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Emergency Medicine
Journal Watch condenses summaries of key research across specialties from more than 250 medical journals into concise yet comprehensive articles, incorporating clinical commentary from prominent physician-editors in the field.
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Featured Article

SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Prophylactic Lidocaine After Resuscitation: What's Old Is New AgainFree
- June 14, 2013
- Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP, FIFEM
Recurrent cardiac arrest from ventricular fibrillation/ventricular tachycardia was less likely in patients who received lidocaine.
- Reviewing:
- Kudenchuk PJ et al. Resuscitation 2013 Jun 3
Recent Emergency Medicine Articles
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Some Patients with Isolated Traumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage May Not Need Neurosurgical Evaluation
- June 14, 2013
- Richard D. Zane, MD, FAAEM
. . . or even transfer to a trauma center.
- Reviewing:
- Borczuk P et al. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2013 Jun; 74:1504
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Capnography Useful in Identifying Patients with Diabetic Ketoacidosis
- June 14, 2013
- Diane M. Birnbaumer, MD, FACEP
In this study, end tidal CO2 values >24.5 mm Hg excluded DKA in most hyperglycemic patients.
- Reviewing:
- Soleimanpour H et al. West J Emerg Med 2013
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
What Initial Dose of Hydromorphone Is Best?
- June 14, 2013
- Daniel J. Pallin, MD, MPH
In a randomized trial, 1 mg was found to be as good as 2 mg.
- Reviewing:
- Chang AK et al. Ann Emerg Med 2013 May 16
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Emergency Physicians Vary in How Many Patients They Admit
- June 14, 2013
- Daniel J. Pallin, MD, MPH
This study reveals that physicians working in the same system behave very differently.
- Reviewing:
- Abualenain J et al. Ann Emerg Med 2013 Jun; 61:638
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Venous Thromboembolism in PregnancyFree
- June 11, 2013
- David Green, MD, PhD
- Oncology and Hematology
The effect of risk factors is greater postpartum than antepartum.
- Reviewing:
- Sultan AA et al. Blood 2013 May 9; 121:3953
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters Confer Risk for Upper-Extremity Venous ThromboembolismFree
- June 6, 2013
- Bruce Soloway, MD
- General Medicine
Deep venous thrombosis was more common with PICCs than with other central venous catheters.
- Reviewing:
- Chopra V et al. Lancet 2013 May 20
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
The Dilemma of Suspected Urinary Tract Infections in Older Women
- June 6, 2013
- Allan S. Brett, MD
- General Medicine
In an observational study, many women treated for UTIs subsequently had negative cultures.
- Reviewing:
- Gordon LB et al. J Am Geriatr Soc 2013 May; 61:788
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Treatment Effect Estimates Are Larger in Small Randomized Trials than in Big Trials
- May 30, 2013
- Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP
- General Medicine
Buyer beware when interpreting meta-analyses.
- Reviewing:
- Dechartres A et al. BMJ 2013 Apr 24; 346:f2304
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Is Intensive Blood Pressure Lowering Beneficial in Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage?Free
- June 4, 2013
- Seemant Chaturvedi, MD
- Neurology
Equivocal outcomes from the INTERACT 2 trial
- Reviewing:
- Anderson CS et al. N Engl J Med 2013 May 29
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
GlideScope Outperforms Direct Laryngoscopy for Urgent IntubationsFree
- June 7, 2013
- Cheryl Lynn Horton, MD and Ron M. Walls, MD, FRCPC, FAAEM
Intubations with the GlideScope were more successful and had fewer complications.
- Reviewing:
- Kory P et al. Anesth Analg 2013 May 17
Editor's Picks from across Journal Watch
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
"Rule Out Ectopic": Can Any Single Test Clinch the Diagnosis?
- May 23, 2013
- By Allison Bryant, MD, MP
- Women's Health
Transvaginal ultrasound is the best diagnostic test for ectopic pregnancy.
- Reviewing:
- JAMA 2013 Apr 24; 309:1722
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Considering CRP Concentration Improves Diagnosis of PneumoniaFree
- May 30, 2013
- By Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP
- General Medicine
Low C-reactive protein levels helped rule out pneumonia.
- Reviewing:
- BMJ 2013 Apr 30; 346:f2450
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Reversing the New Anticoagulants
- May 14, 2013
- By Anthony L. Komaroff, MD
- General Medicine
A barrier to use of factor Xa inhibitors might be falling.
- Reviewing:
- Nat Med 2013 Apr; 19:446
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Questionable Value of Resident Duty-Hour Regulations
- May 16, 2013
- By Thomas L. Schwenk, MD
- General Medicine
Studies show more errors, perceived reductions in quality of care, and little evidence of improved resident well-being. CME
- Reviewing:
- JAMA Intern Med 2013 Apr 22; 173:649
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.



