Morbidly obese patients receive delayed ED care: body mass index greater than 40 kg/m2 have longer disposition times.

Objectives: Our study compares treatment times of morbidly obese patients (body mass index [BMI]>40 kg/m2) with patients having BMI less than 35 kg/m2.

Methods: We used an institutional review board-approved, retrospective, sequential, cohort, data analysis of emergency department (ED) medical records from our county teaching hospital (January 2010). Our data set of 102 morbidly obese patients (World Health Organization class 3 [BMI>40 kg/m2]) was compared with that of 195 normal or mildly obese patients (World Health Organization class 0 or 1 [BMI<35 kg/m2]).

Head multidetector computed tomography: emergency medicine physicians overestimate the pretest probability and legal risk of significant findings.

Objectives: This study focuses on clinically assigned prospective estimated pretest probability and pretest perception of legal risk as independent variables in the ordering of multidetector computed tomographic (MDCT) head scans. Our primary aim is to measure the association between pretest probability of a significant finding and pretest perception of legal risk. Secondarily, we measure the percentage of MDCT scans that physicians would not order if there was no legal risk.

Towards evidence based emergency medicine: Best BETs from the Manchester Royal Infirmary. BET 4: Is magnetic resonance imaging useful for suspected appendicitis in pregnant patients?

In the case of a pregnant patient with suspected appendicitis, MRI is a valuable tool.