Background: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a safe access procedure for enteral nutrition. The purpose of this investigation is to identify predictive factors for early mortality after PEG. Methods: A retrospective review of the hospital…
Introduction: Emergency departments (EDs) provide an opportunity to initiate preventive services for millions of Americans who have no other source for these services. Objectives: To identify primary and secondary preventive interventions appropriate…
The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of use of abdominal computed tomography (CT) in older ED patients with acute nontraumatic abdominal pain, describe the most common diagnostic CT findings, and determine the proportion of…
The purpose of this randomized, controlled, clinical trial was to determine the effect of the digital rectal examination (DRE) on the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) serum levels in view of conflicting literature reports and screening methods and…
Study objectives: Black smokers have been reported to have higher serum cotinine levels than do white smokers, and have higher rates of most smoking-related diseases, despite smoking fewer cigarettes per day. Another striking racial difference is the…
In the United States and around the world, effective, efficient, and reliable strategies to provide emergency care to aging adults is challenging crowded emergency departments (EDs) and a strained health care system. In response, geriatric emergency…
Objectives: To describe emergency medicine (EM) residency program research requirements, characterize research directors (RDs), and describe their research activities and productivity. Methods: A survey with questions addressing program research…
Objectives: Screening for cognitive impairment in older emergency department (ED) patients is recommended to ensure quality care. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) may be too long for routine ED use. Briefer alternatives include the Six-Item…
Objective: To perform a systematic review of the emergency medicine literature to assess the appropriateness of an intervention to identify, counsel, and refer emergency department (ED) patients > 64 years old who are at high risk for falls. Methods:…
Emergency departments (EDs), similar to other health care environments, are concerned with improving the quality of patient care. Older patients comprise a large, growing, and particularly vulnerable subset of ED users. The project objective was to…
Treatment of serious infections caused by gram-negative bacilli with beta-lactam antimicrobial agents can induce Class I beta-lactamase production. This phenomenon can result in resistant microorganisms, and has been postulated to be a cause of…
Objective: To determine the value of paramedic judgment in determining the need for trauma team activation (TTA) for pediatric blunt trauma patients. Methods: A prospective, observational study was conducted at the ED of Children's Hospital Medical…
Objective: To describe curling iron-related injuries reported to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) between January 1, 1992, and December 31, 1996. Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed data from NEISS, a weighted…
OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology of non-fatal recreational injuries among older adults treated in United States emergency departments including national estimates of the number of injuries, types of recreational activities, and diagnoses.…
OBJECTIVES: The Research Agenda Setting Process (RASP), part of the American Geriatric Society's (AGS's) project 'Increasing Geriatric Expertise in Surgical and Related Medical Specialties,' was designed to define a research agenda for the geriatrics…
OBJECTIVE: To compare elder patients' and their informants' ratings of the elder's physical and mental function measured by a standard instrument, the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 12 (SF-12). METHODS: This was a randomized, cross-sectional study…
OBJECTIVES: Pain related to the gurney is a frequent complaint of older emergency department (ED) patients. The authors hypothesized that these patients may have less pain and higher satisfaction if allowed to sit in a reclining hospital chair.…
This trial was conducted at 11 EDs to test the effectiveness of distributing fall prevention information to patients 65 years or older. Intervention patients were given 2 brochures and received a reminder call 2 weeks later. All patients were called…
Three recently published Institute of Medicine reports, Hospital-Based Emergency Care: At the Breaking Point, Emergency Medical Services: At the Crossroads, and Emergency Care for Children: Growing Pains, examined the current state of emergency care…
BACKGROUND: Older patients may visit the emergency department (ED) when their illness affects their function. OBJECTIVES: To quantify the function of older ED patients, to assess whether functional decline (FD) had occurred, and to determine whether…
The purpose of this randomized, controlled, clinical trial was to determine the effect of the digital rectal examination (DRE) on the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) serum levels in view of conflicting literature reports and screening methods and…
We evaluated the effect of impaired hearing and vision on balance in a sample of 977 elderly people residing in the community. Of the sample, 21% reported balance problems, 27% vision problems, and 30% hearing problems. The increased relative risk…
