Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
-
Clinical Trial
Resident-performed compression ultrasonography for the detection of proximal deep vein thrombosis: fast and accurate.
To assess whether emergency medicine residents (EMRs) could quickly perform accurate compression ultrasonography (CUS) for the detection of proximal lower extremity deep vein thromboses (PLEDVTs) with minimal training. ⋯ Emergency medicine residents with limited US experience were able to quickly perform CUS after minimal training for the detection of PLEDVT in a select group of patients.
-
Emergency medicine (EM) is a popular specialty for medical students choosing a career. Many attend medical schools without an affiliated EM residency and lack both the formal mentorship and informal guidance provided by medical school advisors (or faculty) involved in an accredited EM training program. Others desire specialized advice based on geographic or specific academic interest. ⋯ The implementation of the virtual advisor program enabled medical students to have access to experienced EM faculty career mentors.
-
To determine how ambulance transportation is associated with resource use in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ This preliminary study indicates that patients arriving at the ED by ambulance use significantly more resources than their walk-in counterparts.
-
It is difficult to differentiate septic arthritis from other causes of monoarticular arthritis solely with a history and physical examination. The clinician must rely on ancillary tests to make a diagnosis, such as the white blood cell count of peripheral blood (WBC), the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and the white blood cell count of the joint fluid (jWBC) obtained from arthrocentesis. Although it is known that septic arthritis is associated with abnormalities in these tests, the majority of the data are based on studies in the pediatric population. In addition, although several emergency medicine texts indicate that a jWBC greater than 50,000 cells/mm(3) is "positive," it is known that septic arthritis can occur in patients with low jWBCs. ⋯ The WBC, ESR, and jWBC are extremely variable in adults with septic arthritis. Laboratory tests do not rule out septic arthritis with accuracy.
-
To determine what proportion of eligible patients, when referred to a primary care physician for pneumococcal vaccination with a prescription, actually obtain the vaccination. To ascertain the number of eligible patients who would receive the vaccination in the emergency department (ED), if available. ⋯ The percentage of ED patients who used prescription referral to the primary care network for pneumococcal vaccination was approximately 10%. The use of a referral by prescription method in this setting was not a reliable means of increasing the number of patients receiving the pneumococcal vaccination.