Publications by authors named "F A Van Balen"

Article Synopsis
  • Head injuries are the most common trauma cases in Emergency Departments, prompting a study in France to analyze the demographics and severity of these cases among adults visiting EDs.
  • The study, involving 1,070 patients over three days, found that ground-level falls were the most frequent cause of head injuries, and most patients had either simple head trauma or mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).
  • Results indicated that the median age of patients was 68.5 years, with a significant portion arriving at the ED within 2 hours of injury; however, the use of anticoagulants did not increase the risk of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage.
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Background: This narrative review was written by an expert panel to the members of the jury to help in the development of clinical practice guidelines on oxygen therapy.

Results: According to the expert panel, acute hypoxemic respiratory failure was defined as PaO < 60 mm Hg or SpO < 90% on room air, or PaO/FiO ≤ 300 mm Hg. Supplemental oxygen should be administered according to the monitoring of SpO, with the aim at maintaining SpO above 92% and below 98%.

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Background: Mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are highly prevalent in older adults, and ground-level falls are the most frequent mechanism of injury.

Objective: This study aimed to assess whether frailty was associated with head impact location among older patients who sustained a ground-level fall-related, mild TBI. The secondary objective was to measure the association between frailty and intracranial hemorrhages.

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Background: Shortness of breath is a common complaint among individuals contacting emergency communication center (EMCCs). In some prehospital system, emergency medical services include an advanced life support (ALS)-capable team. Whether such team should be dispatched during the phone call or delayed until the BLS-capable paramedic team reports from the scene is unclear.

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