Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Comparative Study
A randomized controlled trial of silver sulfadiazine, biafine, and saline-soaked gauze in the treatment of superficial partial-thickness burn wounds in pigs.
Silver sulfadiazine 1% cream (SSD) and biafine (an oil-in-water emulsion containing alginate) are used for the treatment of superficial partial-thickness burns, but comparative effectiveness studies are lacking. ⋯ Partial-thickness porcine burns treated with SSD, biafine, and soaked saline gauze re-epithelialize at similar rates.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Use of helical computed tomography for imaging the pediatric cervical spine.
To determine the differences in resource utilization and radiation exposure between conventional radiography (ConvRad) and helical computed tomography (HCT) when used to survey the pediatric cervical spine (CSp). ⋯ As a modality to screen the pediatric CSp for blunt-force trauma, HCT results in increased radiation exposure and radiology resource use without a reduction in sedation usage or time in the ED.
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To determine how ambulance transportation is associated with resource use in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ This preliminary study indicates that patients arriving at the ED by ambulance use significantly more resources than their walk-in counterparts.
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Medication errors are frequent in the emergency department (ED). The unique operating characteristics of the ED may exacerbate their rate and severity. They are associated with variable clinical outcomes that range from inconsequential to death. ⋯ The capability for dispensing medication, without surveillance by a pharmacist, provides an error-producing condition to which physicians and nurses should be especially vigilant. Except in very limited and defined situations, physicians should not administer medications. Adherence to defined roles would reduce the team communication errors that are a common theme in the cases described here.
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Emergency medicine (EM) is a popular specialty for medical students choosing a career. Many attend medical schools without an affiliated EM residency and lack both the formal mentorship and informal guidance provided by medical school advisors (or faculty) involved in an accredited EM training program. Others desire specialized advice based on geographic or specific academic interest. ⋯ The implementation of the virtual advisor program enabled medical students to have access to experienced EM faculty career mentors.