Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Shoulder dislocations are a common injury prompting presentation to the emergency department. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a diagnostic tool for shoulder dislocations, which has the potential to reduce time to diagnosis and reduction, radiation exposure, and health care costs. This systematic review sought to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of POCUS for diagnosing shoulder dislocations. ⋯ POCUS is a sensitive and specific tool for the rapid identification of shoulder dislocations and reductions, as well as for the detection of associated fractures. POCUS should be considered as an alternate diagnostic tool for the diagnosis and management of shoulder dislocations.
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It is unclear whether referral for cardiac noninvasive testing (NIT) following emergency department (ED) chest pain encounters improves short-term outcomes. ⋯ Higher referral intensity for 72-h NIT was associated with higher risk of coronary revascularization but no difference in adverse events within 60 days. These findings further call into question the urgency of NIT among ED patients without objective evidence of myocardial injury.
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Twenty-five percent of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) for a respiratory or cardiovascular medical emergency develop clinically significant posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. It is possible that development of PTSD symptoms in this cohort is associated with subsequent adverse physical health events. Our objective was to test whether clinically significant PTSD symptoms 30 days postdischarge are associated with increased risk for hospital readmission within 24 months after discharge among patients presenting to the ED for a respiratory or cardiovascular emergency. ⋯ Hospital readmission is common among survivors of acute respiratory failure and cardiovascular instability, and PTSD symptoms 30 days postdischarge are an independent predictor of hospital readmission. Survivors of medical emergencies may warrant follow-up evaluation for PTSD symptoms, and future research is warranted to better understand the relationship between psychological trauma and hospital readmission.
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The relationship between cooling time (CT) variables and neurological outcomes is controversial. We evaluated the relationship between CT and neurological outcomes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients treated with targeted temperature management (TTM). ⋯ We did not find a relationship between CT and neurological outcomes at 6 months.