Clinical efficacy of dexamethasone for acute exudative pharyngitis.

The objective of this study was to investigate whether treatment with single-dose dexamethasone can provide relief of symptoms in acute exudative pharyngitis. A prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial was undertaken over a 3-month period in a university-based Emergency Department. The study included all consecutive patients between 18 and 65 years of age presenting with acute exudative pharyngitis, sore throat, odynophagia, or a combination, and with more than two Centor criteria.

Paramedics and triage: effect of one training session on triage in the emergency department.

This 3-stage intervention study enrolled all adult patients referred to a university-based emergency department (ED) during randomly assigned 1-week preeducation or posteducation periods. Triage decisions recorded by ED paramedics (n = 8) both before and after an educational training session were compared to decisions made by emergency physicians (EPs). Triage decisions of paramedics and EPs in the preeducation phase showed poor consistency (K = 0.