Can J Emerg Med
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Photodocumentation as an emergency department documentation tool in soft tissue infection: a randomized trial.
Current documentation methods for patients with skin and soft tissue infections receiving outpatient parenteral anti-infective therapy (OPAT) include written descriptions and drawings of the infection that may inadequately communicate clinical status. We undertook a study to determine whether photodocumentation (PD) improves the duration of outpatient treatment of skin and soft tissue infections. ⋯ PD as an intervention is acceptable to patients and has reasonable endorsement by the majority of physicians. This trial had significant limitations that threatened the integrity of the study, so the results are inconclusive.
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The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence, risk factors, and time to onset of delayed hemothorax and pneumothorax in adults who experienced a minor blunt thoracic trauma. ⋯ The presence of at least one rib fracture between the third and ninth rib on the x-ray of the hemithorax is a significant risk factor for delayed hemothorax and pneumothorax.
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To define the range of clinical conditions Canadian emergency pediatricians consider appropriate for management by physician assistants (PAs) and the degree of autonomy PAs should have in the pediatric emergency department (PED). ⋯ This national survey of Canadian PED physicians suggests that they feel PAs could help care for a large number of nonemergent clinical cases coming to the PED, but these clinical encounters would have to be directly supervised by a physician.
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To determine the willingness of parents of children visiting a pediatric emergency department to have a physician assistant (PA) assess and treat their child and the waiting time reduction sufficient for them to choose to receive treatment by a PA rather than wait for a physician. ⋯ Only a small minority of parents of children visiting a pediatric emergency department for urgent to nonurgent issues are unwilling to have their child treated by PAs.