European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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The acute scrotum is a challenging condition for the treating emergency physician requiring consideration of a number of possible diagnoses including testicular torsion. Prompt recognition of torsion and exclusion of other causes may lead to organ salvage, avoiding the devastating functional and psychological issues of testicular loss and minimizing unnecessary exploratory surgeries. ⋯ It outlines the types and mechanisms of testicular torsion, and examines the current and possible future roles of labwork and radiological imaging in diagnosis. Emergency departments should be wary of younger males presenting with the acute scrotum.
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Observational Study
Ethically justified treatment limitations in emergency situations.
Medical emergency teams (METs) implement do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DNACPR) orders and other limitations of medical treatment (LOMTs) in hospitals regularly. However, METs operate in emergency situations with limited or no patient information at the scene. We aimed to study the medical ethics of LOMTs implemented in in-hospital emergency situations. ⋯ LOMTs were implemented in a decent and ethically justified manner in emergency situations following the code of conduct recommended by guidelines, even though MET operated under highly suboptimal circumstances for end-of-life care planning.
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Comparative Study Observational Study
A comparison of a formal triage scoring system and a quick-look triage approach.
Emergency Department (ED) triage systems have become increasingly comprehensive over time, requiring ever more resources such as nursing time and computer support. There are very few studies that have looked at whether this increased complexity results in improved performance. ⋯ TNs assigning triage scores to ED patients on arrival, using only chief complaint and observation, were statistically comparable to scores assigned utilizing a resource-intense, comprehensive triage system, but clinically significant discrepancies were identified.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
The Icatibant Outcome Survey: treatment of laryngeal angioedema attacks.
To characterize the management and outcomes of life-threatening laryngeal attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE) treated with icatibant in the observational Icatibant Outcome Survey (NCT01034969) registry. ⋯ This analysis describes successful use of icatibant for the treatment of laryngeal HAE attacks in a real-world setting.