Emergencies / First Aid

Preoperative CT useful for younger women with suspected appendicitis

Preoperative computed tomography (CT) may help reduce unnecessary surgeries in women of reproductive age with suspected acute appendicitis, according to a new study appearing…    

Those in true emergency hardest hit by ER crisis

The state of US emergency departments has been called a “growing national crisis,” and a report out today shows the situation is only getting…    

Hot tub injuries on the rise

As more and more Americans have turned to hot tubs for some rest and relaxation, the number of hot tub-related injuries has grown as…    

Fewer Emergency Patients Seen Within Recommended Time Frame

One in four emergency department patients in 2006 waited longer to be evaluated by a clinician than recommended at triage, an increase from one…    

Blood diagnosis – chip-based and mobile

The analysis takes just a few minutes and the doctor knows straight-away whether there are any pathogens in the blood. An improved marker-free technique…    

Most would refuse emergency use H1N1 vaccine or additive

A majority of Americans would not take an H1N1 flu vaccine or drug additive authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration,…    

Pediatrics: Kids need specialized care in hospital emergency departments

According to a recent IOM report, only 6 percent of U.S. hospital emergency departments are fully equipped to properly care for children. With high…    

Attention drug emergencies soar for U.S. kids-report

Calls to poison control centers for U.S. teenagers who have overdosed on attention deficit drugs rose 76 percent over eight years, researchers reported on…    

Hispanics face longer wait for emergency GI care

Hispanic whites seeking emergency treatment for gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses wait twice as long to see a doctor compared to non-Hispanic whites, new research shows.…    

Cardiac CT Is More Cost Effective When Managing Chest Pain in the Emergency Department

Cardiac CT Is More Cost Effective When Managing Low-Risk Patients with Chest Pain in the Emergency Department

The use of cardiac CT…    

Physicians Frequently Fail to Inform Patients About Abnormal Test Results

New research shows that physicians failed to report clinically significant abnormal test results to patients—or to document that they had informed them—in one out…    

Teens’ growth-plate injuries need early care

Injuries to the bones’ growth plates are fairly common in adolescent athletes, but prompt attention is required to keep these injuries from becoming…    

Kids who die from cold meds often very young

If used as prescribed, over-the-counter cough and cold medications are very safe for use in children. The deaths that do occur typically involve…    

Black patients wait longer in ER for hospital bed

African-Americans who are admitted to the hospital after being seen in the emergency room wait about an hour longer than patients of other races…    

Children and Orthopaedic Surgical Emergencies

Severe musculoskeletal conditions in children include bone and joint infections, a hip problem known as slipped epiphysis, and elbow fractures. These can lead…    

Young adult stroke patients may be misdiagnosed in ER

Young adults with stroke symptoms are sometimes misdiagnosed in emergency rooms — making them miss effective early treatment — according to research presented today…    

Most with severe headache avoid emergency care

Despite the pervasiveness of migraine and other headache disorders in the U.S., most individuals suffering a severe headache steer clear of emergency departments, survey…    

Research identifies in-flight emergencies

Fainting is the most common in-flight medical emergency. Research recently published in BioMed Central’s open access journal Critical Care details the number, type and…    

Hospital Emergency Departments Treat Mostly Poor Children

Lower-income children made almost twice as many visits to hospital emergency departments than higher-income children in 2005, according to the latest News and Numbers…    

Researchers light up lungs to help diagnose disease

Researchers at the University of Sheffield have developed innovative technology which illuminates a person´s lungs and helps clinicians identify if they are functioning correctly.…    

First diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease on the horizon

A new blood test that can give an early diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease and distinguish between Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease could be launched this…    

Hospital Expands Intensive Care for Premature Babies

On April 2, 2008, UC San Diego Medical Center-Hillcrest celebrated the opening of an expanded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) designed for the 24-hour…    

Eye test peers into heat-related multiple sclerosis symptoms

A bodysuit that heats or cools a patient, combined with painless measurements of eye movements, is providing multiple sclerosis researchers at UT Southwestern Medical…    

First Early-Detection Blood Test for Parkinson’s Shows Promise

A test that profiles molecular biomarkers in blood could become the first accurate diagnostic test for Parkinson’s disease, new research shows.

The…    

Tips for Troublesome Medications

Bad reactions to a prescribed medication send more than 175,000 older Americans to the emergency room each year. Just 10 commonly used medications -…