J Emerg Med
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Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a common Emergency Department (ED) disorder that accounts for >5 million ED visits annually. Although quite rare, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a serious cause of CHF that if left untreated can lead to life-threatening sequelae, such as hypertensive pulmonary vascular disease, endarteritis, and aneurysms of the ductus. ⋯ Persistent PDA in adulthood is a rare but important cause of CHF with significant morbidity and mortality if not appropriately diagnosed and treated.
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A National Board of Medical Examiners examination does not exist for Emergency Medicine (EM) students. To fill this void, the Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine tasked a committee with development of an examination for 4th-year (M4) EM students, based on a published syllabus, and consisting of questions written according to published question-writing guidelines. ⋯ A national group of EM educators developed an examination to assess a published clerkship syllabus. The examination contains questions written according to published item-writing guidelines, and exhibits content validity, appropriate difficulty levels, and adequate question discriminatory ability.
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Case Reports
Fatal Infant Myocardial Infarction Caused by Ball-IN-Valve Mechanism from a Dysplastic Aortic Valve.
Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) can occur in infants. Early identification of AMI can allow for specific therapies aimed at improving patient outcomes. ⋯ AMI is an important diagnostic consideration in any infant presenting with signs of unexplained cardiogenic shock. Practitioners who care for children should be aware of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for AMI in infants.