The American journal of emergency medicine
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Observational Study
Sonographic aorta/inferior vena cava cross-sectional area index for evaluation of dehydration in children.
Current studies have not found sufficient evidence to encourage the use of ultrasound for assessing dehydration in children. We introduce a new sonographic parameter, the "aorta/inferior vena cava (IVC) cross-sectional area index" (Ao/IVCA) measured just inferior to the xiphoid process, for the effective evaluation of dehydration in children. ⋯ Ao/IVCA might be a promising index for the assessment of dehydration. The diagnostic performance of Ao/IVCA for dehydration might be higher than that of the method that uses the maximum diameter of IVC and the aorta.
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Observational Study
Predictive performance of quick Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment for mortality and intensive care unit admission in patients with infection at the ED.
The objectives of this study are to investigate the performance of the quick Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) in predicting mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) admission in patients with clinically diagnosed infection and to compare its performance with that of Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis (MEDS), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II, and Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA). ⋯ Quick SOFA predicted ICU admission with similar performance to that of SOFA, MEDS, and APACHE II. Its prognostic ability was similar to that of SOFA and APACHE II but slightly inferior to that of MEDS.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of 2 available methods with Bland-Altman analysis for measuring intracompartmental pressure.
Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) is the result of increased intracompartmental pressure (ICP), and to avoid a delay in diagnosis requires ICP measurement. This study was designed to compare 2 available methods with Bland-Altman analysis for measuring ICP in experimental animal models, healthy volunteers, and patients with suspected ACS to evaluate their agreement and interchangeability. ⋯ The invasive pressure monitoring via IABPMS can be used as an alternative to the Whitesides method, thanks to the sufficient agreement between the 2 methods in ICP measurement, and also for its advantages recommended as a novel diagnostic approach to ACS in experimental and clinical applications.
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It has been hypothesized that body mass index (BMI) and muscle strength (MS) of the rescuers are predictors of adequate external chest compressions (ECC). The aims of this study were: (a) to analyze, in college students, the relationship between BMI and MS with adequate ECC parameters; and (b) to examine whether the association between BMI and adequate ECC parameters is mediated by MS. ⋯ The ability to provide adequate ECC is influenced by the rescuer's MS. Rescuers should be advised to exercise arm strength to improve the quality of CPR.