J Emerg Med
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Acute meningitis is a relatively common phenomenon in children. Identifying which children are most likely to have bacterial meningitis vs. self-limiting aseptic meningitis is important, as these children require investigation and antibiotic treatment. ⋯ Until consistently high methodological quality and diagnostic performance are demonstrated through prospective validation, caution is warranted in the routine clinical use of existing CPRs for children with suspected bacterial meningitis.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
CPR PRO(®) Device Reduces Rescuer Fatigue during Continuous Chest Compression Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Randomized Crossover Trial Using a Manikin Model.
The performance of high-quality chest compressions with minimal interruptions is one of the most important elements of the "Chain of Survival." ⋯ CPRO device reduces rescuer fatigue and pain during continuous chest compression CPR, which results in a higher quality of CPR in a simulation setting.
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Apical ballooning syndrome (ABS) or stress cardiomyopathy is increasingly recognized as a cause of acute coronary syndrome with unobstructed coronaries, but remains underdiagnosed. ⋯ The incidence and clinical features of ABS in our tertiary center are similar to those reported in other settings. Unusual precipitants were observed, but left ventriculograms were performed less frequently and could be contributory to the under-diagnosis of ABS.
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Case Reports
Evaluation of Left Ventricular Function by Bedside Ultrasound in Acute Toxic Myocarditis.
Myocarditis can be difficult to diagnose in the Emergency Department (ED) due to the lack of classic symptoms and the wide variation in presentations. Poor cardiac contractility is a common finding in myocarditis and can be evaluated by bedside ultrasound. ⋯ Cardiac ultrasound findings of severely reduced global function measured by endocardial fractional shortening were seen in this patient and supported the diagnosis of myocarditis. Endocardial fractional shortening is a useful means of easily evaluating and documenting left ventricular function and can be performed at the bedside in the ED.
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Fresh human cadavers provide an effective model for procedural training. Currently, there are no realistic models to teach fascial compartment pressure measurement. ⋯ We created a novel and measurable fascial compartment pressure measurement model in a fresh human cadaver using a standard embalming machine. Set-up is minimal and the model can be incorporated into teaching curricula.