Annals of emergency medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Nebulized dexamethasone versus oral prednisone in the emergency treatment of asthmatic children.
To compare nebulized dexamethasone with oral prednisone in the treatment of children with asthma. ⋯ Nebulized dexamethasone was as effective as oral prednisone in the ED treatment of moderately ill children with acute asthma and was associated with more rapid clinical improvement, more reliable drug delivery, and fewer relapses.
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Comparative Study
Clinical decision rules discriminate between fractures and nonfractures in acute isolated knee trauma.
To develop criteria that optimize clinical decisionmaking in the use of radiography after isolated knee trauma in adults. ⋯ Clinical decision rules are effective in detecting knee fractures with 100% sensitivity and with sufficient specificity to eliminate 29% of knee radiographs in the ED. These findings require prospective validation.
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Comparative Study
Motorcycle trauma in the state of Illinois: analysis of the Illinois Department of Public Health Trauma Registry.
To assess the current morbidity and mortality of motorcycle trauma in the state of Illinois and, specifically, to assess the incidence and cost of head injury to motorcycle crash patients according to their helmet use. ⋯ Motorcycle helmet nonuse was associated with an increased incidence of serious head injury. Motorcycle trauma patients with severe or critical head injuries used a significantly greater proportion of ICU days and hospital charges than those with mild or no head injuries.
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To conduct an incremental cost-effectiveness analysis of implementation of the Ottawa Ankle Rules in emergency departments in the United States and Canada. ⋯ Implementation of the Ottawa Ankle Rules would result in significant savings of health care dollars despite the cost of missed fractures including litigation costs.