Articles: emergency-department.
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Despite the importance of effective communication during verbal de-escalation, research regarding patient primary language during management of agitation symptoms is limited. We evaluated associations between patient primary language and use of physical restraints and intramuscular (IM) sedation in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ ED visits with Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking patients were found to have lower odds of physical restraints and IM sedation, while Arabic, Italian, other, and unknown language-speaking patients were found to have higher odds. Factors contributing to linguistic differences in physical restraint and IM sedation use, such as cultural interpretations of behavior, quality of clinical interactions, and patient-clinician communication strategies, merit further investigation.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of ambulance calls increased sharply, and ambulances could not be dispatched due to unavailability, especially in rural areas. This study assessed the integration of traditional emergency care systems in rural areas with online medical services from urban areas. ⋯ Online medical services have the potential to optimize medical resource allocation and utilization in rural areas.