Can J Emerg Med
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Comparison of naproxen with cyclobenzaprine, oxycodone-acetaminophen, and placebo for the treatment of acute low back pain.
Clinical Question Does the addition of cyclobenzaprine or oxycodone with acetaminophen to naproxen result in improved functional outcomes at one week when compared to placebo in patients with acute low back pain? Article Chosen Friedman B, Dym A, Davitt, M, et al. Naproxen with cyclobenzaprine, oxycodone/acetaminophen, or placebo for treating acute low back pain: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA 2015:20;314(15):1572-80. Study Objective The primary objective of this study was to compare functional outcomes at one week and three months after emergency department (ED) presentation for acute low back pain among patients prescribed naproxen plus one of the following: (1) oxycodone/acetaminophen; (2) cyclobenzaprine; or (3) placebo.
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Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in Canada, with 10% of the general population admitting to its use in the past year. This high prevalence increases risk of accidental ingestion in young children. ⋯ To our knowledge, this is the first Canadian case series since McNabb et al., published over 2 decades ago. The case series aims to highlight the importance of considering acute marijuana intoxication in the differential diagnosis when assessing young children with altered level of consciousness.
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Comparative Study
The Effect of a Full Bladder on Proportions of Diagnostic Ultrasound Studies in Children with Suspected Appendicitis.
We examined the effect of a full bladder on proportions of diagnostic ultrasound (US) studies in children with suspected appendicitis. We also examined the effect of a full bladder on proportions of fully visualized ovaries on US in children with suspected appendicitis. ⋯ Administrators and clinical decision makers should consider removing routine bladder filling practice from current pediatric appendicitis protocols in males and in pre-pubertal females where ovarian pathology is not suspected. Selective bladder filling prior to US should be performed in females when ovarian pathology is suspected.
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Over the past few decades, point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) has come to play a major role in the practice of emergency medicine. Despite its numerous benefits, there has been a slow uptake of PoCUS use in rural emergency departments. ⋯ Potential solutions include expanding residency training in ultrasound skills, extending funding for PoCUS training to rural physicians in practice, moving PoCUS training courses to rural sites, and creating telesonography training for rural physicians. With these barriers identified and solutions proposed, corrective measures must be taken so that the benefits of PoCUS are extended to patients in rural Canada where, arguably, it has the greatest potential for benefit when access to advanced imaging is not readily available.