European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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Comparative Study
Utilization of a UK emergency department by care home residents: a retrospective observational study.
There is little information available on the impact of care home residents upon emergency departments (EDs) in the UK. Our objective was to determine utilization of a UK ED by local care home residents. This study took place in a busy district general ED in an urban setting. ⋯ Most common presentation categories were trauma (38%), respiratory disorders (11.2%), cardiovascular disorders (10.8%), gastrointestinal disorders (9.3%) and genitourinary disorders (6.4%). Although accounting only for 1.5% of daily attendances, care home residents have a high admission and inpatient mortality rate. This study provides important information on presentation patterns for this subgroup of the population and identifies areas for further study.
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Our objective was to study the accuracy of emergency medicine [(EM) bedside ultrasonography (BUS)] and radiology residents performed ultrasonography (RUS) in patients with suspected mechanical small bowel obstruction (SBO). ⋯ Abdominal sonography for the diagnosis of SBO is a new application of BUS in the emergency department. EM residents can diagnose SBO using BUS with a high-degree of accuracy, comparable with that of radiology residents.
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This descriptive study presents availability and content of acute pain protocols in emergency departments (EDs) in The Netherlands. Current acute pain protocols were collected and an a priori list of questions was used for analysis. Findings were compared with current international standards. ⋯ Acute pain protocols are lacking in many EDs. Most protocols did not apply current standards. We exposed an area with space for leadership.