Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Animal research has provided important information about many aspects of the pathophysiology of human disease. Well-performed animal studies can determine the potential benefit of many proposed therapeutic interventions, and experimental results from animal studies have served as the basis for many landmark clinical trials. Many animal research models are described in the research literature, and choosing the appropriate model to answer a research question can be a daunting task. ⋯ This article was prepared by members of the SAEM Research Committee to provide an overview of animal modeling. Important considerations in choosing, applying, and developing animal research models are outlined. Practical discussions of potential problems with animal models are also provided.
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Editorial Comment
The problem of ambulance misuse: whose problem is it, anyway?
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Comparative Study
Inappropriate use of emergency medical services transport: comparison of provider and patient perspectives.
To determine the extent of inappropriate ambulance use from the perspectives of both emergency medical services (EMS) providers and patients utilizing EMS transport, assess level of agreement, and identify variables associated with inappropriate ambulance use. ⋯ Inappropriate ambulance use is a significant problem from both EMS provider and patient perspectives. Certain patient characteristics are associated with a higher probability of appropriate and inappropriate uses of EMS transport. A large number of patients transported by ambulance have alternative means of transportation but elect not to use them.
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To describe interobserver variability among emergency medicine (EM) faculty when using global assessment (GA) rating scales and performance-based criterion (PBC) checklists to evaluate EM residents' clinical skills during standardized patient (SP) encounters. ⋯ When EM faculty evaluate clinical performance of EM residents during videotaped SP encounters, interobserver variabilities are similar, whether a PBC checklist or a GA rating scale is used.
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The optimal dose of i.m. ketamine for ED procedural sedation in children is not known. The authors wished to quantify the dose-response of ketamine with respect to sedation adequacy, time to discharge, and adverse effects in order to identify an optimal dose. ⋯ Ketamine doses of 4 to 5 mg/kg i.m. produced adequate sedation in 93%-100% of children, suggesting that this dosing range may be optimal for ED procedural sedation. No difference in time to discharge or adverse effects was observed for lower or higher doses.