The American journal of emergency medicine
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Gamma immunoglobulin E (IgE) is associated with allergic reactions but has not been described as being activated after sepsis. This study aimed at detecting the prognostic value of plasma IgE level in sepsis progression in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ The results of this study indicate that septic patients with higher IgE level present with higher risk of mortality, and a combination of IgE level with scoring systems significantly increased the predictive accuracy for severe sepsis and 28-day mortality.
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Falls among older adults are a public health problem and are multifactorial. We sought to determine whether falls predict more serious conditions in older adult patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with a "nonspecific complaint" (NSC). A secondary objective was to examine what factors predicted serious conditions among older adult patients with a fall. ⋯ Fall patients share many features with nonfall NSC patient. However, falls did not increase the risk of serious conditions. Falls in the elderly could be considered under the broader entity of NSC.
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This study suggests the new concept of liberatory vertigo to facilitate emergency department treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. ⋯ In our sample, liberatory vertigo could predict the effectiveness of the maneuver regardless of the canal involved.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Cost-effectiveness of point-of-care testing for dehydration in the pediatric ED.
Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and subsequent dehydration account for a large proportion of pediatric emergency department (PED) visits. Point-of-care (POC) testing has been used in conjunction with clinical assessment to determine the degree of dehydration. Despite the wide acceptance of POC testing, little formal cost-effective analysis of POC testing in the PED exists. We aim to examine the cost-effectiveness of using POC electrolyte testing vs traditional serum chemistry testing in the PED for children with AGE. ⋯ This decision analysis provides evidence that POC testing in children with gastroenteritis-related moderate dehydration results in significant cost savings from the points of view of payers and providers compared to traditional serum chemistry testing.