Researchers have been increasingly using composite endpoints in lieu of the customary single primary endpoint. Although statistically treated like a single primary endpoint, composite endpoints provide unique challenges for patient care. If used or interpreted incorrectly, they have the potential for detrimental impact on patient care on a large scale. This paper defines composite endpoints, discusses the rationale for their use, and provides a practical approach to understand whether they should be used in medical decision-making.
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a common cause for visits to the emergency department (ED). The actual time required for an ED workup of a patient with mTBI in the United States is not well known. National emergency medicine organizations have recommended reducing unnecessary testing, including head computed tomography (CT) for these patients. To examine this issue, we developed a care map that included each step of evaluation of mTBI (Glasgow Coma Scale Score 13–15) – from initial presentation to the ED to discharge.
An alternate approach would be to position naloxone kits where they are most needed in a community, in a manner analogous to automated external defibrillators. We hypothesized that opioid overdoses would show geospatial clustering within a community, leading to potential target sites for such publicly deployed naloxone (PDN).
Clinical ultrasound (CUS) is integral to the practice of an increasing number of medical specialties. Guidelines are needed to ensure effective CUS utilization across health systems. To meet this need, a group of CUS subject matter experts, who have been involved in institution- and/or systemwide clinical ultrasound (SWCUS) program development convened. The purpose of this paper was to create a model for SWCUS development and implementation.
Many factors contribute to the survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Consequently, we sought to develop a model describing the likelihood of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) as a function of paramedic cumulative OHCA experience.
Emergency endotracheal intubation (ETI) is a common and critical procedure performed in both prehospital and in-hospital settings. Our objective was to compare in-hospital emergency medicine (EM) trainees’ performance on ETI delivered from both the seated and standing positions.
In 2013 the Society for Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) published guidelines for the management of pain and agitation in the intensive care unit (ICU). We sought to determine whether a simple educational intervention for emergency department (ED) staff, as well as two simple changes in workflow, would improve adherence to the SCCM guidelines.
The effect of changes in doctors’ rosters is rarely subjected to scientific evaluation. We describe how a natural experiment (NE) study design can be used to evaluate if a managerial decision about doctors’ rosters has an effect on patient flow in an emergency department (ED).
Little is known about emergency department (ED) utilization for herpes simplex viruses (HSV) types 1 and 2 in the United States. Our goal was to determine the utilization and cost burden associated with HSV infection visits to U.S. EDs in recent years from 2006–2013.
Anaphylaxis continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality. Healthcare providers struggle to promptly recognize and appropriately treat anaphylaxis patients. The goal of this study was to characterize anaphylaxis-related malpractice lawsuits.
While tools exist to standardize the reporting of clinical studies and systematic reviews, there is no agreed framework for examining social media–based research. This article presents a publication and appraisal checklist for such work and invites further collaboration in the form of a Delphi technique to clarify, expand, improve, and validate the proposal.
Asphyxiation or suffocation injuries can result in multi-organ damage and are a major cause of morbidity and mortality among different age groups. This study aims to describe characteristics of patients presenting with suffocation injuries to emergency departments (EDs) in the United States (U.S.) and to identify factors associated with mortality in this population.
We conducted a cross-sectional survey study of the United States and Canadian PEM fellowship directors and associate/assistant directors. We developed a web-based survey using a modified Dillman technique. Primary outcome was the proportion who “almost always” or “most of the time” discussed potential malignancy risks from CT prior to ordering this test.
The purpose of this study was to determine if patient-reported preference for specific pain medications was associated with a history of lifetime overdose among patients seeking care in the emergency department (ED).
Establishing the cause of elevated transaminases may be especially difficult because of limited or inaccurate histories of acetaminophen ingestion. We hypothesized that the comparative ratios of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and creatine kinase (CK) can differentiate acetaminophen hepatotoxicity from rhabdomyolysis.
We read with interest the paper by Bohrer-Clancy et al.1 regarding variables in applications to emergency medicine residency that correlate with “adverse outcomes” in training programs. We have some concerns regarding the methods of this paper, and therefore the validity and generalizability of its results.
In 2014, the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine more specifically defined the skills required of graduating medical students. These skill sets are rooted in the United States’ and Canada’s movement toward a competency-based undergraduate medical education (UME) and are termed the Core “entrustable professional activities” (EPAs)
In this article, we provide expert consensus recommendations for improving junior faculty’s scholarship in emergency medicine (EM). Specific focus is given to promoting your research career, obtaining additional training opportunities, networking in EM, and other strategies for strategically directing a long-term career in academic medicine.
This paper provides a critical review of the literature on the design and structure of journal clubs in residency education with a focus on preparation, topic selection, implementation, and integration of technology.
There is research describing clinical teaching strategies used in the emergency department (ED), but less is known about specific methods employed during actual medical resuscitations. Our objective was to identify and describe the teaching methods used during medical resuscitations.
We developed an innovative, mindfulness-based curriculum designed to be integrated into a standard EM clerkship for senior medical students to help students manage stress and reduce their risk of burnout.
