The American journal of emergency medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Basic life support training: Demonstration versus lecture - A randomised controlled trial.
Basic life support (BLS) and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) improve survival from cardiac arrest. The gold standard for teaching BLS/AED is yet to be identified. The aim of this study was to compare the learning outcome of an instructor-led demonstration with a formal lecture for introducing BLS/AED skills. We hypothesized that a demonstration was superior to a lecture. ⋯ There was no statistically significant difference in pass rate when comparing a demonstration with a lecture for introducing BLS/AED. The lecture group was slightly faster at initiating BLS. Most participants preferred a demonstration as introduction.
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Meta Analysis
The utility of S100B level in detecting mild traumatic brain injury in intoxicated patients.
S100B is a serum protein known to elevate in patients with brain injury, but it is unknown whether it can predict intracranial pathology in intoxicated patients following mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the English language literature to address this question. ⋯ Serum S100B levels may have utility in ruling out intracranial pathology in intoxicated patients, however more study and comparison with other serum biomarkers of brain injury are necessary before this becomes the accepted standard of care.
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A 21-year old female presented to the emergency department with an abnormal appearance of her left eye after trivial trauma the previous day. A protruding, opaque appearing area was noted on the left cornea. ⋯ Corneal hydrops is a rare complication of keratoconus and various corneal ectasias where aqueous humor can leak into the corneal stroma causing edema and protruding pockets of fluid. Treatment is based on treating the underlying keratoconus or corneal ectasia in addition to cycloplegics, topical corticosteroids, topical antibiotics, and topical hypertonic saline.
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To assess trends over time in red blood cell (RBC) transfusion practice among emergency department (ED) patients with gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding within an integrated healthcare system, inclusive of 21 EDs. ⋯ Rates of ED RBC transfusion decreased over time among patients with GI bleeding, particularly in those with hemoglobin nadirs between 7.0 and 9.9 g/dl. These findings suggest that ED providers are willing to adopt evidence-based restrictive RBC transfusion recommendations for patients with GI bleeding.