J Emerg Med
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Pneumothorax has traditionally been treated in the Emergency Department by tube thoracostomy. However, this is an invasive procedure with high risk of complication and prolonged hospitalization. ⋯ The practices of observation, simple aspiration, and small-bore catheter insertion with Heimlich valve for selected patients may decrease complications, time, and costs by avoiding invasive procedures and hospital admissions.
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Massachusetts (MA) instituted a moratorium on ambulance diversion ("No Diversion") on January 1, 2009. ⋯ No Diversion was not associated with significant changes in throughput measures in "all," "high" diversion and "low" diversion EDs.
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Our emergency medical service developed a telephone (phone)-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (PACPR) procedure. ⋯ Our study demonstrates the feasibility of PACPR. The results may lead to a better understanding of facilitating factors and obstacles to telephone-assisted CPR, with the goal of improving its implementation. Good command of communication tools, identification of an appropriate bystander, and appropriate victim positioning are three fundamental factors of success.
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Care of the sexual assault patient in the Emergency Department can be challenging due to complex pharmacologic interventions, evidence-collection procedures, and concomitant injury. ⋯ The implementation of a standard, computerized order set for the treatment of adult victims of sexual assault significantly improved medical provider compliance with CDC treatment guidelines. This research demonstrates that electronic order sets can promulgate evidence-based practices in clinical medicine.