Can J Emerg Med
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Ondansetron for pediatric concussion; a pilot study for a randomized controlled trial.
Assess the feasibility of a study evaluating one dose of oral ondansetron to decrease post-concussion symptoms at one week and one month following concussion in children aged 8 to 17 years old. ⋯ In our study population, approximately one-third of the screened concussion patients were eligible to participate and approximately one half of those eligible agreed to participate. Our study found that most enrolled patients preferred electronic follow-up; the noncompliance rate was minimal.
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To compare emergency department triage nurses' time to triage and accuracy of a simulated mass casualty incident (MCI) population using a computerized version of CTAS or START systems. ⋯ Triage nurses completed START triage 105 seconds/patient faster when compared to cCTAS triage and a similar level of accuracy between the two methods was achieved. However, when the typing time is taken into consideration cCTAS took 45 seconds/patient longer. The use of either CTAS or START in the ED during a MCI may be reasonable but choosing one method over another is not justified from this investigation.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
A comparative study of patient characteristics, opinions, and outcomes, for patients who leave the emergency department before medical assessment.
The emergency department (ED) left-without-being-seen (LWBS) rate is a performance indicator, although there is limited knowledge about why people leave, or whether they seek alternate care. We studied characteristics of ED LWBS patients to determine factors associated with LWBS. ⋯ LWBS patients had similar opinions, experiences, and expectations as control patients. The main reason for LWBS was waiting longer than expected. LWBS patients were more likely to seek further health care, and did so sooner. Patients wait because of concern about their health problem. Shorter wait times and improved communication may reduce the LWBS rate.