Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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A short cut review was carried out to establish whether a normal CT scan within 6 h of onset of a severe, sudden onset headache can be used to rule out a subarachnoid haemorrhage. Four studies were directly relevant to the question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of these papers are tabulated. The clinical bottom line is that a CT scan performed on a third generation scanner with thin slices, reported by a radiologist experienced in reporting CT brain scans, within 6 h of onset of the headache can be used to rule out a subarachnoid haemorrhage.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Predictors of infection from dog bite wounds: which patients may benefit from prophylactic antibiotics?
To determine a current infection rate of dog bite wounds and predictors of wounds at risk for infection that may benefit from prophylactic antibiotics. ⋯ Puncture wounds or wounds closed during treatment are dog bite wounds at a high risk of infection and should be considered for treatment with prophylactic antibiotics.
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A short cut review was carried out to establish whether Rivaroxaban is superior to warfarin in the management of pulmonary embolism. Three studies were directly relevant to the question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of these papers are tabulated. The clinical bottom line is that Rivaroxaban is a promising alternative to warfarin in the management of pulmonary embolism.
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The prognosis for patients with severe infection is related to early treatment, including early administration of antibiotics. The study aim was to compare the short-term mortality among patients admitted with severe infection with and without systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) at arrival, and to ascertain whether the presence of SIRS might affect the timing of antibiotic administration. ⋯ SIRS was absent in one-quarter of patients admitted with severe infection. The 'door-to-antibiotics' time was significantly shorter for patients with SIRS compared with patients without SIRS, but no difference was found in 30-day mortality.