European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
-
Wrist injuries are a common presentation to emergency departments. A clinical pathway has recently been introduced in our institution for patients with clinical suspicion of a scaphoid injury, using computed tomography (CT) at 2 weeks postinjury to rule out scaphoid fracture. However, it is not known what happens to patients who have a normal CT after such an injury. The aim of this pilot study was to assess disability after CT-negative wrist injuries. ⋯ The majority of these patients recover from their injury, but a small proportion with normal CT scans have considerable disability 12 months after injury. Appropriate advice should be given to these patients to enable them to access further investigation and treatment.
-
Letter Case Reports
Bronchobiliary fistula: a rare cause of acute dyspnea in emergency department.
-
To examine the feasibility and diagnostic value of a novel prehospital chest ultrasound algorithm in patients with dyspnea. ⋯ Prehospital chest emergency sonography trial is a novel prehospital ultrasound algorithm for patients with dyspnea. Pleural effusion may serve as a novel prehospital marker for patients with decompensated CHF, thus facilitating the often difficult differential diagnosis between CHF and COPD.
-
Comparative Study
Epidemiology of assault and self-harm injuries treated in a large Romanian Emergency Department.
Intentional injury, including interpersonal violence and self-harm, is one of the world's leading causes of preventable injury. In Europe alone, nearly 1.5 million individuals receive medical treatment each year for a violence-related injury. We examined violent injuries treated in the largest Emergency Department (ED) in Tîrgu Mures County, Romania, with a catchment area of approximately 580 000 residents to describe the epidemiology of assault and self-harm injuries. ⋯ Of all injuries treated in the Tîrgu Mures ED, one out of five was violence related. One out of 10 patients that suffered an injury as a consequence of a violent event and treated in the ED required admission to a hospital for further medical care, leading to a significant health care burden. These data suggest that prevention strategies should focus on young adults, and particularly men. Interventions that focus on detection and treatment of psychological illness, reduction of alcohol use and associated aggression, and family and intimate partner violence are suggested as priorities.