Articles: emergency-services.
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To determine the potential usefulness of external cardiac pacing for the termination of sustained ventricular tachycardia in the emergency department setting. ⋯ We conclude that external noninvasive pacing may be an effective means of terminating ventricular tachycardia in the ED setting.
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To evaluate the nature of the decision to write a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order in the Emergency Department (ED). ⋯ Because there remains considerable reluctance on the part of physicians to discuss the DNR issue before patients become critically ill, it is often necessary for ED physicians to write a DNR order. Although the ED is not an ideal setting for discussion of DNR orders and patients and families do not generally initiate this discussion, DNR orders can be written by ED physicians after consultation with the family.