Scand J Trauma Resus
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Aug 2017
Multicenter StudyAntiarrhythmic drug therapy among patients presenting to emergency department with symptomatic atrial fibrillation - a prospective nationwide cohort.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia that causes numerous visits to emergency departments (ED). The aim of the FinFib2 study was to evaluate whether treatment of patients with AF in ED is consistent with the contemporary European Society of Cardiology (ESC) management guidelines. Here we report the results of antiarrhythmic drug therapy (AAD) in ED. ⋯ Our data demonstrated that in patients presenting to the ED with recurrent symptomatic AF and aimed for rhythm control strategy, the use of class I and class III AADs was rare despite ESC guideline recommendations. It is possible that early adaptation of a more aggressive rhythm control strategy might improve a quality of life for symptomatic patients and alleviate the ED burden associated with AF. Beta blockers were used by majority of patients as rate control therapy both in rate and rhythm control groups.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Aug 2017
Multicenter StudyThe role of whole-body computed tomography in the diagnosis of thoracic injuries in severely injured patients - a retrospective multi-centre study based on the trauma registry of the German trauma society (TraumaRegister DGU(®)).
Thoracic injuries are a leading cause of death in polytrauma patients. Early diagnosis and treatment are of paramount importance. Whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) has largely replaced traditional imaging techniques such as conventional radiographs and focused computed tomography (CT) as diagnostic tools in severely injured patients. It is still unclear whether WBCT has led to higher rates of diagnosis of thoracic injuries and thus to a change in outcomes. ⋯ The routine use of WBCT in the trauma room setting has led to changes in patient management that are not reflected in the rates of diagnosis of severe thoracic injuries (e.g. tension pneumothoraces, cardiac injuries, arterial injuries). By contrast, there was a relevant increase in the rates of diagnosis of minor thoracic injuries, which, however, did not result in an improvement in survival prognosis.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Aug 2017
Multicenter Study Observational StudyManagement of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in emergency departments, from bleeding symptoms to diagnosis: a prospective, multicenter, observational study.
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGB) is common in emergency departments (EDs) and can be caused by many eso-gastro-duodenal lesions. Most available epidemiological data and data on the management of UGB comes from specialized departments (intensive care units or gastroenterology departments), but little is known from the ED perspective. We aimed to determine the distribution of symptoms revealing UGB in EDs and the hemorrhagic lesions identified by endoscopy. We also describe the characteristics of patients consulting for UGB, UGB management in the ED and patients outcomes. ⋯ Most of the UGB cases in EDs are revealed by hematemesis. The emergency physician diagnosis of UGB is rarely challenged by the endoscopic findings.