European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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Comparative Study
Comparison of trauma mortality between two hospitals in Turkey to one trauma center in the US.
The development of comprehensive international trauma case registries could be used to perform outcomes analysis and comparisons between countries with the goal of improving trauma care worldwide. ⋯ This study demonstrates significantly worse outcomes in trauma care and higher mortality rates in Turkey versus PSTC. Developing a trauma registry to monitor improvements in patient care and to target injury prevention strategies should be a high priority for the Turkish healthcare system.
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Spinal abscess is a rare but potentially devastating condition. We present a case series, looking into its presentation, risk factors, management and outcome. ⋯ The early diagnosis and immediate surgical treatment of spinal abscesses remain cornerstones in improving the outcomes of the disease. From our series, risk factor assessment appear to be more useful than the classical triad of fever, spine pain and neurological deficits to screen ED patients with spine pain for spinal abscess.
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Tourists are exposed to traditional health problems of the host country, such as trauma and the exacerbation of previously existing illnesses during their travels. ⋯ EDs can be expected to manage tourist patients presenting for traumatic injuries and circulatory disorders. Clinical differences relating to patients' nationality might help in the development of targeted patient education and injury-prevention programs. Emergency physicians and the tourism industry should recognize the challenges of caring for this growing and aged patient population.
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Status epilepticus (SE) is a common medical emergency. Two problems continue to militate against improved outcome in SE, namely, failure to recognize the wide spectrum of clinical presentation and failure to treat in an appropriately aggressive and timely manner. In this study, we aim to provide a clear understanding of the clinical presentation of SE, as well as providing an evidence-based review of the pathophysiological consequences of prolonged seizures, enabling the reader to adopt a rational approach to its management. We discuss current best practice for the management of SE as well as discussing alternative strategies, and briefly explore possible future therapeutic interventions.