Current Issue: Volume 20 Issue 5 Archives - The Western Journal of Emergency Medicine

Boarding of Mentally Ill Patients in Emergency Departments: American Psychiatric Association Resource Document

Nordstrom, MD, et al.

The treatment of severe mental illness has undergone a paradigm shift over the last 50 years, away from a primary emphasis on hospital-based care and toward community-based care.

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Nicotine Gateway Effects on Adolescent Substance Use

Ren, MS, et al.

The growing use of tobacco and electronic nicotine delivery systems (“vaping”) among teenagers represents a major public health concern. Smoking is not only the leading cause of preventable death worldwide, but epidemiological, clinical, and preclinical data have also shown that adolescent exposure to tobacco or nicotine can lead to subsequent abuse of nicotine and other substances.

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Emergency Department Access

Examining the Effect of the Affordable Care Act on Two Illinois Emergency Departments

Probst, MD, et al.

This study aimed to compare the characteristics and severity of ED visits in an Illinois academic medical center (AMC) and community hospital (CH) of a single health system before and after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

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Case for Open Access and the Current Situation with the University of California and Elsevier

Renaud, M.Ed, et al.

In recent months, the University of California has gained significant attention for taking a strong stance in support of open access publishing of UC research as it negotiates new agreements with major journal publishers.

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Single Versus Double Tourniquet Technique for Ultrasound-Guided Venous Catheter Placement

Price, MD, et al.

Prior research has demonstrated decreased compressibility under double tourniquet technique (DT) compared with single tourniquet (ST). We hypothesized that catheters inserted under DT method would have a higher first-stick success rate compared with those inserted under ST method.

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How Well Does the Standardized Video Interview Score Correlate with Traditional Interview Performance?

Chung, MD, et al.

The SVI is a video-recorded, uni-directional interview consisting of six questions designed to assess interpersonal and communication skills and professionalism. The goal of this study was to determine whether the SVI score correlates with a traditional in-person interview score.

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Evaluating a Novel Simulation Course for Prehospital Provider Resuscitation Training in Botswana

Kosoko, MD, et al.

The objective of this study was to evaluate an educational program for Botswanan prehospital providers via written and simulation-based examinations.

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Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Emergency Physicians in the United States

DeLucia, DO, et al.

We conducted this study to assess the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in attending EPs practicing in the United States.

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Concurrent Proximal Fractures Are Rare in Distal Forearm Fractures: A National Cross-sectional Study

Negaard, MD, et al.

Distal forearm fractures (DFF) account for 1.5% of emergency department (ED) visits in the United States. Clinicians frequently obtain imaging above/below the location of injury to rule out additional injuries. We sought to determine the incidence of associated proximal fractures (APF) in the setting of DFF and to evaluate the imaging practices in a nationally representative sample of EDs.

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Critical Care

Clinical Features and Outcomes Associated with Angioedema in the Emergency Department

Sandefur, MD, et al.

Clinical features and outcome differences among nonhistaminergic vs histaminergic angioedema patients in the emergency department (ED) are poorly characterized. We aim to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes among ED patients with angioedema by suspected etiology.

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Critical Care

Emergency Reversal of Anticoagulation

Yee, DO, et al.

A working knowledge of hemostasis and the reversal of anticoagulation and antiplatelet drugs is required for every emergency department provider. This article reviews these topics and presents the currently recommended strategies for dealing with bleeding in the anticoagulated patient.

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Critical Care

Three Airway Management Techniques for Airway Decontamination in Massive Emesis: A Manikin Study

Fiore, PharmD, et al.

This study compares the SALAD and IEI techniques with the traditional approach of ad hoc, rigid suction catheter airway decontamination and endotracheal intubation in the setting of massive simulated emesis.

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Population Health Research Design

Undocumented Patients in the Emergency Department: Challenges and Opportunities

Samra, MD, et al.

This paper serves as a primer on caring for undocumented patients in the ED, includes a conceptual framework for immigration as a social determinant of health, reviews unique clinical considerations, and finally suggests a blueprint for immigration-informed emergency care.

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Population Health Research Design

Potential of Mobile Health Technology to Reduce Health Disparities in Underserved Communities

Veen, MD, et al.

Mobile health (mHealth) has the potential to change how patients make healthcare decisions. We sought to determine the readiness to use mHealth technology in underserved communities.

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Population Health Research Design

Techniques to Shorten a Screening Tool for Emergency Department Patients

Weiner, MD, et al.

Opioids are prescribed frequently in the emergency department (ED) setting, but screening tools are often of significant length and therefore limited in their utility. We describe and evaluate three approaches to shortening a screening tool: creation of a short form; curtailment; and stochastic curtailment.

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Evaluation of a Standardized Cardiac Athletic Screening for National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Athletes

Fischetti, MD, et al.

Current screening techniques include history and physical exam (H and P), with or without an electrocardiogram (ECG). Adding point of care cardiac ultrasound has demonstrated benefits, but there is limited data about implementing this technology. We evaluated the feasibility of adding ultrasound to preparticipation screening for collegiate athletes.

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Physician Documentation of Access to Firearms in Suicidal Patients in the Emergency Department

Naganathan, MD, et al.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. An estimated 50% of these deaths are due to firearms. Suicidal ideation (SI) is a common complaint presenting to the emergency department (ED). Despite these facts, provider documentation on access to lethal means is lacking. Our primary aim was to quantify documentation of access to firearms in patients presenting to the ED with a chief complaint of SI.

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Sepsis in Pregnancy: Recognition and Resuscitation

Bridwell, MD, et al.

The normal physiologic changes of pregnancy complicate evaluation for sepsis and subsequent management. Previous sepsis studies have specifically excluded pregnant patients. This narrative review evaluates the presentation, scoring systems for risk stratification, diagnosis, and management of sepsis in pregnancy.

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Incidence and Causes of Iatrogenic Hypoglycemia in the Emergency Department

Chittineni, BS, et al.

The incidence and causes of iatrogenic hypoglycemia are not known. We aim to describe how often the cause of ED hypoglycemia is iatrogenic and to identify its specific causes.

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This Article Corrects: “Development of a Clinical Teaching Evaluation and Feedback Tool for Emergency Medicine Faculty”

Dehon, PhD, et al.

This Article Corrects: “Development of a Clinical Teaching Evaluation and Feedback Tool for Emergency Medicine Faculty”

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