Practical Summaries in Acute Care Archives – January 1, 2004
January 1, 2004
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Artificial Neural Networks Show Predictive Promise in Patients with Lower GI Hemorrhage
Evaluation of emergency department patients with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) would be much improved if there was a reliable decision tool that accurately could predict which patients are at risk for recurrent bleeding, death, and need for therapeutic interventions to control hemorrhage. -
Myeloperoxidase: Continuing the Search for the Holy Grail of Cardiac Markers
The holy grail of emergency department cardiac markers would have a very high sensitivity (you dont want to miss any cases), would be abnormal very early in the course of the disease process, and would not only be diagnostic of the current problem but be prognostic of future morbidity and mortality associated with an abnormal marker. OK it also would be cheap and easy to perform without highly specialized equipment, but you cant have everything. -
Sorting Out Sepsis with a New Serum Marker
The statistical performance of this new infection predictor was as good as or better than CRP measurement, outperformed WBC in every parameter, and was superior to band counts in each measurement except specificity. -
Special Feature: Anterior Shoulder Dislocation: Uncommon Reduction Techniques for a Common Injury
This article will discuss the diagnosis of anterior shoulder dislocation, the need for diagnostic imaging, and the management of anterior shoulder dislocations using three less commonly known alternative techniques. -
ECG Review: A Code from a Cause
The ECG in the Figure was obtained from a 62-year-old woman who was admitted for chest pain. She was doing poorly from a clinical standpoint at the time this tracing was obtained, and suffered a cardiac arrest shortly thereafter. How would you interpret her precode ECG that is shown in the Figure? -
SARS Audio Program Updates Guidelines
Thomson American Health Consultants offers a recording of the audio conference:The Resurgence of SARS: Why Your Hospital May Not Be as Prepared as You Think. Let our experts help you with practical tips and solutions to detect first cases and protect other patients and health care workers. -
Trauma Reports Supplement - Delayed or Missed Diagnoses: Avoiding these Pitfalls in the Trauma Patient
Emergency department physicians must be vigilant to accurately assess, rapidly stabilize, and appropriately transport a severely injured patient to the level of trauma care the patient requires. Instead of viewing missed injuries as occurrences that result from inexperience or incompetence, strategies to minimize the occurrence of missed injuries and the resulting consequences are needed. All aspects of a trauma system must work together to improve patient care.