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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Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) are the most commonly reported notifiable diseases in the United States, with annual reported cases exceeding 1.2 million and estimated costs exceeding $1.2 billion. Reported Emergency Department (ED) prevalence rates for CT and GC for adolescents and young adults range from 0.9% to 8.1%. ⋯ ED clinician activities are frequently symptom-driven, and screening nonsymptomatic patients presents a major barrier. Educating ED clinicians on the topics of CT/GC epidemiology, sample collection, and analysis will enable them to address the risks in their presenting populations. Collaboration with health department partners for sample analysis, cost-sharing, and patient follow-up can make routine screening feasible and enable EDs to become more important partners in intervention programs.
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Review Case Reports
Identification of lipohemarthrosis with point-of-care emergency ultrasonography: case report and brief literature review.
Traumatic knee pain is a common complaint in the emergency department (ED). Conventional radiographs are often ordered as the initial screening study, but might not be readily available or always identify significant fractures. Ultrasonography has been shown to be useful in the evaluation of knee fractures not identified by radiography. ⋯ The sonographic finding of LH may be used as a sensitive surrogate marker for intraarticular knee fracture in the ED. Ultrasound can be considered as an adjunct modality in ED patients with suspicion for fracture and negative knee radiographs.
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Review Case Reports
Superior dislocation of the patella: case report and review of the literature.