Blog
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Oct 16 2017
How Accurate Is Your Rapid Flu Test?
Diagnostic accuracy of the digitally interpreted rapid influenza A and B antigen tests (DIA) was better than the traditional rapid flu tests, 77-80% sensitive vs. 53-54% sensitive. In children compared to adults, the sensitivity was 18.5 points higher for flu A and 32 points higher for flu B with the traditional rapid test; 12 and 25 points higher for the DIA respectively; 2.7% points higher for nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs). NAATs were about 95% sensitive overall. All tests had specificity of about 98%.
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Oct 14 2017
Absorbable Suture vs Nylon in Pediatric Lacerations
There was no difference in cosmetic outcome with use of absorbable vs. nonabsorbable suture for pediatric lacerations, though there was a nonsignificant trend to absorbable being superior. There was also no difference in dehiscence or infection rate between the two.
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Oct 13 2017
Push Alert Labs – ICYMI Troponin Is Positive
Push alerts for troponin results to a physician's smartphone decreased time to disposition by 26 minutes, but it didn't affect total length of stay.
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Oct 12 2017
A Simple Trick For Easier Subclavian Access
For better success at subclavian central venous catheter placement, have the patient turn their head 30 degrees toward the side of insertion to increase the cross sectional area of the vein.
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Oct 11 2017
What Brings You In Today? 5 Reasons Why People Seek Emergency Care
Why do people seek emergency or urgent care? This quick systematic review of the literature identified 5 reasons.
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Oct 10 2017
PE Testing in PERC Negative Patients
There was a low yield (1.6%) for PE testing among those who were Pulmonary Embolism Rule-out Criteria (PERC) negative.
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Oct 09 2017
How Accurate Is the Rapid Strep?
The diagnostic accuracy of rapid streptococcal antigen testing is such that a negative test rules out disease and should not be treated; a positive test rules it in and should be treated.
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Oct 07 2017
Why Norepinephrine is Better than Dopamine for Shock
Norepinephrine and dopamine were equal with regard to mortality in shock, except for the subgroup with cardiogenic shock, in which the dopamine group fared worse. There were twice as many dysrhythmias in the dopamine group, largely atrial fibrillation.
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Oct 06 2017
Hey, Press Ganey – You Can’t Improve What You Can’t Control
Patient satisfaction is important. But the most commonly used metric in the US, the Press Ganey survey, may not be a good measure of individual emergency physician and clinician performance. Giving emergency clinicians feedback on their Press Ganey scores, ostensibly so they could take steps to improve, did not lead to appreciable score improvements.
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Oct 05 2017
AHA Cardiogenic Shock Spoon Feed
This 50 page AHA guideline is very concisely but completely summarized right here. Save some time and get the pearls. Table 5 is fantastic, and this article is available in free full text (see Source below), so take advantage and look at this.