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Hospital-based infection surveillance experts nationwide participated in a survey to access the level of agreement in diagnosing ventilator-associated pneumonia by evaluating six identical case studies. The level of agreement between participants was poor.
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This pilot study reports that dexmedetomidine might be the sedative of choice for less ill mechanically ventilated ICU patients who take antidepressant medications at home.
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Group A streptococcus (GAS) may cause disease both by direct infection, termed suppurative disease, and also by the response of the body to an antecedent infection, termed nonsuppurative disease. An invasive GAS infection is defined as one in which GAS can be isolated from a part of the body that is normally sterile, as would be the case in pneumonia but not in pharyngitis.
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“I can’t afford that test,” “Don’t bother giving me an appointment for a specialist because my insurance won’t cover it,” “I can’t pay for that medication.” When an emergency department (ED) patient makes statements such as this, the emergency physician (EP) is often faced with few or no financial assistance options for the patient to achieve the recommended course of care.
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In the April 2013 case of Missouri v. McNeely, the Supreme Court ruled that police must generally obtain a warrant before subjecting a drunk-driving suspect to a blood test.
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The day after a man came to the ED at Edward Hospital in Naperville, IL, reporting low back pain and was discharged with analgesics, he received a phone call asking how he was feeling. He reported weakness and difficulty emptying his bladder.
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Over-ordering of diagnostic tests is a key focus of policymakers and insurers, but is unlikely to come up during malpractice litigation, according to health care attorneys and risk management experts interviewed by ED Legal Letter.
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When a patient arrived at an emergency department (ED) and reported chest pain, he failed to notify the emergency physician (EP) that he was addicted to opiates. The case involved a patient who suffered a cardiac event while visiting relatives.
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A 42-year-old female presented to the emergency department (ED) with a complaint of a constant headache that began the day before arrival. The patient was seven days postpartum, having undergone an epidural block and cesarean section.
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Since the introduction of the vaccine against H. influenzae, there has been a significant decrease in the number of children presenting with epiglottitis. Although there is little evidence that the disease has increased in adults, clearly the percentage of cases in adults compared to children has increased. Further, there is greater recognition of milder cases with direct visualization and imaging.
