Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Elder patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are less likely to receive cardiac catheterization. The reasons for this are unclear. ⋯ Elder patients with ACS residing in extended care facilities or who are DNR-DNI are less likely to receive cardiac catheterization. Future studies concerning the quality of ACS care for elders should take these variables into account.
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To measure the prevalence of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among emergency department (ED) patients who accept screening, and to assess treatment outcomes and risks for infection. ⋯ The high prevalence of gonorrhea and/or chlamydia infection among pediatric ED patients tested supports consideration of expanded screening. Targeted HIV screening with rapid tests merits exploration in the authors' ED, given the low-moderate numbers of patients identified through screening, receiving test results, and linked to care.
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Emergency physicians routinely treat victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) and patients with mental health symptoms, although these issues may be missed without routine screening. In addition, research has demonstrated a strong association between IPV victimization and mental health symptoms. ⋯ The brief mental health screen provides a tool that could be used in an emergency department setting and predicted those IPV victims with moderate to severe mental health symptoms. Using this tool can assist emergency physicians in recognizing at-risk patients and referring these IPV victims to mental health services.
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Comparative Study
National study of the relation of primary care shortages to emergency department utilization.
Emergency department (ED) visit volumes are increasing nationwide. ⋯ A positive association between primary care shortage densities and ED visit densities was found. Although most states adhere to this pattern, some states do not. Further investigation of this dissociation may yield additional explanations for rising ED visit volumes.
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Conducted electrical weapons (CEWs) are used by law enforcement to subdue combative subjects. Occasionally, subjects will die after a CEW has been used on them. It is theorized that CEWs may contribute to these deaths by impairing respiration. ⋯ Prolonged CEW application did not impair respiratory parameters in this population of volunteers. Further study is recommended to validate these findings in other populations.