The American journal of emergency medicine
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The aim of the study was to assess the usefulness of systematic natriuretic peptide testing in the management of patients presenting with acute dyspnea to emergency departments (EDs). ⋯ The current evidence remains inconclusive on whether systematic natriuretic peptide testing is useful for the management of patients presenting to ED with acute dyspnea.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Noninvasive continuous or intermittent blood pressure and heart rate patient monitoring in the ED.
Continuous invasive blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) monitoring in the emergency department (ED) is valuable in managing critically ill patients. Novel noninvasive finger cuff technology allows this same uninterrupted monitoring for almost any individual. This exploratory study compares ED noninvasive continuous to intermittent measurements of these variables. ⋯ Continuous BP and HR monitoring measured by the Nexfin finger cuff device in this trial showed reasonable agreement when compared with the intermittent values obtained by automated ED equipment. However, theoretically, noninvasive and continuous monitoring of the BP and HR might better reflect underlying hemodynamics than these same measurements obtained intermittently and, thus, could be important in patient management. More study is needed to determine the optimal method of monitoring these parameters.
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Minimally invasive percutaneous procedures are increasingly being performed by both interventional radiologists and noninterventionalists. Patients with postprocedural issues will likely present to the emergency department for evaluation and treatment. This review focuses on the evaluation and management of the complications of common percutaneous procedures.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of bedside ultrasound and panorex radiography in the diagnosis of a dental abscess in the ED.
The purpose of the study was to compare bedside ultrasound (US) and panorex radiography in the diagnosis of a dental abscess in emergency department (ED). ⋯ Bedside US is nonionizing, is readily available, and can provide an alternative to panorex x-rays in the evaluation of a dental abscess in ED.
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Most research on the seasonality of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has been were reported from hospital-based data. We aimed to investigate the seasonal distribution of ACS in Beijing and to elucidate the relations between ACS occurrence and climatic parameters in a prehospital setting. ⋯ There are clear monthly and seasonal rhythms of ACS in Beijing metropolitan area. Temperature and barometric pressure are negatively related with the occurrence of ACS.