Annals of emergency medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Efficacy and impact of intravenous morphine before surgical consultation in children with right lower quadrant pain suggestive of appendicitis: a randomized controlled trial.
The evidence supporting the use of analgesia in children with abdominal pain suggestive of appendicitis is limited. The objectives of the study are to evaluate the efficacy of morphine before surgical consultation in children presenting to the pediatric emergency department (ED) with right lower quadrant pain suggestive of appendicitis and determine whether it has an impact on the time between arrival in the ED and the surgical decision. ⋯ The use of morphine in children with a presumptive diagnosis of appendicitis did not delay the surgical decision. In our group of patients, however, morphine at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg was not more effective than placebo in diminishing their pain at 30 minutes.
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Highly reliable, efficient collaborative work relies on excellent communication. We seek to understand how a traditional whiteboard is used as a versatile information artifact to support communication in rapid-paced, highly dynamic collaborative work. The similar communicative demands of the trauma operating suite and an emergency department (ED) make the findings applicable to both settings. ⋯ Traditional information artifacts such as whiteboards play significant roles in supporting collaborative work. How these artifacts are used provides insights into complicated information needs of teamwork in highly dynamic, high-risk settings such as an ED.
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Editorial Comment
Truth, and epinephrine, at our fingertips: unveiling the pseudoaxioms.