The American journal of emergency medicine
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Dignitary Protection Medicine (DPM) is a new area of medical expertise that incorporates elements of virtually all medical and surgical specialties, drawing heavily from travel, tactical and expedition medicine. The fundamentals of DPM stem from the experiences of White House, State Department and other physicians who have traveled extensively with dignitaries. Furthermore, increased international travel of business executives and political dignitaries has mandated a need for proficiency in this realm. We sought to define the requisite knowledge base and skill sets that form the foundation of this new area of specialization.
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Alcohol-intoxicated individuals account for a significant proportion of emergency department care and may be eligible for care at alternative sobering facilities. This pilot study sought to examine intermediate-level emergency medical technician (EMT) ability to identify intoxicated individuals who may be eligible for diversion to an alternative sobering facility. ⋯ Intermediate-level EMTs may be able to play an important role in facilitating triage of intoxicated patients to alternate sobering facilities.
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The aim of this study was to investigate the value of procalcitonin (PCT) level in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ Procalcitonin level is valuable for predicting mortality and the severity of disease among patients with CAP at ED admission. Procalcitonin level as an adjunct to CAP prediction rules may be valuable for prognosis and severity assessment.
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The aim of this study was to describe the use and efficacy of low-dose (≤2 mg) droperidol for the treatment of primary headaches (ie, migraine, cluster, tension-type headache and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias, and other primary headaches) in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ The administration of low-dose (≤2 mg) droperidol may be safe and effective for the treatment of primary headaches in the ED.
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We sought to assess the anatomical distribution of traumatic pneumothoraces (PTXs) on chest computed tomography (CT) to develop an optimized protocol for PTX screening with ultrasound in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ Our results indicate that 80.4% of right- and 83.7% of left-sided traumatic PTXs would be identified by scanning regions 9, 11, and 12. These findings suggest that a standardized protocol for PTX screening with ultrasound should include these regions.