Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Comparative Study
Surveillance of infectious disease occurrences in the community: an analysis of symptom presentation in the emergency department.
To determine the effectiveness of a simulated emergency department (ED)-based surveillance system to detect infectious disease (ID) occurrences in the community. ⋯ Surveillance of ED symptom presentation has the potential to identify clinically important ID occurrences in the community 24 hours prior to HD identification. Lack of weekend HD data collection suggests that the ED is a more appropriate setting for real-time ID surveillance.
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A national survey of emergency medicine (EM) residency program directors (PDs) was conducted to review training and evaluation of residents in electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation and to assess the attitudes of PDs toward establishing national criteria for ECG competency. ⋯ While a majority of EM residency programs surveyed have a formal curriculum for ECG interpretation, less than a fourth formally test their residents or require proof of competency. The majority of residency PDs oppose the development of a national ECG examination or competency requirement for graduation. Implementation of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education directive for the demonstration of clinical competencies will be challenging given the current position of PDs.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Does the sedative agent facilitate emergency rapid sequence intubation?
To ascertain whether the sedative agent administered during neuromuscular-blocking agent-facilitated intubation (rapid sequence intubation [RSI]) influences the number of attempts and overall success at RSI. ⋯ Thiopental, methohexital, and propofol appear to facilitate RSI in emergency department patients, independent of patient characteristics or intubator training. A deeper plane of anesthesia may improve intubating conditions in emergency patients undergoing RSI by complementing incomplete muscle paralysis.