Are sexual assault victims presenting to the emergency department in a timely manner?

Social workers regularly assist sexual assault victims and would benefit from a greater understanding of causes for delayed presentation to seek medical care. Delays in presentation of sexual assault victims affect the legal value of collected evidence. The authors of this study sought to characterize the nature and frequency of delayed presentation among victims.

Prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled comparison of acetazolamide versus ibuprofen for prophylaxis against high altitude headache: the Headache Evaluation at Altitude Trial (HEAT).

Objective: High altitude headache (HAH) is the most common neurological complaint at altitude and the defining component of acute mountain sickness (AMS). However, there is a paucity of literature concerning its prevention. Toward this end, we initiated a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in the Nepal Himalaya designed to compare the effectiveness of ibuprofen and acetazolamide for the prevention of HAH.

Difficulties with gum elastic bougie intubation in an academic emergency department.

Background: The difficulties with gum elastic bougie (GEB) use in the emergency department (ED) have never been studied prospectively.

Objectives: To determine the most common difficulties associated with endotracheal intubation using a GEB in the ED.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational study of GEB practices in our two affiliated urban EDs with a 3-year residency training program and an annual census of 150,000 patients.

Success of the gum elastic bougie as a rescue airway in the emergency department.

Background: The gum elastic bougie (GEB) is a rescue airway device commonly found in the emergency department (ED). However, data documenting its efficacy are lacking in the emergency medicine literature.

Study Objectives: To determine the success rate of endotracheal intubation using a GEB and the reliability of "palpable clicks" and "hold-up" in the ED setting.