European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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Observational Study
The prevalence of unexplained falls and syncope in older adults presenting to an Irish urban emergency department.
There is growing evidence of an overlap between unexplained falls and syncope in older adults. Our aim was to examine the prevalence and associated resource utilization of these conditions in an urban emergency department (ED). ⋯ One in four older fallers presenting to ED have symptoms suggestive of syncope or an unexplained fall. There are significant biological consequences of recurrent falls including greater rates of cognitive decline, gait and mobility disturbances, depression and frailty. Recognition that syncope can present as an unexplained fall in older adults is important to ensure that appropriate early modifiable interventions are initiated.
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The aim of this study is to evaluate the utility of Point-Of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) for diagnosing distal forearm fractures in pediatric emergency departments (ED). ⋯ POCUS enables the clinical diagnosis of distal forearm fractures in ED. In addition, this is a highly accurate technique that can be applied easily by the ED pediatrician. As such, its inclusion as part of the physical examination could improve the accuracy of the clinical diagnosis and the global management of the patient.