Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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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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While trauma registries have the potential to collect detailed information about patient outcomes, the most commonly reported outcome, mortality, only represents the outcome from a small proportion of the total trauma population. If trauma registries are to progress to routine monitoring of outcomes in trauma survivors, instruments that measure relevant outcomes in the remainder of the trauma population must be identified and implemented. This report provides an overview of the specific needs of trauma registries with respect to assessing patient outcomes other than mortality. The use of previously recommended outcome assessment instruments is discussed, with a focus on the utility of these instruments for use in routine monitoring of trauma outcomes other than mortality through trauma registries.
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To prospectively validate a previously published out-of-hospital clinical decision rule to identify seriously injured children involved in motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). ⋯ Although definitive conclusions are limited by the sample size, the decision rule identified all seriously injured children involved in MVCs and had moderate specificity. The decision rule was less sensitive for identifying children requiring specialized trauma care. Larger validation studies are needed to adequately assess the utility of this rule before implementation.
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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.