J Emerg Med
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There is growing evidence that health systems in developed countries are poorly prepared to deal with major incidents. ⋯ There are clear deficiencies with current major incident preparation. Utilizing virtual worlds technology as an adjunct to existing exercises could improve training and response in the future.
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In the past several decades, multiple studies have examined factors influencing occupant survival in aviation crashes, but only a few have addressed this question in Helicopter Emergency Medical Systems (HEMS) accidents. The four-point FIA Score is a valid tool to measure fatality risk in aviation crashes. ⋯ The FIA Score is a valuable tool in German HEMS accident analysis. It can predict fatalities and is easy to use. Thus, it may also be a valuable tool in EMS call centers to predict survival after a crash.
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Bedside ultrasonography performed by the Emergency Physician is a safe procedure for evaluating patients with trauma, hypotension, chest or abdominal pain, and dyspnea of unknown origin. ⋯ The use of ultrasound in emergency settings has improved the clinical evaluation of critical patients by Emergency Physicians, but the possibility of a false-positive diagnostic error always should be considered.
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Primary muscular hydatidosis is extremely rare, and the diagnosis of the infected muscular hydatid cyst can be difficult due to atypical clinical and radiological findings. ⋯ Water lily sign is a pathognomonic imaging finding for hydatidosis, and defined when free-floating endocyst is seen. Cyst hydatid should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of any soft tissue mass of the patients from endemic regions.
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Diagnosing Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) cervical infections can be difficult in the Emergency Department without real-time testing, as historical and physical elements are known to be unreliable. ⋯ In patients who are diagnosed with NG or CT, the presence of TV or clue cells on wet prep is an unreliable marker for diagnosis. However, having moderate or many white cells present on wet prep does increase the probability of concurrent NG or CT infection and may be used in cases where the clinical suspicion is equivocal.