Articles: emergency-services.
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Chest pain is among the most common reasons for presentation to the emergency department (ED) worldwide. Additional studies on most cost-effective ways of differentiating serious vs. benign causes of chest pain are needed. ⋯ Implementation of our novel chest pain pathway improved numerous ED throughput metrics in the evaluation of nontraumatic chest pain patients.
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Observational Study
Estimated plasma volume status is a simple and quick tool that could help define the severity of patients with infection on arrival at the emergency department.
Infectious states are subtle and rapidly evolving conditions observed daily in the emergency department (ED), and their prognostic evaluation remains a complex clinical challenge. Recently, estimated plasma volume status (ePVS) has been suggested to have a prognostic role in conditions where volemic alteration is central to the pathophysiology. The aim of this study was to verify whether ePVS recorded at ED admission can provide prognostic indications of 30-day mortality in patients with infection. ⋯ ePVS recorded on ED admission of patients with infection was an independent predictor of risk for 30-day mortality.
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Observational Study
Differences in toxicology reports and hospital emergency care for patients suspected of experiencing drug-facilitated crimes: an analysis according to gender.
To analyze gender-related differences in patient and care characteristics and in toxicology findings in suspected cases of drug facilitated crime (DFC). ⋯ The majority of victims of DFCs were female, and the crimes were mixed, involving involve alcohol, psychopharmaceuticals or street drugs. Female victims were more likely to be under the age of 25 years, be referred to the emergency service by a physician, be attended by a forensic physician for sexual assault, and have an alcoholpositive toxicology report. Women were also less likely to report a robbery or have a toxicology report identifying drugs or an unknown substance.