Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Randomized Double-Blind Trial of Intramuscular Droperidol, Ziprasidone and Lorazepam for Acute Undifferentiated Agitation in the Emergency Department.
The optimal agent to treat acute agitation in the emergency department (ED) has not been determined. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness and safety of intramuscular droperidol, ziprasidone, and lorazepam for acute agitation in the ED. ⋯ Droperidol was more effective than lorazepam or either dose of ziprasidone for the treatment of acute agitation in the ED and caused fewer episodes of respiratory depression.
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Observational Study
Early Head to Pelvis Computed Tomography in Out-of-Hospital Circulatory Arrest Without Obvious Etiology.
Patients resuscitated from an out-of-hospital circulatory arrest (OHCA) commonly present without an obvious etiology. We assessed the diagnostic capability and safety of early head-to-pelvis computed tomography (CT) imaging in such patients. ⋯ This observational cohort study suggests that early SDCT scanning is safe, can expedite the diagnosis of potential causes, and can meaningfully change clinical management after idiopathic OHCA.
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Physicians' gestalt is central in the diagnostic pipeline of suspected COVID-19, due to the absence of a single tool allowing conclusive rule in or rule out. The aim of this study was to estimate the diagnostic test characteristics of physician's gestalt for COVID-19 in the emergency department (ED), based on clinical findings or on a combination of clinical findings and bedside imaging results. ⋯ In suspected COVID-19, CG and CBIIG have fair diagnostic accuracy, in line with physicians' gestalt for other acute conditions. Negative RT-PCR plus low probability based on CBIIG can rule out COVID-19 with a relatively low number of false-negative cases.