J Emerg Med
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Randomized Controlled Trial
COMPARISON OF ULTRASOUND-GUIDED ERECTOR SPINAE PLANE BLOCK WITH INTERCOSTAL NERVE BLOCK FOR TRAUMA-ASSOCIATED CHEST WALL PAIN.
Pain associated with chest wall trauma is a major issue in the emergency department (ED). However, it may be challenging to select among the various analgesic procedures. ⋯ Ultrasound-guided ESPB was superior to ICNB regarding pain control during the ED stay period of patients with painful chest wall trauma. We recommend ESPB in the ED for pain control in blunt or penetrating thoracic trauma.
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Finger and toe injuries are a common reason for presentation to the emergency department. In order to properly care for these injuries, it is valuable for emergency medicine clinicians to be aware of the different approaches to anesthetize the digit. ⋯ There are a number of options at the disposal of the emergency medicine clinician for anesthesia of the finger and toe. This article summarizes the key techniques, variations on these techniques, advantages, and disadvantages for each approach.
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Peritonsillar abscesses (PTAs) are encountered routinely in clinical practice. Ultrasound-guided aspiration has been proven both safe and effective in treating this condition. However, to date, there are no easily produced, low-cost models that enable the practice of point-of-care ultrasound-guided PTA aspiration and PTA diagnosis. ⋯ With minimal lead time and readily available equipment, we successfully created a low-cost ultrasound phantom for the purpose of PTA identification and drainage.
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Sepsis is a high mortality condition characterized by multi-organ dysfunction. Sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC) refers to cardiac dysfunction in sepsis. ⋯ SIC can be detected using FCU by emergency physicians in the ED and is associated with increased 90-day mortality.
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In the United States, sepsis accounts for 13% of the total hospital expenses and > 50% of hospital deaths. Moreover, people with sepsis are more likely to be readmitted. ⋯ DHR occurred in one-fifth of patients with sepsis in the United States. Our findings suggest that patients readmitted to a different hospital within 30 days may experience higher in-hospital mortality, longer length of stay, and higher hospitalization costs. Future studies need to examine whether continuity of care can improve the prognosis of patients with sepsis.