Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Comparative Study
The effects of acute and chronic alcohol ingestion on outcome following multiple episodes of mild traumatic brain injury in rats.
Recent studies suggest that in some circumstances, alcohol intoxication at the time of severe head injury may be neuroprotective. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of acute and chronic alcohol ingestion on outcome in rodents sustaining multiple episodes of mild traumatic brain injury while intoxicated. ⋯ The injured intoxicated CA animals had a more rapid recovery of reflexes compared with the injured intoxicated NA animals. Despite initial MWM deficits, the injured NA rodents eventually began to learn the MWM. The injured CA rats never learned the maze. Under the conditions of this study, acute alcohol intoxication at the time of multiple episodes of minor head trauma did not provide neuroprotection for NA or CA rodents.
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Little is known about the prevalence and health effects of hunger among ED patients. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of hunger among patients in a large urban ED and to examine whether it has adverse health effects. ⋯ The ED patients in this urban setting have high rates of hunger and many must make choices between buying food and medicine, which patients report results in otherwise preventable ED visits and hospitalization. Loss or reduction of food stamps is associated with increased hunger and increased perceived adverse health outcomes as a result of not being able to afford medicine.
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To describe and compare national trends in ED use by statistical analyses on data from the 1992 to 1996 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) with a special interest in factors related to nonurgent visits. ⋯ Analyses of data from the NHAMCS identify trends in ED use. The study of nonurgent ED visits with this database has inherent methodologic problems such as retrospective coding and geographic coding inconsistency. Since the nonurgent visit is clearly linked to certain social-demographic factors, addressing these underlying issues by establishing a comprehensive health care system is a priority.
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To determine whether a geographic information system (GIS) and historical transport data can be used to create a map that identifies locations (zones) from which either ambulance or helicopter transport will result in shorter out-of-hospital times. ⋯ A GIS and historical transport data can be used to create a map identifying locations from which either helicopter or ambulance transport will minimize out-of-hospital time. Inappropriate choice of transport mode is associated with increased out-of-hospital time.
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Emergency medicine (EM) program directors have expressed a desire for more evaluative data to be included in application materials. This is consistent with frustrations expressed by program directors of multiple specialties, but mostly by those in specialties with more competitive matches. ⋯ The Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors established a task force in 1995 that created a standardized letter of recommendation form. This form, to be completed by EM faculty, requests that objective, comparative, and narrative information be reported regarding the residency applicant.