Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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To determine the safety and effectiveness of intravenous (IV) etomidate for the sedation of patients undergoing painful procedures in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ Intravenous etomidate can be administered safely and effectively to provide appropriate conscious sedation for short, painful ED procedures.
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Distracting painful injuries (DPIs) may mask symptoms of spinal injury in blunt trauma victims and form an important element in a decision instrument used to identify individuals who require cervical spine radiography. ⋯ A significant number of blunt trauma patients are believed by clinicians to have DPIs that can possibly mask the presence of cervical spinal injury. Fractures and trauma to soft tissues are the most common types of DPI.
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Acute scrotal pain is not a rare emergency department (ED) complaint. Traditional reliance on medical history and physical examination can be precarious as signs and symptoms can overlap in various etiologies of acute scrotal pain. ⋯ This study suggests that EPs using bedside ultrasonography are able to accurately diagnose patients presenting with acute scrotal pain. In addition, they appear able to differentiate between surgical emergencies, such as testicular torsion, and other etiologies.
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To describe injury types, patterns, and health status in independently functioning elder patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) after a minor traumatic injury; and 2) to assess short-term functional decline in this population at three-month follow-up. ⋯ A significant proportion of functional elder patients with minor traumatic injury are at risk for short-term functional decline. Decline in ADL is related to injury type, while IADL decline is related to anatomic location of injury. Emergency physicians should consider initiating follow-up evaluation and possible intervention in highly functioning elders after minor traumatic injury.
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To determine what percentage of women presenting to an urban emergency department (ED) for any reason had been the victims of violence committed by another woman in the previous year. ⋯ Nine percent of the women in the study sample had been assaulted by another woman in the previous year. Further attention to the recognition and management of violence committed by women against other women may be warranted to ensure that patients receive appropriate treatment and referral.