European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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Meta Analysis
The use of intravenous magnesium sulphate for acute migraine: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of intravenous magnesium for the treatment of acute migraine in adults. ⋯ The meta-analyses have failed to demonstrate a beneficial effect of intravenous magnesium in terms of reduction in pain relief in acute migraine in adults, showed no benefit in terms of the need for rescue medication and in fact have shown that patients treated with magnesium were significantly more likely to report side-effects/adverse events.
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Review Meta Analysis
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for relieving acute pain in the prehospital setting: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials.
Although medics in many services are equipped with pharmacological analgesia, legislative or logistical restrictions in some systems result in the need to rely on nonpharmacological avenues for the management of acute pain. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been proposed as an alternative to analgesic medication that could be feasible and effective in the prehospital setting. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness and safety of TENS when administered by medics to patients with acute pain in the prehospital setting. ⋯ TENS was also effective in reducing acute anxiety secondary to pain. No safety risks were identified. When administered by medics in the prehospital setting to patients with acute pain, TENS appears to be an effective and safe nonpharmacological analgesic modality that should be considered by emergency medical services organizations in which pharmacological pain management is restricted or unavailable.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Use of predefined biochemical admission profiles does not reduce the number of tests or total cost: a randomized-controlled pilot study.
The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate whether the use of predefined biochemical profiles as an alternative to individually ordered blood tests by the treating physicians resulted in fewer tests or a lower total cost. ⋯ The use of a predefined blood test panel did not significantly affect the number of tests, total cost, or length of stay for acutely admitted medical patients compared with tests ordered at the discretion of the treating physician.
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Observational Study
Inter-rater agreement of the triage system RETTS-HEV.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the inter-rater agreement among nurses using the triage system RETTS-HEV (rapid emergency triage and treatment system - hospital unit west) in a Danish emergency department (ED). ⋯ The study found good inter-rater agreement between two independent observers not receiving any new triage training before the study.