In some of these, the use of a short-stay emergency department observation unit (EDOU) decreases 90-day ED revisits and 90-day rehospitalizations and, if subsequent hospitalization is required, results in shorter stays. ⋯ These results demonstrate that a BUN level >30 mg/dL is associated with an increased likelihood of admission in patients with adHF. This provides the emergency physician with a practical prognostic tool for disposition planning in congestive heart failure patients.