European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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To establish whether D-dimer is an independent predictor of 1-month serious outcome and all-cause death in syncope patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). ⋯ Plasma D-dimer is frequently raised in patients presenting with syncope to the ED and consequently does not predict 1-month serious outcome or death. We conclude that there is no role for the routine measurement of D-dimer in the management of patients presenting to the ED with syncope.
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United States regulations allow a narrow exception from informed consent for a subset of resuscitation research. Such an exception is also allowed under the Declaration of Helsinki. In 2001, a European Union (EU) Directive was passed, which, if enforced literally, could prohibit resuscitation research. The purpose of this study is to assess the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare workers, specifically emergency physicians, with regard to the EU Directive as it applies to resuscitation research and informed consent. ⋯ The international regulatory status of consent in resuscitation research is in flux; yet, most emergency physicians are unaware of the potential implications of the EU Directive or the provisions in the Declaration of Helsinki allowing an exemption from informed consent for resuscitation research.
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Utilization of hospital emergency departments (EDs) is continuously increasing. Though nurses and physicians are ultimately responsible for the definite triage decisions, initial ED patient triage is frequently performed by hospital admission staff. This study analyzes the quality of assessment of the severity of emergencies and the choice of treatment unit made by hospital admission staff. ⋯ Triage quality regarding the choice of treatment unit was found to be excellent, whereas the quality of the assessment of the severity of the emergency by nonmedical ED admission staff was acceptable. ED patients have to be assessed by medical staff early after admission to ensure adequate and timely interventions.