Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Comparative Study
Assessment of Dyspnea Early in Acute Heart Failure: Patient Characteristics and Response Differences Between Likert and Visual Analog Scales.
Dyspnea is the most common symptom in acute heart failure (AHF), yet how to best measure it has not been well defined. Prior studies demonstrate differences in dyspnea improvement across various measurement scales, yet these studies typically enroll patients well after the emergency department (ED) phase of management. ⋯ Predictors of early dyspnea improvement differ from scale to scale, with the exception of baseline dyspnea. Attempts to use one scale to capture the entirety of the dyspnea symptom may be insufficient.
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Observational Study
Diagnostic Yields, Charges, and Radiation Dose of Chest Imaging in Blunt Trauma Evaluations.
Chest radiography (CXR) is the most common imaging in adult blunt trauma patient evaluation. Knowledge of the yields, attendant costs, and radiation doses delivered may guide effective chest imaging utilization. ⋯ Despite greater diagnostic yield, chest CT entails substantially higher charges and radiation dose per injury diagnosed, especially when performed after a normal CXR. Selective chest imaging decision instruments should identify patients who require no chest imaging and patients who may benefit from chest CT after a normal CXR.