J Emerg Med
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Prednisone for Emergency Department Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Although oral corticosteroids are commonly given to emergency department (ED) patients with musculoskeletal low back pain (LBP), there is little evidence of benefit. ⋯ We detected no benefit from oral corticosteroids in our ED patients with musculoskeletal LBP.
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Comparative Study
Evaluation of a Cornstarch-Based Ultrasound Gel Alternative for Low-Resource Settings.
Ultrasound is an ideal imaging modality for low-resource settings given its portability, ease of use, and wide range of applications. Commercially available ultrasound gels may be unavailable or cost prohibitive in low-resource settings. ⋯ In this study, a gel made from cornstarch and water was an acceptable coupling medium and provided equally adequate images as compared with commercial ultrasound gel. This inexpensive gel made from ubiquitous materials can be an acceptable alternative to commercial gel in low-resource settings.
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Nontraumatic low back pain (LBP) is a common emergency department (ED) complaint and can be caused by serious pathologies that require immediate intervention or that lead to death. ⋯ We successfully identified risk factors associated with serious pathology among ED LBP patients. Future prospective studies are required to derive a robust clinical decision rule.