Sexual assault in postmenopausal women: epidemiology and patterns of genital injury Jeffrey S. Jones, Linda Rossman, Renae Diegel, Phyllis Van Order, Barbara N. Wynn
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2008.07.010
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 27 , Issue 8 ,
Published in issue: October 2009
x Physical abuse of older women, including reports of sexual assault, has risen rapidly for the last decade. The purpose of this study was to compare a group of postmenopausal victims of sexual assault with younger adult women (18-39 years old) by examining patient demographics, assault characteristics, and patterns of physical injury.
Epidemiology of blunt head injury victims undergoing ED cranial computed tomographic scanning James F. Holmes, Gregory W. Hendey, Jennifer A. Oman, Valerie C. Norton, Gerald Lazarenko, Steven E. Ross, Jerome R. Hoffman, William R. Mower, and others
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2005.08.009
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 24 , Issue 2 ,
Published in issue: March 2006
x We sought to describe the epidemiology of emergency department (ED) patients with blunt head injury undergoing cranial computed tomography (CT) scanning for the evaluation of possible traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Sepsis in the 21st century: recent definitions and therapeutic advances H. Bryant Nguyen, Dustin Smith
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2006.08.015
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 25 , Issue 5 ,
Published in issue: June 2007
x Sepsis as a disease has received renewed interests since recent publications of a revised clinical definition and crucial clinical trials showing the benefits of early goal-directed resuscitation, recombinant human activated protein C, and low-dose corticosteroids. The epidemiology of sepsis has also been further examined. Management guidelines and international quality improvement efforts have been developed targeting increased disease identification, clinician education, and optimal patient care with the result of decreasing patient mortality.
The 1996 New York blizzard: Impact on noninjury emergency visits Kim M Blindauer, Carol Rubin, Dale L Morse, Michael McGeehin
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0735-6757(99)90008-6
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 17 , Issue 1 ,
Published in issue: January 1999
x The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the January 1996 New York blizzard on emergency visits to 12 Suffolk County hospitals for 10 noninjury health conditions. Emergency charts from the blizzard week (January 7–11) and a nonblizzard week (January 21–25) were reviewed and information was abstracted from the records meeting the criteria. Blizzard conditions were associated with increased visits for myocardial infarction/angina, primarily shoveling-related, and with decreased visits for asthma.
Characteristics and outcomes of injury-related ED visits among older adults Mary W. Carter, Shalini Gupta
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2007.05.033
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 26 , Issue 3 ,
Published in issue: March 2008
x The objectives of this study were to examine the epidemiology of injury among older adults treated in emergency departments (EDs) and to explore the effect of advanced age and nursing home residence on associated outcomes.
The arrival of the ED-based POISINDEX: Perceived impact on poison control center use Paul M. Wax, Lance Rodewald, Ruth Lawrence
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0735-6757(94)90273-9
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 12 , Issue 5 ,
Published in issue: September 1994
x The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of emergency department-based POISINDEX (Micromedex Inc, Denver, CO) and assess its perceived impact on use of poison control centers. Survey methodology was used. A written questionnaire was distributed to all emergency departments (EDs) in the state of New York. ED directors or their designee (n = 239) were surveyed regarding the presence of POISINDEX in their ED and their perceptions of its impact on ED use of poison control centers. Completed questionnaires were returned from 180 of 239 (75%) EDs.
Epidemiology of adverse effects of prehospital sedation analgesia Agnes Ricard-Hibon, Charlotte Chollet, Vanessa Belpomme, FranÇois-Xavier Duchateau, Jean Marty
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0735-6757(03)00095-0
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 21 , Issue 6 ,
Published in issue: October 2003
x The aim of this study was to introduce a continuous monitoring of side effects related to sedation-analgesia in the field. A document was completed by physicians on board the ambulances for all prehospital interventions and checked daily by the medical staff. A total of 3605 interventions were evaluated over a 12-month period. Six hundred four patients undertook analgesia and/or sedation: group 1 (spontaneously breathing patients) n = 289 and group 2 (intubated-ventilated patients) n = 315. Sixty-four percent of patients received intravenous opioids in group 1.
