Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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Multicenter Study
Cardiac monitoring of high-risk patients after an electrical injury: a prospective multicentre study.
To report our experience monitoring patients with previously identified theoretical risk factors of significant electrical injury. ⋯ Although only patients deemed at risk of late arrhythmias were monitored, none developed potentially lethal late arrhythmias. Asymptomatic patients with transthoracic current and/or tetany and a normal initial ECG do not require cardiac monitoring after an electrical injury with voltage <1000 V and no loss of consciousness.
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Increase in lactate (LAC) within the central nervous system after head trauma is an established marker of traumatic brain injury (TBI). ⋯ Arterial BD and LAC are poor predictors of TBI in isolated head trauma.
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Case Reports
A cause for concern? Osteopoikilosis found incidentally in the emergency department: a case report.
Osteopoikilosis is a rare, inherited bone disorder, which is usually found incidentally on x ray. It may be mistaken for other, more serious disorders such as bony metastases, causing undue distress to the doctor and patient.
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Although much has been written about the treatment of bereaved relatives in emergency departments, very little has been published about their follow-up after they have left the department. ⋯ It is suggested that the provision of information is theoretically beneficial to the bereavement process.
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The Tayside Trauma Team is a mobile medical team that is deployed from Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, UK at the request of the ambulance service. ⋯ Any patient requiring the services of a healthcare professional in the prehospital setting has a right to expect the same level of quality of care that they would receive within the hospital. The development of a debrief tool will achieve ongoing quality of care in this specialised area of healthcare.