Articles: emergency-department.
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Bacterial meningitis is an emergent disease requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment with appropriate antimicrobials. Although the lumbar puncture is widely used as a diagnostic tool for bacterial meningitis, it remains unclear which value in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis in emergency laboratory tests precisely predicts the presence of bacterial meningitis. ⋯ This study suggests that the CSF/blood glucose ratio may be a better single indicator for bacterial meningitis. Since the CSF glucose and blood glucose values are promptly and easily obtained from a lumbar puncture, the CSF/blood glucose ratio should be considered as a timely diagnostic indicator of bacterial meningitis. It may also help exclude the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis especially in cases in which no microorganisms can be cultured.
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Observational Study
Requirement for a structured algorithm in cardiac arrest following major trauma:Epidemiology, management errors, and preventability of traumatic deaths in Berlin.
Despite continuous innovation in trauma care, fatal trauma remains a significant medical and socioeconomic problem. Traumatic cardiac arrest (tCA) is still considered a hopeless situation, whereas management errors and preventability of death are neglected. We analyzed clinical and autopsy data from tCA patients in an emergency-physician-based rescue system in order to reveal epidemiologic data and current problems in the successful treatment of tCA. ⋯ Trauma CPR is beyond routine with the need for a tCPR-algorithm, including chest/pericardial decompression, external pelvic stabilization and external bleeding control. The prehospital trauma management has the highest potential to improve tCPR and survival. Therefore, we suggested a pilot prehospital tCPR-algorithm.
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Enferm. Infecc. Microbiol. Clin. · Mar 2014
Review[Usefulness of inflammation and infection biomarkers in the Emergency Department].
Infectious processes account for 10% of patient seen in the emergency department. To administer antibiotics early, and before any other therapeutic-diagnostic decisions (complementary tests, microbiological samples, intensity of hemodynamic support, need for admission, etc.) have direct repercussions on the survival of patients with severe bacterial infections (bacteremia, severe sepsis or septic shock). In this context, the emergency department represents a critical level where the suspicion of infection and it diagnosis is made and treatment is started, and the progression and prognosis will be determined by the speed of this action. ⋯ Inflammation and infection biomarkers have been around for years as helpful tools for improving emergency medical diagnoses and management of infection in the emergency department. The aim of this review is to summarize the published scientific evidence, in order to clarify the existing controversies, comparing the usefulness of the major biomarkers of inflammation and infection. It will alas suggest recommendations for their use in order to improve diagnosis, prognostic evaluation and management of infected patients in the emergency department.
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Shared decision making (SDM) is a process whereby patients and clinicians work together to make informed medical decisions that incorporate patient values. Recent data suggest that, for patients with low pretest probability of pulmonary embolism (PE), doubling the standard d-dimer cutoff may reduce the need for imaging with minimal increase in missed PE diagnoses. We used an SDM approach to determine patient preferences regarding this diagnostic approach. ⋯ When presented with a hypothetical scenario, more than one-third of patients deferred imaging for PE based on low clinical probability and a d-dimer less than twice the normal threshold. An SDM approach is acceptable to patients and may decrease imaging for PE.