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Recent epidemiologic studies indicate that nearly 4% of Americans are afflicted with food allergies. The spectrum of food allergy ranges from atopic dermatitis or other cutaneous manifestations hours after eating the problem food, to life-threatening events occurring shortly after ingestion. As well, some individuals experience allergic symptoms only if the food is eaten before physical stimuli such as vigorous physical exercise.
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In this issue, the author reviews how the law can attempt to impute responsibility on health care organizations and/or other health care workers for the alleged negligence of another.
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Burn injuries frequently present to the emergency department. In the majority of cases, the burns are minor, yet they require a careful assessment, cleaning, dressing, and careful follow-up. Patients with more severe burn injuries, especially those associated with house fires or explosions, should be assessed carefully for multiple trauma, and care should be taken to protect the spine until injury can be excluded clinically or radiographically. The authors review the diagnosis, classification, and management of patients with sustained burns.
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Dermatologic complaints commonly are seen in emergency medicine and may pose a diagnostic dilemma for the clinician. Although a detailed understanding of all dermatologic conditions is beyond the scope of practice of emergency physicians, recognition of categories of disease, particularly emergent conditions, is essential. Knowledge of basic disease lesions, patterns, diagnostic tests, and emergent management is crucial to the appropriate treatment of patients with cutaneous disease. This article presents an organized approach to the diagnosis and management of cutaneous conditions, including brief discussions of selected dermatologic complaints.
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Emergency personnel care for innumerable victims of domestic violence. None of these victims are more vulnerable than the infants who have been abused by their caretakers. Although signs of abuse sometimes can be very apparent, this months article reminds emergency clinicians that we must be alert to more subtle signs of abuse that can be indicators of substantial injury to infants. Though the presenting complaints and histories may be inaccurate or frankly deceptive, the physical and diagnostic findings of infants with shaken baby syndrome will assist in identifying these victims of domestic abuse.
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