Crowding Delays Time to Initiation of Treatment and Increases ED Boarding Time
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Even for high-acuity patients
Reviewing:
McCarthy ML et al., Ann Emerg Med 2009 Oct; 54:492
Insurance Status and Mortality After Trauma
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Uninsured adults are almost twice as likely as insured adults to die after blunt or penetrating trauma.
Reviewing:
Rosen H et al., Arch Surg 2009 Nov; 144:1006
Is It Safe to Admit Boarder Patients to Inpatient Hallways?
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
A study at a single academic ED shows that the practice is safe.
Reviewing:
Viccellio A et al., Ann Emerg Med 2009 Oct; 54:487
Comparing Three Video Laryngoscopes for Intubation of Obese Patients
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Intubation without a stylet was more often successful with the Storz V-MAC than with either the GlideScope Ranger or McGrath video laryngoscopes.
Reviewing:
Maassen R et al., Anesth Analg 2009 Nov; 109:1560
Rapid Influenza Test Helps Identify Low-Risk Febrile Infants
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
A positive rapid influenza test result predicted low risk for serious bacterial infection in febrile infants younger than 3 months.
Reviewing:
Mintegi S et al., Pediatr Infect Dis J 2009 Nov; 28:1026
ECMO for Patients with 2009 H1N1 Influenza and ARDS
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
In a study from New Zealand and Australia, ECMO was used largely in young adults, most of whom had good outcomes.
Reviewing:
Davies A et al for the Australia and New Zealand Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation., JAMA 2009 Nov 4; 302:1888
Trends in ED Wait Times by Triage Class
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Increasingly, EDs fail to provide care within the target time for their sickest patients.
Reviewing:
Horwitz LI and Bradley EH., Arch Intern Med 2009 Nov 9; 169:1857
Hsia RY and Tabas JA., Arch Intern Med 2009 Nov 9; 169:1836
Immediate vs. Delayed ICU Admission for Patients with CAP
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Direct admission to the ICU is associated with lower mortality and shorter hospital stay.
Reviewing:
Renaud B et al., Crit Care Med 2009 Nov; 37:2867
Ultrasound Detects Central Line Placement and Postprocedure Pneumothorax
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Chest x-ray missed 2 of 4 pneumothoraces and 1 of 25 misplaced catheter tips that were detected by bedside ultrasound.
Reviewing:
Vezzani A et al., Crit Care Med 2009 Oct 12
Induced Hypothermia After VF Cardiac Arrest Improves Outcomes
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Hypothermia led to significantly better survival rates and neurological outcomes in patients with ventricular fibrillation but not in those with other initial rhythms.
Reviewing:
Don CW et al., Crit Care Med 2009 Sep 16
