J Emerg Med
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Multicenter Study
Early Predictors of Near-Shore Spinal Injuries Among Emergency Department Patients.
Spinal injuries (SIs) can pose a significant burden to patients and family; delayed surgical intervention, associated with interhospital transfer, results in worse outcomes. ⋯ We identified older age, diving, and higher wave height as risk factors for any SI and symptoms of numbness and tingling were associated with SCIs. Clinicians should consider expediting these patients' transfers to a trauma center with neurosurgical capability.
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Multicenter Study
Using ECG-To-Activation Time to Assess Emergency Physicians' Diagnostic Time for Acute Coronary Occlusion.
There is no quality metric for emergency physicians' diagnostic time for acute coronary occlusion. ⋯ STEMI criteria missed more than one-third of occlusions on first ECG, but most had STEMI-equivalents or rules for subtle occlusion. ETA time can serve as a quality metric for emergency physicians to promote new ECG insights and assess quality improvement initiatives.