European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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We aimed to explore emergency department (ED) patients', doctors', and nurses' knowledge and illness perception with regard to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to determine whether patients' diabetes risk was associated with illness perception. ⋯ Knowledge of prediabetes is poor among ED patients and many are unaware that T2DM may be asymptomatic. Patients and clinicians perceived lifestyle factors to be causative for T2DM, but both perceived patients as having little control over the condition. The capacity of lifestyle modifications to alter the course of T2DM should be emphasized in future education programs.
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The aim of the work is to determine whether the change between primary and repeated serum inflammatory markers measured 8-12 h later may improve diagnostic accuracy in pediatric appendicitis. ⋯ Repeated serum laboratory tests at different time points during the progression of acute appendicitis may be helpful in predicting pediatric appendicitis in the pediatric emergency department.
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Emergency cases for resuscitation include built-in oxygen cylinders with limited oxygen supply. The use of a bag-valve mask device (BVMD) with a reservoir requires a high constant flow of oxygen to maintain a high concentration of delivered oxygen. The goal of the study was to analyze what fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) can be reached and how long it takes using different BVMD with their reservoir device and different oxygen flows in order to allow a reduction in oxygen requirements during simulated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). ⋯ The mean FiO2 was lower with the Mark IV (P<0.05) (Table 1). To allow a substantial reduction in oxygen requirements, a 10 l/min for 1 min, followed by 5 l/min of oxygen flow can be used during CPR with both BVMDs studied. Increasing supplemental oxygen flow did not appreciably increase the FiO2.
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There is an apparent conflict between published evidence and UK emergency medicine (EM) physician practice with regard to the use of intravenous fluids to treat patients intoxicated with alcohol. We conducted a survey of all EM physicians in North East (NE) England to determine opinion with regard to this therapy, and compared this with the available evidence for its benefit. ⋯ The use of intravenous fluids to treat intoxication is common practice among EM physicians in NE England. The available literature states that this practice is futile. However, there are significant limitations in these studies. This suggests that EM physicians might be using intravenous fluids therapy (IVT) because they are finding in their own practice it is effective. We hypothesize that IVT should improve care in most intoxicated patients as the result of a direct dilutional effect. Further research is required to establish the validity of existing EM physician's practice of using IVT.