J Emerg Med
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Review Meta Analysis
A Systematic Review of Vapocoolants for Reducing Pain from Venipuncture and Venous Cannulation in Children and Adults.
Studies of vapocoolants for pain reduction from venipuncture have demonstrated conflicting results. ⋯ Vapocoolants were ineffective in children and adults when compared to placebo, and effective in adults only when compared to no treatment. The magnitude of effect was low and was offset by increased pain from application. They cannot be recommended for routine use in children or adults.
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Review Meta Analysis
Use of Serum Procalcitonin in Evaluation of Febrile Infants: A Meta-analysis of 2317 Patients.
Serum procalcitonin (PCT) concentrations have been studied as a diagnostic test for serious bacterial infections (SBIs) in children. However, the utility of a single measurement in the evaluation of SBIs in febrile infants younger than 91 days is not clear. ⋯ Alone, measurement of serum PCT concentrations, though able to identify a group of young infants at risk for SBIs, is inferior to the available clinical prediction rules for identifying young, febrile infants at risk for SBIs. Serum concentrations ≤ 0.3 ng/mL may be helpful as an add-on test to current rules for identifying low-risk, febrile infants.