Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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The authors' residency program implemented a one-week rotation at the office of a medical liability insurance company. Residents examined 30 closed malpractice claims cases and sat in on settlement discussions. ⋯ Overall, EM residents found the one-week rotation to be invaluable and a good learning experience. This rotation ranked above average when compared with all of our other EM residency rotations.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Do elder emergency department patients and their informants agree about the elder's functioning?
To compare elder patients' and their informants' ratings of the elder's physical and mental function measured by a standard instrument, the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 12 (SF-12). ⋯ Elders' self-ratings of physical function were higher than those of proxies who knew them. There was no difference in mental function ratings between patients and their proxies. Switching from informants' to patients' reports in evaluating elders' physical function in longitudinal studies may introduce error.
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To determine the relative effectiveness of pediatric asthma care among patients treated by a dedicated asthma center (AC) vs children who use the emergency department (ED) as a site of primary asthma care. ⋯ Significant disparities in quality, access, resource utilization, and functional impact exist between AC and ED patients. Emergency physicians have a unique opportunity to improve the public health by directing ED patients toward pediatric AC treatment.
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The term "golden hour" is commonly used to characterize the urgent need for the care of trauma patients. This term implies that morbidity and mortality are affected if care is not instituted within the first hour after injury. This concept justifies much of our current trauma system. ⋯ It remains unclear whether objective data exist. This article discusses a detailed literature and historical record search for support of the "golden hour" concept. None is identified.
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Most of our knowledge of laceration management comes from studies in animal models or patients with closure of sterile postoperative surgical incisions. Traumatic laceration management has not been well studied. ⋯ Both patient and wound characteristics of traumatic lacerations have an influence on the likelihood of infection. This knowledge may be valuable for determining whether various methods of wound cleansing, debridement, and repair can improve the outcome of patients with traumatic lacerations.