Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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To evaluate the effect of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to improve the completion of patient care documentation items on patient care reports (PCRs) in a physician-staffed, 4500-calls-per-year preclinical ground emergency medical service (EMS) base. ⋯ In this EMS base, developing SOPs is an effective tool to improve the quality of PCRs and the rate of completion of documentation items. Check boxes on PCR forms seem to have an important impact as they prompt the initial assessment, treatment and documentation of the actions taken during an EMS call. Consequently, SOPs and check boxes may serve to improve the transition of important information to emergency department staff, and thus contribute to improved patient care.
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Unenhanced multidetector computed tomography (CT KUB) is now firmly established as the best imaging method in the evaluation of suspected acute renal colic, and is replacing intravenous urography at an increasing number of hospitals. The female patient presenting at the emergency department with suspected acute renal colic presents a particular diagnostic problem, as the positive rate for stone disease in female patients is considerably lower compared with male patients. The indiscriminate use of suspected renal colic protocol and CT KUB in all female patients with flank pain should be avoided.