Abdominal pain in the ED: Stability and change over 20 years Robert D Powers, Andrew T Guertler
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0735-6757(95)90204-X
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 13 , Issue 3 ,
Published in issue: May 1995
x Abdominal pain (AP) is a common presenting complaint in emergency department (ED) patients. A 1972 study reported that unsupervised surgical residents in a university hospital ED were unable to make a specific diagnosis in 41% of 1,000 AP patients. In the intervening time, ED availability of diagnostic technology has increased, and the reference hospital acquired full-time emergency medicine (EM) faculty. To assess what changes occurred in the evaluation and epidemiology of AP, a similar study was done at the same hospital.
Numerators, denominators, and survival rates: Reporting survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest Mickey S. Eisenberg, Richard O. Cummins, Mary Pat Larsen
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0735-6757(91)90108-V
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 9 , Issue 6 ,
Published in issue: November 1991
x This study demonstrates the effect of different denominators on the survival rate from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. We retrospectively analyzed data from a cardiac arrest surveillance system in King County, Washington during the years 1976 to 1988, and calculated survival rates using eight different definitions of denominators. The eight survival rates ranged from 16% to 49% discharge from hospital. The denominator for the lowest survival rate included all cases of cardiac arrest for whom emergency medical services personnel started cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Malaria in an urban emergency department: Epidemiology and diagnostic features of 25 cases Charles J. DiMaggio, Joseph D'Addesio
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0735-6757(91)90055-O
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 9 , Issue 4 ,
Published in issue: July 1991
x This article presents a retrospective study of 25 patients diagnosed with malaria in an urban emergency department (ED) between June 1986 and June 1989. The mean annual case rate of malaria in this study group was more than three times the national rate. This may be ascribed to the notable ethnic diversity of the population. A history of travel to an area endemic for malaria was eventually elicited from all patients. The most common chief complaint was fever (56%) followed by abdominal pain (12%).
EMS characteristics in an Asian metroplis Sheng-Chuan Hu, Jeffrey Tsai, Yun-Lin Lu, Chung-Fu Lan
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0735-6757(96)90022-4
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 14 , Issue 1 ,
Published in issue: January 1996
x A prospective citywide cohort study was conducted from August 1, 1993, through May 31, 1994 to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of emergency medical services (EMS) in an Asian city. Of 5,459 studied cases, the leading 3 causes were trauma (49.7%), alcohol intoxication (8.6%), and altered mental status (AMS) (6.9%). Half of the studied cases needed no prehospital care and 16.4% needed advanced life support (ALS) care. Traffic accidents accounted for 68% of trauma cases. Of 897 cases requiring ALS care, the two most common causes were AMS and dead on arrival (DOA) (32.1% and 21.2% in medical group, 10.1% and 4.5% in trauma group, respectively).
The epidemiology and early clinical features of West Nile virus infection Jacek M. Mazurek, Kim Winpisinger, Barbara J. Mattson, Rosemary Duffy, Ronald L. Moolenaar
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2004.11.005
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 23 , Issue 4 ,
Published in issue: July 2005
x We studied early clinical features of the West Nile virus (WNV) infection. Case patients were Ohio residents who reported to the Ohio Department of Health from August 14 to December 31, 2002, with a positive serum or cerebrospinal fluid for anti–WNV IgM. Of 441 WNV cases, medical records of 224 (85.5%) hospitalized patients were available for review. Most frequent symptoms were fever at a temperature of 38.0°C or higher (n = 155; 69.2%), headache (n = 114; 50.9%), and mental status changes (n = 113; 50.4%).
Serious winter sport injuries in children and adolescents requiring hospitalization Elisabeth Guenther Skokan, Edward P. Junkins Jr, Howard Kadish
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/ajem.2003.50032
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 21 , Issue 2 ,
Published in issue: March 2003
x To describe the epidemiology of serious winter sports-related injuries resulting in hospitalization in children and adolescents, we prospectively collected and analyzed records of all winter sports-related injuries requiring hospitalization at our respective institutions from 1996 to 2000. We identified 101 patients with a mean age of 10.7 years, of whom 68% were male and 32% female. Skiers accounted for 71% and snowboarders 26% of injuries; 3% of injuries were snowmobile-or luge-related. Leading mechanisms of injury were ground level falls (50%), crashes into trees, (18%), and falls from ski lift (13%).
Throw rug-related injuries treated in US EDs: are children the same as adults? Zlata Vlodaver, Henry W. Ortega, Joseph Arms, Heidi Vander Velden, Gary A. Smith
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2014.09.024
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 32 , Issue 12 ,
Published online: September 25 2014
x Various characteristics of floors and floor coverings are well established as injury hazards. Loose carpeting, such as rugs, is often cited as a hazard leading to injury.
