Emergency Medicine Alert articles from May 2004

Emergency Medicine Alert archives from May 2004

Abdominal CT in blunt trauma: hold the contrast?(Abstract & Commentary)(computed tomography-analysis)
May 1, 2004... Source: Allen TL, et al. Computed tomographic scanning without oral contrast solution for blunt bowel and mesenteric injuries in abdominal trauma. J Trauma 2004;56:314-322. SINCE THE 1980s, COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (CT) SCANNING HAS been used to...

Is procalcitonin the key to discriminating bacterial from viral lower respiratory infections?(Abstract & Commentary)
May 1, 2004... Source: Christ-Crain M et al. Effect of procalcitonin-guided treatment on antibiotic use and outcome in lower respiratory tract infections: cluster-randomized, single-blinded intervention trial. Lancet 2004; 363:600-607. PROCALCITONIN...

Diagnosing pulmonary embolism in the ED: what's tops in the toolbox?(Abstract & Commentary)(emergency department)
May 1, 2004... Source: Perrier A, et al. Diagnosing pulmonary embolism in outpatients with clinical assessment, D-dimer measurement, venous ultrasound, and helical computerized tomography: A multicenter management study. Am J Med 2004;116:291-299. THE...

Electrocardiographic electrode misconnection.(Special Feature)(electrode reversal-analysis)
May 1, 2004... THE OLD ADAGE "THE BEST CHEST X-RAY IS AN OLD chest x-ray" can be extended to the world of electrocardiography. With the myriad and subtle changes that may occur on the 12-lead surface electrocardiogram (ECG), at times the emergency physician's...

Physician CME questions.
May 1, 2004... 32. Which of the following is the most difficult limb electrode reversal to detect on the ECG? a. Left arm / right arm b. Left leg / right leg c. Left arm / left leg d. Right arm / right leg 33. Which of the following is...

Best obtainable tracing.(ECG Review)(usage of electrocardiograms for diagnosis of sinus tachycardia)
May 1, 2004... Clinical Scenario: The tracing in the Figure was obtained from a 59-year-old woman with a long history of smoking. She presented with acute dyspnea and atypical chest pain. Because of moderate respiratory difficulty, this was the best quality...

Pediatric Controversies: Diagnosis and Management of Traumatic Brain Injuries.(Book Review)
May 1, 2004... Author: Kirsten Bechtel, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine; Attending Physician-Pediatric Emergency Department, Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, New Haven, Ct. Pediatric head injuries are common...

CE/CME Questions.
May 1, 2004... 1. Which of the following is true regarding a child younger than 2 years who sustains a head injury? A. The younger the child, the higher the risk for traumatic brain injury. B. The incidence of brain injury in a child younger than 2...