STUDY OBJECTIVE: Glucagon is a rapid-acting smooth muscle relaxant with a short half-life. Previous studies suggested glucagon may have bronchodilator effects. We sought to determine whether intravenous glucagon produces clinically important…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
OBJECTIVE: To characterize the problems facing emergency medicine residency directors (EMRDs), to describe potential solutions, and to associate perceptions with anticipated duration in the position of EMRD. METHODS: A confidential questionnaire was…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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: To evaluate paramedics' ability to identify elderly at risk and refer them for assessment and service. DESIGN: A prospective nonrandomized open trial. SETTING: Akron, Ohio, a midsize city with a well-developed advanced life support…
OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility of a brief comprehensive case-finding program for detecting functional, cognitive, and social impairments among elderly ED patients and to estimate the prevalence of unknown, undetected, or untreated impairments…
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…
Sometimes, the only contact elderly patients have with outside medical services is through the EMS network. Find out how one city uses prehospital providers to link these patients with community services tailored to their needs.
STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine the feasibility of a case-finding program for cognitive impairment in elderly emergency department patients, and to describe the prevalence of cognitive impairment in screened patients and identify factors associated…
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…
Medicaid reimbursement costs for county residents at least 18 years old who used a treatment service (n = 1043) and residents who were Medicaid enrollees with a substance abuse diagnosis but who did not receive treatment (n = 2125) were compared.…
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…
