J Emerg Med
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Observational Study
Use of the Broselow Tape in a Mexican Emergency Department.
The Broselow tape is one method for rapid weight estimation in pediatric patients undergoing resuscitation, but it does not perform equally in all populations. To date, we are unaware of any study evaluating its use in a Latin American population. ⋯ The Broselow tape-estimated weight was different from the scale weight by more than 10% in a substantial percentage of Mexican children. Nevertheless, the mean percentage difference was <3%, and Broselow tape color zone estimation was accurate in the majority of subjects, suggesting its use would result in clinically appropriate dosing and equipment estimations. Further research is needed to validate its use in this clinical setting.
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Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common presentation in the emergency department (ED). Severity of pancreatitis is an important consideration for ED clinicians making admission judgments. Validated scoring systems can be a helpful tool in this process. ⋯ Rapid, reliable, and validated means of predicting patient outcome from rapid clinical assessment are of value to the emergency physician. Scoring systems such as BISAP, HAPS, and single-variable predictors may assist in decision-making due to their simplicity of use and applicability within the first 24 h.
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Pulmonary embolism (PE) can be fatal, but profligate testing for PE can harm patients. ⋯ Understanding of risk factors, historical data, and physical findings that have been found to increase or decrease the probability of PE in symptomatic ED patients can help create rational guidelines for the diagnostic approach to PE.
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Research suggests that older age can influence perception, assessment, and treatment of acute pain, resulting in inadequate pain control for geriatric patients. ⋯ Trauma patients ≥ 65 years of age are less likely to receive analgesia than the younger cohort in our ED and waited longer to get it.
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Uncontrolled hypertension is a primary risk factor for development of cardiovascular complications. ⋯ We found a point prevalence of subclinical heart disease of 39% in this urban ED population, using LBE. Real-time identification of subclinical heart disease at early stages in the ED in conjunction with abnormal renal function can help emergency physicians identify those patients in need of more aggressive therapy and urgent follow-up.