Emergency Medicine Alert articles from January 2003

Emergency Medicine Alert archives from January 2003

The scales tip further in favor of steroids for meningitis. (Abstract & Commentary).(corticosteroids for bacterial meningitis)
January 1, 2003... THE ROLE OF CORTICOSTEROIDS IN MINIMIZING SEQUELAE OF acute bacterial meningitis has been debated strongly. The authors of this multinational European study sought to determine whether administration of steroids improved neurologic outcome in...

Clinical clearance of the spine in the prehospital setting. (Abstract & Commentary).
January 1, 2003... THIS STUDY PROSPECTIVELY EVALUATED A CLINICAL decision rule used to identify injured patients in the prehospital setting at low risk for spinal injury. The presence absence of five criteria were recorded during the field assessment: altered...

Another look at deferred care for nonacute conditions. (Abstract & Commentary).
January 1, 2003... WITH EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT (ED) OVERCROWDing on the rise, the concept of deferring care for certain ED patients is being studied again. The authors of this randomized, controlled trial sought to determine if there were differences in health...

Pediatric meningitis: is it bacterial or not? (Abstract & Commentary).
January 1, 2003... IMMUNIZATION AGAINST Haemophilus influenzae AND, more recently, Streptococcus pneumoniae, has shifted etiologies toward viral agents in pediatric meningitis. Clinicians need rapid, dependable means to differentiate viral from bacterial disease....

Nursemaid's elbow. (Special Feature).(radial head subluxation)
January 1, 2003... RADIAL HEAD SUBLUXATION (RHS), ALSO KNOWN AS nursemaid's elbow or pulled elbow, is a common reason for pediatric emergency department (ED) visits. Most commonly occurring in children between the ages of 1 and 3 years, RHS has been reported in...

Physician CME questions.(continuing medical education)
January 1, 2003... 8. Which of the following was not one of the five criteria used in the study by Domeier et al for low-risk stratification of patients for spinal injury in the prehospital setting? a. Intoxication b. Altered mental status c. Age...

V Tach on the monitor. (ECG Review).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Clinical Scenario: The tracing in the Figure said, "V Tach on the monitor" (salvo of beats marked "V" on the rhythm strip). The computerized interpretation also cautioned about "deep anterior T wave inversion suggestive of ischemia." Would you...