Annals of emergency medicine
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Head injuries are among the most common types of trauma seen in North American emergency departments, with an estimated 1 million cases seen annually. "Minor" head injury (sometimes known as "mild") is defined by a history of loss of consciousness, amnesia, or disorientation in a patient who is conscious and talking, that is, with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 13 to 15. Although most patients with minor head injury can be discharged without sequelae after a period of observation, in a small proportion, their neurologic condition deteriorates and requires neurosurgical intervention for intracranial hematoma. The objective of the Canadian CT Head Rule Study is to develop an accurate and reliable decision rule for the use of computed tomography (CT) in patients with minor head injury. ⋯ The Canadian CT Head Rule Study for patients with minor head injury: rationale, objectives, and methodology for phase I (derivation). Ann Emerg Med. August 2001;38:160-169.]
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Comparative Study
Work interrupted: a comparison of workplace interruptions in emergency departments and primary care offices.
We sought to determine the number of interruptions and to characterize tasks performed in emergency departments compared with those performed in primary care offices. ⋯ Emergency physicians experienced more interruptions and managed more patients concurrently than PCPs. PCPs spent more time performing simultaneous tasks than emergency physicians. Our study suggests there are important ergonomic differences between emergency medicine and office-based primary care work environments that may require different training approaches, design considerations, and coping strategies.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of the auditory and visual privacy of emergency department treatment areas with curtains versus those with solid walls.
The design and function of emergency departments may allow breaches of privacy that could adversely affect patient satisfaction and medical care. We sought to determine whether patients perceive less privacy in ED treatment areas with curtains than in rooms with solid walls. ⋯ Patients perceive significantly less auditory and visual privacy in ED treatment areas with curtains compared with a room with solid walls. Consideration of these findings in current practice and in future ED design and construction is suggested.
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We sought to determine whether working 5 serial night shifts in the emergency department results in a decline in physician performance as measured with an intelligence test. ⋯ Working a series of 5 night shifts results in a substantial decline in cognitive performance in physicians working in the ED.
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Our purpose was to describe the history, physical, and laboratory findings in women with ovarian torsion (OT). ⋯ The diagnosis of OT is often missed and ovarian salvage is rare. Pain characteristics are variable and objective findings are uncommon in OT.