Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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To describe patterns and characteristics of emergency department (ED) presentations related to the use of ecstasy and related drugs (ERDs) in Melbourne, Australia. ⋯ Although the majority of ERD-related presentations were effectively treated, with discharge within a short time frame, the number and timing of presentations places a significant burden on EDs. ERD harm reduction and improved management of minor harms at licensed venues could reduce this burden.
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A short-cut review was carried out to determine whether patients on warfarin with a minor head injury can be discharged safely if they have a normal CT scan. 796 papers were found using the reported search, of which seven were considered relevant to the three-part question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses are shown in the accompanying table. It is concluded that the risk of delayed intracranial haemorrhage, at least in patients with an INR <3, is extremely small and discharge of these patients should be considered.
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Script concordance tests (SCTs) can be used to assess clinical reasoning, especially in situations of uncertainty, by comparing the responses of examinees with those of emergency physicians. The examinee's answers are scored based on the level of agreement with responses provided by a panel of experts. Emergency physicians are frequently uncertain in the interpretation of ECGs. Thus, the aim of this study was to validate an SCT combined with an ECG. ⋯ This SCT-ECG is a valid tool to assess clinical reasoning in a context of uncertainty due to its high internal reliability and its ability to discriminate between different levels of expertise.
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Continuous blood gas monitoring is frequently necessary in critically ill patients. Our aim was to assess the accuracy of transcutaneous CO₂ tension (PtcCO₂) monitoring in the emergency department (ED) assessment of hypotensive patients by comparing it with the gold standard of arterial blood gas analysis (ABGA). ⋯ PtcCO₂ monitoring showed wider limits of agreement with PaCO₂ in urgent situations in the ED environment. However, acutely developed hypotension does not affect the accuracy of PtcCO₂ monitoring.
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Focussed assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST) has assumed a key role in the rapid non-invasive assessment of thoracoabdominal trauma and assists in decreasing disposition time. This study evaluates FAST's efficacy with respect to haemodynamic stability in a South African emergency department (ED). ⋯ This study showed a valuable role for FAST in all traumas, particularly in haemodynamic compromise. As an addition to the physician's repertoire of bedside assessment tools, it improves diagnostic capabilities in comparison with simple haemodynamic assessments alone.