Articles: emergency-services.
-
To describe the clinical and ECG features of cocaine abusers evaluated in the emergency department and admitted to the medical coronary care unit with chest pain consistent with myocardial ischemia. ⋯ Our findings confirm a small but significant incidence of myocardial infarction in cocaine abusers presenting to the ED with chest pain. The chronicity of cocaine abuse, the persistence of ECG abnormalities, and the variable temporal relationship of chest pain to cocaine abuse suggest possible chronic myocardial changes as etiologies of ischemia.
-
To examine the variability and define the normal ranges of orthostatic vital signs in an emergency department population. ⋯ The data from this study indicate that there is a wider than expected variation in orthostatic vital signs among presumed euvolemic ED patients.
-
Documentation practices of staff physicians, residents, and nurses managing critically ill children were reviewed for completion of standard documentation requirements. ⋯ ED record documentation of pediatric patients treated in a cardiopulmonary/trauma resuscitation room often does not meet standard guidelines. Complete documentation is important due to the frequency of legal review of these records and the need to ensure post-ED continuity of care.
-
The eye care provided by an Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department was prospectively studied over a 2-month period. Six out of a total of 506 patients were deemed to have been treated unsatisfactorily by the A&E Department. None of these patients suffered serious sequelae. Approximately one in three of those patients seen solely by A&E staff failed to have their visual acuity recorded.
-
Successful treatment of acute intoxications should include early urgent measures, use of specific antidotes, polysymptomatic and polysyndromic treatment. It is an error to delay intensive care until laboratory identification of the toxicant. Only combined use of methods directed to potentiate natural urocesses, intra--and extracorporal detoxication allows to improve treatment results of treating acute intoxications.