International journal of emergency medicine
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⋯ Elderly patient OHCA events witnessed by a family bystander were associated with worse 1-month outcomes than those witnessed by a non-family bystander. Healthcare providers should consider targeting potential family bystanders for CPR education to increase the rate and quality of bystander CPR.
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⋯ Our results suggest that the technical qualities of microEEG are non-inferior to a standard commercially available EEG recording device. EEG in the ED is an unmet medical need due to space and time constraints, high levels of ambient electrical noise, and the cost of 24/7 EEG technologist availability. This study suggests that using microEEG with an electrode cap that can be applied easily and quickly can surmount these obstacles without compromising technical quality.
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A case of communicating carotid-cavernous sinus fistula (CCF) after minor closed head injury is presented. ⋯ Carotid-cavernous sinus fistula is a rare condition that is usually caused by blunt or penetrating trauma to the head, but can develop spontaneously in about one fourth of patients with CCF. The connection between the carotid artery and cavernous sinus leads to increased pressure in the cavernous sinus and compression of its contents, and thereby produces the clinical symptoms and signs seen. Diagnosis depends on clinical examination and neuroimaging techniques. The aim of management is to reduce the pressure within the cavernous sinus, which results in gradual resolution of symptoms.
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Injuries represent a significant and growing public health concern in the developing world, yet their impact on patients and the emergency health-care system in the countries of East Africa has received limited attention. This study evaluates the magnitude and scope of injury related disorders in the population presenting to a referral hospital emergency department in northern Tanzania. ⋯ These data give a detailed and more robust picture of the patient demographics, mechanisms of injury, types of injury and patient outcomes from similar resource-limited settings.
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Lacerations account for a large number of ED visits. Is there a "golden period" beyond which lacerations should not be repaired primarily? What type of relationship exists between time of repair and wound infection rates? Is it linear or exponential? Currently, the influence of laceration age on the risk of infection in simple lacerations repaired is not clearly defined. We conducted this study to determine the influence of time of primary wound closure on the infection rate. ⋯ Without controlling various confounding factors, the median wound closure time for the lacerations in the wound infection group was statistically significantly longer than in the non-infection group.