Can J Emerg Med
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Emergency department (ED) crowding is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Its etiology is multifactorial, and frequent ED use (defined as more or equal to five visits per year) is a major contributor to high patient volumes. Our primary objective is to characterize the frequent user population. Our secondary objective is to examine risk factors for frequent emergency use. ⋯ Our study is the first Canadian study to assess risk factors of frequent pediatric emergency use. The identified risk factors and diagnoses highlight the need for future evidence-based, targeted innovative research evaluating strategies to minimize ED crowding, to improve health outcomes and to improve patient satisfaction.
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To determine parental experiences and preferences regarding the conduct of pediatric research in an emergency department (ED) setting. ⋯ The majority of parents are comfortable being approached by trained university students, preferably in a separate area of an ED waiting room, and email and telephone follow-ups are preferred over a scheduled re-visit.
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To make pragmatic recommendations on best practices for the engagement of patients in emergency medicine (EM) research. ⋯ Patient engagement can improve EM research by helping researchers select meaningful outcomes, increase social acceptability of studies, and design knowledge translation strategies that target patients' needs.
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Multicenter Study
Dental injuries in younger emergency department patients.
Dental trauma is a relatively common occurrence in childhood, with an impact exceeding that of periodontal diseases. It places a significant burden on the public health system because of its high frequency, impact on quality of life and consumption of resources. ⋯ Our study demonstrates a rising incidence of dental injuries in young patients. Most dental injuries occurred during sports and playground related activities. The low rate of use of safety equipment and playground safety measures suggests that Canadian Standards Association standards for playgrounds could be more effective if strengthened by mandatory legislation.
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Sweet syndrome was discovered in 1964 and is now well described in the dermatology literature. Knowledge of this unique febrile and painful dermatosis is important for the emergency physician because the syndrome can be readily identified and is extremely responsive to oral steroid therapy. Early diagnosis can greatly improve patient satisfaction and avoid days of ineffective treatment. An accurate and timely diagnosis of Sweet syndrome is also important to guide investigation into a number of associated diseases.