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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
Cricothyroid Membrane Identification by Palpation Is Difficult in FemalesFree
- May 25, 2012
- Cheryl Lynn Horton, MD
Identification is most difficult in obese female patients.
- Reviewing:
- Aslani A et al. Anesth Analg 2012 May; 114:987
Recent Emergency Medicine Articles
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Intubation of Critically Ill Patients in Scotland
- May 25, 2012
- Cheryl Lynn Horton, MD
Although nearly all intubations were successful, many patients experienced postintubation hypoxia and hypotension.
- Reviewing:
- Simpson GD et al. Br J Anaesth 2012 May; 108:792
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Is Urine Odor Associated with UTI?
Parental report of malodorous urine was significantly associated with urinary tract infection in young febrile children.
- Reviewing:
- Gauthier M et al. Pediatrics 2012 May; 129:885
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Clostridium difficile Infection — Treat Orally, if Possible
- May 2, 2012
- Thomas Glück, MD
- Infectious Diseases
The risk for death was significantly higher with intravenous metronidazole than with oral metronidazole or oral vancomycin.
- Reviewing:
- Wenisch JM et al. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2012 Apr; 56:1974
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
ECG Criteria Differentiate Benign Early Repolarization from STEMIFree
- May 18, 2012
- Daniel J. Pallin, MD, MPH
An equation using objective electrocardiogram parameters had a sensitivity of 86% for identifying STEMI.
- Reviewing:
- Smith SW et al. Ann Emerg Med 2012 Apr 18
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Patient-Controlled Analgesia for Abdominal Pain in the ED
- May 18, 2012
- Diane M. Birnbaumer, MD, FACEP
Pain management was better with patient-controlled intravenous analgesia than with physician-ordered intravenous analgesia.
- Reviewing:
- Birnbaum A et al. Acad Emerg Med 2012 Apr; 19:370
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Validity of Physiologic Criteria for Trauma Center Transport in Patients with TBI
- May 18, 2012
- Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP
Patients with traumatic brain injury who met any of the three physiologic criteria in the ACS-COT guidelines had significantly higher mortality than those who did not meet criteria.
- Reviewing:
- Pearson WS et al. Prehosp Emerg Care 2012 May 1
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Change in Insurance Status Increases Emergency Department Visits
- May 18, 2012
- J. Stephen Bohan, MD, MS, FACP, FACEP
Change in insurance status, as opposed to actual insurance status, is associated with a more than 30% rise in ED use.
- Reviewing:
- Ginde AA et al. Arch Intern Med 2012 Apr 23; 172:642
NEWS IN CONTEXT
Battery-Related ED Visits on the Rise Among U.S. Children
- May 18, 2012
- Katherine Bakes, MD
Button batteries lodged in the esophagus present the greatest hazard and require emergent removal.
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Normal White Blood Cell Count Does Not Rule Out BacteremiaFree
- May 11, 2012
- Daniel J. Pallin, MD, MPH
Of 289 patients with bacteremia, 52% had normal WBC count and 17% had neither WBC elevation nor fever.
- Reviewing:
- Seigel TA et al. J Emerg Med 2012 Mar; 42:254
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Antibiotics Are Overprescribed for Acute Bronchitis
- May 11, 2012
- Daniel J. Pallin, MD, MPH
Antibiotics were prescribed to too many patients and bronchodilators to too few at two emergency departments in San Diego.
- Reviewing:
- Kroening-Roche JC et al. J Emerg Med 2012 Feb 16
Editor's Picks from across Journal Watch
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Lactobacilli vs. TMP/SMX to Prevent Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections
- May 22, 2012
- By Thomas L. Schwenk, MD
- General Medicine
Effectiveness was similar to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and Lactobacilli did not cause antibiotic resistance.
- Reviewing:
- Arch Intern Med 2012 May 14; 172:704
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Genitourinary Trauma with Foley Catheters
- May 10, 2012
- By Allan S. Brett, MD
- General Medicine
Infection isn't the only adverse consequence of Foley catheter use.
- Reviewing:
- J Urol 2012 May; 187:1662
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Warfarin Ineffective for HF Without Atrial FibrillationFree
- May 9, 2012
- By Frederick A. Masoudi, MD, MSPH, FACC, FAHA
- Cardiology
In the WARCEF trial, reduced stroke rates were offset by increased bleeding.
- Reviewing:
- N Engl J Med 2012 May 2
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Another Reassuring Study on LABA–ICS Safety in Asthma
- May 17, 2012
- By David J. Amrol, MD
- General Medicine
When used with inhaled corticosteroids, long-acting β-agonist bronchodilators reduce asthma exacerbations.
- Reviewing:
- J Allergy Clin Immunol 2012 May; 129:1274
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.
