Articles: emergency-department.
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Precipitous obstetric deliveries can occur outside of the labor and delivery suite, often in the emergency department (ED). Shoulder dystocia is an obstetric emergency with significant risk of adverse outcome. ⋯ Emergency physicians should be familiar with multiple techniques for managing a shoulder dystocia to reduce the chances of fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Finger counting: an alternative method for estimating pediatric weights.
We compared the accuracy of a conceptually simple pediatric weight estimation technique, the finger counting method, with other commonly used methods. ⋯ The finger counting method is an acceptable alternative to the Broselow method for weight estimation in children aged 1 to 9 years. It outperforms the traditional APLS method but underestimates weights compared with parental estimate and the Luscombe formula.
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One of the most commonly performed task in the emergency department (ED) is reported as the monitoring of vital signs, yet there are no published standards of care that provide guidelines for the frequency of obtaining vital signs in the ED. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine the frequency of documentation of vital signs recorded during ED visits across Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities. ⋯ It seems unlikely that vital signs are not monitored in the ED; nurses anecdotally report that vital signs are recorded on a paper chart and later scanned as an image into the EHR. However, lack of consistent process in documentation of vital signs may decrease the care team's ability to note early warning signs of physiological instability or deterioration.
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Headache is a common presenting complaint in pediatric emergency departments. The goal of emergent evaluation is to identify those children with potentially life-threatening conditions. ⋯ Genetic testing eventually led to the diagnosis of SDHB-related hereditary paraganglioma-pheochromocytoma syndrome. Alarm features ("red flags") in children presenting with headache are reviewed, as well as the main features of paragangliomas and the indications for genetic testing.
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Pediatric emergency care · Mar 2014
Legislation in Québec for all-terrain vehicles: are we doing enough?
All-terrain vehicle (ATV) legislation in Québec is among the most restrictive in Canada. The purpose of our study was to characterize the pediatric ATV traumas in our center and determine the impact of legislation. ⋯ Despite implementation of ATV legislation regarding helmet use and minimal legal age, a lot of our patients did not obey these rules. This study demonstrates that strong legislation did not have a real impact on ATV morbidity in children. It is essential to develop strategies to enforce ATV users to respect legislation.