Articles: emergency-department.
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Emergency physicians (EPs) are uniquely positioned to act as health advocates for individual patients, emergency department (ED) patient populations and the Canadian public. However, most ED practice environments do not encourage health advocacy, and staff EPs often do not feel adequately prepared to address many health-determinant issues. ⋯ At the University of Toronto, we have developed a new curriculum using evidence-based ED initiatives, examples of Canadian EP advocacy, and a description of organizations involved in advocacy, and we have incorporated several principles of adult learning to increase learner investment, maximize relevancy for EPs and optimize retention into practice. Residents believe the curriculum is highly relevant, allowing them to recognize advocacy opportunities in their own practices.
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Current recommended treatment for middle-third clavicle fractures is limited to the use of ice, analgesics, a sling, and rest. Radiography for these fractures would be superfluous if physicians could accurately identify them by clinical examination alone. The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether emergency physicians can accurately diagnose clavicle fractures, and whether they can differentiate middle-third fractures from medial- or lateral-third fractures by clinical assessment alone. ⋯ This study provides evidence that experienced emergency physicians are highly accurate when they are clinically certain of clavicle fracture. Further, when emergency physicians do clinically diagnose clavicle fracture, they can accurately identify the patient subgroup that will be responsive to conservative treatment. Routine radiography of obvious middle-third clavicle fractures does not appear to improve diagnostic accuracy or treatment decisions.
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We report a case of an 8-year-old boy who presented to the emergency department with small jewelry magnets adherent across his nasal septum. Prompt removal of these foreign bodies is important to avoid septal necrosis and perforation. We report our success in using the metal handle of bayonet forceps to break the attraction between the magnets. The magnets were removed painlessly and without trauma to the nasal septum.