Articles: emergency-department.
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Meta Analysis
Syncope Time Frames for Adverse Events after Emergency Department Presentation: An Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis.
Background and Objectives: Knowledge of the incidence and time frames of the adverse events of patients presenting syncope at the ED is essential for developing effective management strategies. The aim of the present study was to perform a meta-analysis of the incidence and time frames of adverse events of syncope patients. Materials and Methods: We combined individual patients' data from prospective observational studies including adult patients who presented syncope at the ED. ⋯ Conclusions: The risk of death or life-threatening adverse event is rare in patients presenting syncope at the ED. The most common adverse events are brady and supraventricular arrhythmias, which occur during the first 3 days. Prolonged ECG monitoring in the ED in a short stay unit with ECG monitoring facilities may, therefore, be beneficial.
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Review Meta Analysis
Ability of triage nurses to predict, at the time of triage, the eventual disposition of patients attending the emergency department (ED): a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.
Exit block is the most significant cause of poor patient flow and crowding in the emergency department (ED). One proposed strategy to reduce exit block is early admission predictions by triage nurses to allow proactive bed management. We report a systematic review and meta-analysis of the accuracy of nurse prediction of admission at triage. ⋯ Triage nurse prediction of disposition is not accurate enough to expedite admission for ED patients on a one-to-one basis. Future research should explore the benefit, and best method, of predicting total demand.
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Review Meta Analysis
Topical Pain Control for Corneal Abrasions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Corneal abrasions are common ophthalmic presentations to emergency departments. Among emergency physicians and ophthalmologists, there are highly variable practice patterns with regard to management of resultant pain and discomfort. The goal of this study was to review and analyze the efficacy and safety of topical pain therapies for corneal abrasions, including topical anesthetics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), cycloplegics, steroids, pressure patching, and the use of a bandage contact lens (BCL). ⋯ There was strong evidence to support that topical NSAIDs reduce pain associated with corneal abrasions in the first 48 hours and the need for oral analgesia. The existing evidence was insufficient to support or refute the use of topical anesthetics, cycloplegics, steroids, or BCL for pain control in corneal abrasions. Pressure patching was ineffective at pain reduction and may increase the risk of complications. Delays in healing or other complications were not significantly different between any intervention or control for simple, uncomplicated corneal abrasions; however, larger RCTs are required to identify any differences in rare complications.
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Review Meta Analysis
Clinical Method Applied to Focused Ultrasound: The Case of Wells' Score and Echocardiography in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis.
Background and Objectives: bedside cardiac ultrasound is a widely adopted method in Emergency Departments (ED) for extending physical examination and refining clinical diagnosis. However, in the setting of hemodynamically-stable pulmonary embolism, the diagnostic role of echocardiography is still the subject of debate. In light of its high specificity and low sensitivity, some authors suggest that echocardiographic signs of right ventricle overload could be used to rule-in pulmonary embolism. ⋯ Conclusions: signs of echocardiographic right ventricle overload should not be used to modify the clinical behavior in low- and intermediate- risk patients according to Wells' score classification. Among high-risk patients, however, echocardiographic signs could help a physician in detecting patients with the highest probability of pulmonary embolism, necessitating a confirmation by computed tomography with pulmonary angiography. However, a focused cardiac and thoracic ultrasound investigation is useful for the differential diagnosis of dyspnea and chest pain in the ED.
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Meta Analysis
Topical capsaicin for the treatment of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is a condition that is being recognized and treated more frequently in emergency departments (EDs) across the United States. Currently, ED providers rely on antiemetics, antipsychotics and benzodiazepines to alleviate the symptoms. Topical capsaicin, a transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) agonist, has been proposed in recent years as a low-cost and effective alternative to the traditional antiemetic regimen when treating CHS. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to demonstrate the reliability and the gaps of what is known about this treatment modality. ⋯ With acceptable time to resolution of symptoms after topical administration and ED LOS, capsaicin appears to be an effective treatment option for symptomatic relief of CHS. Further randomized controlled trials should be conducted to examine if it is the more efficacious and efficient treatment for CHS across various care settings.