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Emergency Medicine
Keep on top of the latest research relevant to emergency medicine with succinct perspectives by leading experts in the field.
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SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Muscle Relaxant Adds No Benefit to Ibuprofen for Cervical StrainFree
- February 5, 2010
- Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP
Pain relief did not differ among patients who received ibuprofen, cyclobenzaprine, or both drugs.
- Reviewing:
- Khwaja SM et al. CJEM 2010 Jan; 12:39
Recent Emergency Medicine Articles
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Opioid Prescriptions and Overdose
- February 5, 2010
- J. Stephen Bohan, MD, MS, FACP, FACEP
Risk for overdose increases with increasing daily dose prescribed.
- Reviewing:
- Dunn KM et al. Ann Intern Med 2010 Jan 19; 152:85
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Intraocular Pressure Predicts Intracranial Pressure in Children with Traumatic Brain Injury
- February 5, 2010
- Katherine Bakes, MD
Elevated intraocular pressure identifies children with intracranial pressures above 20 cm H2O.
- Reviewing:
- Spentzas T et al. Pediatr Crit Care Med 2010 Jan 14
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Airway Management in Postoperative Carotid Endarterectomy Patients
- February 5, 2010
- Emily L. Brown, MD, and Ron M. Walls, MD, FRCPC, FAAEM
This large retrospective study describes airway management strategies in patients who develop neck hematoma.
- Reviewing:
- Shakespeare WA et al. Anesth Analg 2010 Feb; 110:588
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Serum Procalcitonin Levels Might Help Guide Antibiotic Use
- February 5, 2010
- Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP
Using procalcitonin levels to guide treatment reduced use of antibiotics in critically ill patients.
- Reviewing:
- Bouadma L et al. Lancet 2010 Feb 6; 375:463
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Spine Immobilization for Penetrating Trauma Can Be HarmfulFree
- January 29, 2010
- John A. Marx, MD, FAAEM
Patients who underwent immobilization were twice as likely to die as those who did not.
- Reviewing:
- Haut ER et al. J Trauma 2010 Jan; 68:115
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral Access: Success Depends on the Vein, Not the Patient
- January 29, 2010
- Diane M. Birnbaumer, MD, FACEP
Vessel diameter is the most important factor for predicting success.
- Reviewing:
- Panebianco NL et al. Acad Emerg Med 2009 Dec; 16:1298
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Tachypnea Is a Poor Predictor of Pneumonia in Children
- January 29, 2010
- Katherine Bakes, MD
An elevated respiratory rate in children younger than 5 years is less than 50% sensitive for predicting pneumonia.
- Reviewing:
- Shah S et al. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2009 Dec 21
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
How Does the Flex-It Stylet Perform in GlideScope Laryngoscopy?
- January 29, 2010
- Emily L. Brown, MD, and Ron M. Walls, MD, FRCPC, FAAEM
Time to intubation was faster with a malleable stylet than with the Flex-It stylet.
- Reviewing:
- Turkstra TP et al. Anesth Analg 2009 Dec; 109:1856
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Incidence of PE in Trauma Patients on the Rise?
- January 29, 2010
- John A. Marx, MD, FAAEM
Increased vigilance and availability of higher resolution CT scanners are likely explanations for an apparent increase in incidence.
- Reviewing:
- Menaker J et al. J Trauma 2009 Dec; 67:1244
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Performance of the New C-MAC Video Laryngoscope
- January 29, 2010
- Emily L. Brown, MD, and Ron M. Walls, MD, FRCPC, FAAEM
Early experience with a new video laryngoscope is promising.
- Reviewing:
- Cavus E et al. Anesth Analg 2010 Feb; 110:473
Editor's Picks from across Journal Watch
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy: Better Than Safe?
- January 28, 2010
- By Wendy S. Biggs, MD
- Women's Health
Women who used acetaminophen for fever during the first trimester were less likely to have infants with certain birth defects.
- Reviewing:
- Obstet Gynecol 2010 Jan; 115:109
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Kitchen Spoons Don't Work for MedsFree
- January 27, 2010
- By F. Bruder Stapleton, MD
- Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
The amount of medicine poured varies with the size of the spoon.
- Reviewing:
- Ann Intern Med 2010 Jan 5; 152:66
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Low-Dose Aspirin Therapy After Peptic Ulcer Bleeding
- January 29, 2010
- By David J. Bjorkman, MD, MSPH (HSA), SM (Epid.)
- Gastroenterology
Mortality risk was diminished in patients receiving low-dose aspirin for vascular disease.
- Reviewing:
- Ann Intern Med 2010 Jan 5; 152:1
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Cardiovascular Safety of Inhaled Anticholinergic Agents for COPD
- February 2, 2010
- By Allan S. Brett, MD
- General Medicine
Two new analyses of tiotropium and ipratropium yield different results.
- Reviewing:
- Chest 2010 Jan; 137:20
Journal Watch Emergency Medicine summarizes important medical journal articles about a wide variety of subjects relevant to the practice of emergency medicine including acute coronary syndrome, airway management, asthma, cardiac arrest, chest pain, endotracheal intubation, head trauma, pulmonary embolism, sedation, and stroke.
