Medscape Emergency Medicine Headlines

The Case of the Clever Clinician With an Eponymous Injury

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 18:24:42 EDT

Guess the famous patient and diagnose his condition in another historical case from this popular series.
Medscape General Surgery

Acoustic Cardiography Does Not Improve Diagnostic Accuracy in ED Patients With Dyspnea

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 15:36:34 EDT

In emergency department patients presenting with undifferentiated acute dyspnea, an S3 captured by acoustic cardiography does not improve diagnostic accuracy for acute decompensated heart failure or provide independent prognostic information, results of an international study suggest.
Reuters Health Information

Proteome Profiling Identifies Diagnostic Markers for Acute Pediatric Appendicitis

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 17:27:21 EDT

Urinary levels of leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein reflect appendicitis severity.
Medscape Medical News

Changes in Medicare Pay Rules Could Have a Redistributive Effect

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 14:32:03 EDT

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced a series of proposed changes to the 2010 physician fee schedule.
Medscape Medical News

WHO Issues Patient Care Checklist for Influenza A (H1N1)

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 11:56:03 EDT

WHO has developed a new patient care checklist for hospitals worldwide to use when treating suspected or confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1).
Medscape Medical News

Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Flu in US?

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 11:46:24 EDT

Drug-resistant H1N1 flu is seen in a teenage traveler from San Francisco.
WebMD Health News

Ketamine May Be Useful for Intubation in Critically Ill Patients

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 06:19:08 EDT

A randomized controlled, single-blind trial shows that ketamine is a safe, valuable alternative to conventional etomidate to use as a sedative during intubation in critically ill patients.
Medscape Medical News

Carbapenemase-Producing Bacteria on the Rise?

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 17:13:55 EDT

Learn the latest on highly resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC). In this video blog, Paul G. Auwaerter, MD, MBA, offers advice on testing, antibiotic therapy, and infection control.
Medscape Infectious Diseases

FDA Adds Stronger Warnings to Propoxyphene

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 14:05:43 EDT

The FDA is adding stronger warnings to pain medications that contain propoxyphene, such as Darvon and Darvocet, because of new data on fatal overdoses linked to propoxyphene products.
Medscape Medical News

Barriers to Optimal Termination of Resuscitation in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Identified

Fri, 3 Jul 2009 22:18:48 EDT

Insurance-reimbursement rules, state laws, and the public's false perceptions of survival after cardiac arrest may impede emergency medical workers from using best resuscitation attempts, a study finds.
Heartwire

Aspirin or Anticoagulation? Preventing Cerebral Ischemic Events After Carotid Artery Dissection

Fri, 3 Jul 2009 11:38:54 EDT

In this video blog, Dr. Mark Alberts discusses the results of a study comparing the efficacy of aspirin and anticoagulation treatment in patients with dissection involving the carotid artery.
Medscape Neurology & Neurosurgery

WHO Says Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 "an Isolated Case"

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 09:12:00 EDT

The first H1N1 infection found to be resistant to the antiviral Tamiflu represents an "isolated case" with "no public health implication" at this time, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday.
Reuters Health Information

Disaster Management at the 1904 New Market, Tennessee Train Wreck: Role of a Surgeon

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 16:29:53 EDT

An historical analysis of the events of this mass casualty incident and the medical and community response may serve as a template for modern disaster management and the role of surgeons in that management.
Southern Medical Journal

Errors and Omissions in Hospital Prescriptions: A Survey of Prescription Writing in a Hospital

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 10:45:04 EDT

Doctors often write prescriptions that are almost illegible. Find out how this affects the percentage of medication errors made today.
BMC Clinical Pharmacology

10 Steps Before you Refer for: Chest Pain

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EDT

Chest pain is a common presentation in general practice. Working through the differential diagnosis is easy with these ten steps.
British Journal of Cardiology

Paralysis in an Adolescent

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EDT

An 18-year-old male with a history of diabetes presented with hemiparesis. His serum glucose was low, but did not fit the numerical criteria for hypoglycemia.
Southern Medical Journal

The Dirty War Index: A Public Health and Human Rights Tool for Examining and Monitoring Armed Conflict Outcomes

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 18:37:46 EDT

This public health tool identifies rates of undesirable or prohibited war outcomes inflicted on populations during armed conflict.
PLoS Medicine