Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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To investigate the epidemiologic characteristics of potentially infectious occupational exposures to blood among emergency medicine (EM) residents. ⋯ Emergency medicine residents are frequently exposed to blood, most commonly due to puncture injuries by sharp objects. The rate of exposure reporting is low, which may compromise appropriate postexposure counseling and prophylaxis.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A clinical trial of propofol vs midazolam for procedural sedation in a pediatric emergency department.
To compare the effectiveness, recovery time from sedation, and complication rate of propofol with those of midazolam when used for procedural sedation in the pediatric emergency department (PED). ⋯ In this study, propofol induced sedation as effectively as midazolam but with a shorter recovery time. Complication rates for propofol and midazolam were comparable, though the small study population limits the power of this comparison. Propofol may be an appropriate agent for sedation in the PED; however, further study is necessary before routine use can be recommended.
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Comparative Study
Decreasing length of stay with emergency ultrasound examination of the gallbladder.
To determine whether patients who received emergency screening ultrasound examinations (ESUEs) of the gallbladder by emergency physicians (EPs) have a shorter ED length of stay (LOS) than do those receiving ultrasound studies from radiology. ⋯ In a teaching hospital with a residency program, ESUEs decrease ED LOS for these patients. The difference was most apparent for patients presenting after hours.
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To ascertain the overall frequency of obtaining chorionic villi (CV) in patients with indeterminate transvaginal ultrasound (US) examinations who have had a dilatation and evacuation (D+E) procedure performed, to determine whether the frequency of obtaining CV is dependent on whether the endometrial cavity is empty at US, and to determine the likelihood of ectopic pregnancy in patients without CV after D+E and with or without an empty endometrial cavity at US. ⋯ In symptomatic patients with indeterminate transvaginal ultrasound exams, CV will be identified after D+E in approximately 70% of cases. Although CV were found with increased frequency when the endometrial cavity was not empty, still almost half of the patients with empty uteri had villi identified. Finally, although the frequency of ectopic pregnancy was higher in the patients with empty uteri and no CV at D+E, vs. those without an empty uterus and no CV, this difference did not reach statistical significance.
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The Ottawa Ankle Rules (OAR) have been found to be 100% sensitive in adult patients with ankle injuries, and application of the OAR has resulted in a 28% reduction in the number of x-rays ordered. The objectives of this study were to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the OAR in children and to determine the potential change in x-ray utilization. ⋯ This study demonstrates the OAR to be sensitive for detecting clinically significant (> or =3 mm) ankle and midfoot fractures in children. The application of these rules may reduce the number of x-rays ordered. A further study is required to determine the effect of using the OAR in clinical practice.