The American journal of emergency medicine
-
Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Prognostic value of adrenomedullin in septic patients in the ED.
The aims of the present study were to evaluate the prognostic value of adrenomedullin (AM) in septic patients in the emergency department (ED) and to compare it with procalcitonin (PCT) and Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis (MEDS) score. ⋯ Adrenomedullin is valuable for prognosis in septic patients in the ED.
-
Comparative Study
Effect on efficiency and cost-effectiveness when an observation unit is managed as a closed unit vs an open unit.
To compare efficiency and cost-effectiveness of an observation unit (OU) when managed as a closed unit vs an open unit. ⋯ The same OU was more efficient and cost-effective when managed as a closed unit vs an open unit.
-
There are no guidelines regarding the hospitalization of female patients with acute pyelonephritis (APN); therefore, we performed a retrospective analysis to construct a clinical prediction model for hospital admission. ⋯ This model can provide a guideline to determine the admission of women with APN in the emergency department.
-
Aortic dissections can be challenging to diagnose in the emergency department (ED) because patients can present with a variety of complaints. We present a case involving a woman with multiple comorbidities, who had experienced intermittent abdominal pain for several months, which worsened in the days leading up to her ED visit. ⋯ Her dissection and pancreatitis were managed medically with tight blood pressure control without the need for surgical intervention. Several case studies associating acute aortic dissection with acute pancreatitis have been published, but it remains unclear whether these 2 conditions have a causal relationship.
-
The objective of this study is to determine the association between the duration of high-altitude (>3000 m) pre-exposure and acute mountain sickness (AMS) incidence. ⋯ High-altitude pre-exposure lasting at least 3 days within the preceding 2 months was associated with a significant lower AMS incidence during a subsequent ascent among Jade Mountain trekkers.