Annals of emergency medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Effect of needle changing and intravenous cannula collection on blood culture contamination rates.
We tested the hypotheses that blood culture positivity and contamination rates were not increased by not changing needles between venipuncture and inoculation of blood culture bottles or by taking blood for culture by freshly inserted IV cannulae. ⋯ The results of this study do not support the practice of changing needles before inoculating blood samples into blood culture bottles. Collection of blood for culture through freshly inserted IV cannulae is associated with a low contamination rate and is an acceptable alternative to direct venipuncture. Sources of bias in this study suggest that further research is needed to determine the optimal technique for collecting blood cultures.
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Physician service time varies with patient service category, length of stay, and intensity of service. ⋯ Case mix of patient services affects emergency physician workload and should be considered in planning departmental staffing needs.
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We report a case of an iliac apophyseal fracture in a 15-year-old boy, sustained while swinging a baseball bat. He presented with right hip pain one hour after the injury occurred. ⋯ The iliac crest is an unusual site of injury for this avulsion fracture. Only one other well-described case of an acute, noncontact fracture of the iliac apophysis with a similar mechanism of injury has been reported.
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This study examined the success rate, time required, technical ease, and reported patient discomfort for the use of scapular manipulation in the reduction of anterior shoulder dislocation. This study included a new variation of this technique using the seated position. ⋯ Scapular manipulation generally is a simple, rapid, and reliable technique for the reduction of anterior shoulder dislocation.
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To characterize the role of tissue adhesion as an adjunct in wound closure. ⋯ Our report indicates that tissue bonding may be a preferred and cost-effective method of repair of appropriate traumatic lacerations in the ED.