Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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Although it is accepted that atrial fibrillation (AF) may be both the contributing factor and the consequence of pulmonary embolism (PE), data on the prognostic role of AF in patients with acute venous thromboembolism are scarce. Our aim was to study whether AF had a prognostic role in patients with acute PE. ⋯ The presence of AF, irrespective of its timing, may independently predict mortality in patients with acute PE. These data should be tested and validated in prospective studies using larger cohorts.
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To examine the use of a standard hospital glove, inflated as a balloon with a face drawn on it, as a distraction technique in children with an acute injury. ⋯ A standard hospital glove, inflated as a balloon with a face drawn on it, is a useful distraction for children with an acute injury. The face drawn should be drawn 'Jedward' style.
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To compare the prognostic performance of the predisposition, infection, response and organ failure (PIRO) score with the traditional sepsis category and clinical judgement in high-risk and low-risk Dutch emergency department (ED) sepsis populations. ⋯ The accuracy and discriminative performance of the PIRO score and clinical judgement are similar, but better than the sepsis category. Prognostic performance of illness severity scores is less in high-risk cohorts, while in high-risk populations a risk stratification tool would be most useful.
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To improve SHO confidence in corneal foreign body removal, a novel training phantom is proposed. This phantom is a polyvinyl and gelatine-based model, easily fabricated in the emergency department (ED). Use of the phantom results in a significant improvement in SHO confidence, and therefore, makes a useful, cost-effective adjunct for ED training.