Hyponatremia in the emergency department Chien-Te Lee, How-Ran Guo, Jin-Bor Chen
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0735-6757(00)90118-9
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 18 , Issue 3 ,
Published in issue: May 2000
x Hyponatremia is a clinical manifestation of a wide variety of diseases, some of which have high mortality rates. To assess the prevalence, cause, and prognosis of hyponatremia encountered in the emergency department, we conducted a prospective study at a major hospital in southern Taiwan. We included all adult internal medicine patients treated in the emergency department during a 2-month period. Hyponatremia was defined as a serum sodium level below 134 mEq/L, and cases patients were followed till being discharged.
Health care–associated pneumonia: identification and initial management in the ED Fredrick M. Abrahamian, Peter M. DeBlieux, Charles L. Emerman, Marin H. Kollef, Eric Kupersmith, Kenneth V. Leeper Jr., David L. Paterson, Andrew F. Shorr
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2008.03.015
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 26 , Issue 6 ,
Published in issue: July 2008
x Traditionally, pneumonia is categorized by epidemiologic factors into community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Microbiologic studies have shown that the organisms which cause infections in HAP and VAP differ from CAP in epidemiology and resistance patterns. Patients with HAP or VAP are at higher risk for harboring resistant organisms. Other historical features that potentially place patients at a higher risk for being infected with resistant pathogens and organisms not commonly associated with CAP include history of recent admission to a health care facility, residence in a long-term care or nursing home facility, attendance at a dialysis clinic, history of recent intravenous antibiotic therapy, chemotherapy, and wound care.
The sky is a limit: Errors in prehospital diagnosis by flight physicians Shai Linn, Nachshon Knoller, Christopher G Giligan, Uri Dreifus
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0735-6757(97)90025-5
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 15 , Issue 3 ,
Published in issue: May 1997
x The medical records and air evacuation reports of 186 trauma patients were examined to determine the type and characteristics of missed diagnoses. More than 35% of all cases of hypovolemic shock were not identified, nor were two cases of respiratory distress. Although unconsciousness was always identified correctly, almost 7% of all cases with partial unconsciousness were not recorded. Of 443 diagnoses, 337 were correctly recorded by the flight physician, slightly more than 76%. The flight physicians missed 10 critical diagnoses, all of which were feasible, 56 important diagnoses, 42 of which were feasible, and 40 relatively marginal diagnoses, 27 of which were feasible.
Therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest caused by self-inflicted intoxication: a multicenter retrospective cohort study Han Joon Kim, Gi Woon Kim, Sang Hoon Oh, Sang Hyun Park, Jae Hyung Choi, Kyung Hwan Kim, Woo Chan Jeon, Hui Jai Lee, and others
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2014.08.045
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 32 , Issue 11 ,
Published online: August 26 2014
x The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology and outcomes of patients with therapeutic hypothermia after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) caused by self-inflicted intoxication.
Elderly use of the ED in an Asian metropolis Sheng-Chuan Hu, David Yen, Ya-Cheng Yu, Wei-Fong Kao, Li-Min Wang
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0735-6757(99)90029-3
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 17 , Issue 1 ,
Published in issue: January 1999
x To compare emergency department (ED) use by elderly patients (age 65 yrs or older) with that by younger adult patients (age 15–64 yrs), a prospective consecutive chart review study was conducted from August 1, 1995 through May 31, 1996 in eight designated hospitals in Taipei city (which has 2.6 million residents, 8.4% of whom are 65 yrs or older). Patient age, sex, mode of arrival, living status, triage category, advanced life support (ALS) eligibility, referral, confinement to bed, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, impression, trauma mechanism, and disposition were recorded and compared between the two groups.
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in an oriental metropolitan city Sheng-Chuan Hu
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0735-6757(94)90071-X
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine , Vol. 12 , Issue 4 ,
Published in issue: July 1994
x To investigate the epidemiology of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Taipei City, Taiwan, a prospective chart review and follow-up study was conducted by collecting the prehospital cardiac arrest record from 10 designated responsible emergency departments (EDs) from August 1, 1992 through May 31, 1993. Cases with the restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) were followed up until discharged from hospital. The information gathered included age, sex, bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, response time (time elapsed from receiving the call to arrival on the scene), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) time (time elapsed from receiving the call to arrival at the ED), initial cardiac rhythm in the ED, ROSC, survival to discharge from the hospital, underlying disease, past history, personal history, and neurological outcome at discharge.
