European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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A 53-year-old male drug user was brought to the emergency department by police for suspected drug smuggling by body packing. The abdominal X-ray revealed suspicion of the presence of a drug packet in the gastric antrum, but the patient strongly denied body packing. ⋯ A small plastic bag with many blue tablets was later retrieved by endoscopy. Ultrasonography is recommended in similar cases with doubtful radiological findings.
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To evaluate whether a computer-based decision support system could be useful for the emergency medical system when identifying patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or life-threatening conditions and thereby improve the allocation of life support level. ⋯ A computer-based decision support system including a prevalence function could be a valuable tool for allocating the level of life support. The case record form, however, used for the interview can be refined and a model based on a larger sample and confirmed in a prospective study is recommended.
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To determine the impact of accompanying medical illnesses on the cause, course, mortality and morbidity of a geriatric trauma population. ⋯ Although not an essential factor in the cause per se, the diseases often encountered in the geriatric trauma population have a significant role on the course and mortality.
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To investigate the influence of point-of-care laboratory results (arterial blood gases, ionized calcium, potassium, sodium, glucose, hematocrit and hemoglobin) on therapeutic interventions during interhospital pediatric intensive care transport. ⋯ During interhospital pediatric intensive care transport, point-of-care blood analyses frequently led to therapeutic interventions. Some abnormal blood results were potentially life threatening and could not have been discovered without point-of-care measurement. We therefore recommend the use of a point-of-care blood analyzer during interhospital intensive care transports, not only for blood gases but also for electrolytes, glucose and hematocrit.
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The treatment of acute pain and anxiety in children undergoing therapeutic and diagnostic procedures in the emergency department has improved dramatically over the last few years. The availability of noninvasive monitoring devices and the use of short-acting sedative and analgesic medications enable physicians to conduct safe and effective sedation and analgesia treatment. In today's practice of pediatric emergency medicine, sedation and analgesia has been considered as the standard of care for procedural pain. The following article describes the basic principles of pediatric procedural sedation and analgesia in the emergency department.