Annals of emergency medicine
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Evaluate the utility of routine rescanning of older, mild head trauma patients with an initial negative brain computed tomography (CT), who is on a preinjury antithrombotic (AT) agent by assessing the rate of delayed intracranial hemorrhage (dICH), need for surgery, and attributable mortality. ⋯ In older patients with an initial Glasgow Coma Scale of 14 to 15 and a negative initial brain CT scan, the dICH rate is low (<1%) and of minimal clinical consequence, regardless of AT use. In addition, no patient had operative neurosurgical intervention. Therefore, routine rescanning is not supported based on the results of this study.
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Injury is the leading cause of death and disability for children, making access to pediatric trauma centers crucial to pediatric trauma care. Our objective was to describe the pediatric population with timely access to a pediatric trauma center by demographics and geography in the United States. ⋯ Significant disparities in current access to pediatric trauma centers exist by race and ethnicity, and geography, leaving some children at risk for poor trauma outcomes.
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To evaluate the dose-dependent comparative safety and effectiveness between weight-based and alternative dosing strategies for diltiazem in atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response. ⋯ This study shows dose-dependent hemodynamic effects with diltiazem in patients with atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response. Weight-based diltiazem (0.25 mg/kg) was associated with greater rate control with no evidence of increased adverse effects. There was no perceived advantage in using lower, alternative doses.