Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Three-month outcome of patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome using point-of-care cardiac troponin-T testing compared with laboratory-based cardiac troponin-T testing: a randomised trial.
The aim of this randomised trial was to determine clinical outcomes in patients suspected of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who had cardiac troponin-T measured by point-of-care (POC) compared with laboratory-based cardiac troponin-T testing. A secondary aim was to describe the correlation between the two troponin assays. ⋯ Among patients suspected of an ACS, we found no evidence for a difference in adverse outcome when POC troponin was used in comparison with laboratory troponin. Due to the small sample size, an absolute difference of up to 6% in adverse outcome is possible.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Benztropine for the relief of acute non-traumatic neck pain (wry neck): a randomised trial.
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of intra-muscular benztropine on pain and range of motion in patients presenting to the emergency department with acute, non-traumatic neck pain (wry neck). ⋯ Benztropine was ineffective for reducing pain or improving range of motion of the cervical spine in patients suffering from acute, non-traumatic neck pain, but frequently caused anticholinergic side effects. However, as the CI for the primary outcome included the minimum difference considered clinically significant, an important effect of benztropine cannot be ruled out.