Inflammatory Biomarkers and Clinical Judgment in the Emergency Diagnosis of Urgent Abdominal Pain.

Background: The early diagnosis of urgent abdominal pain (UAP) is challenging. Most causes of UAP are associated with extensive inflammation. Therefore, we hypothesized that quantifying inflammation using interleukin-6 and/or procalcitonin would provide incremental value in the emergency diagnosis of UAP.

At risk of undertriage? Testing the performance and accuracy of the emergency severity index in older emergency department patients.

Study Objective: We test predictive validity, interrater reliability, and diagnostic accuracy of the Emergency Severity Index in older emergency department (ED) patients and identify reasons for inadequate triage.

Methods: We analyzed data of patients aged 65 years or older who were included in a prospective, single-center cohort study. Predictive validity was assessed by investigating associations of resources, disposition, length of stay, and mortality with Emergency Severity Index levels.

Predictive factors for morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing laparoscopic paraesophageal hernia repair: age, ASA score and operation type influence morbidity.

Background: Patients undergoing laparoscopic paraesophageal hernia (PEH) repair risk substantial morbidity. The aim of the present study was to analyze predictive factors for postoperative morbidity and mortality.

Methods: A total of 354 laparoscopic PEH repairs were analyzed from the database of the Swiss Association for Laparoscopic and Thoracoscopic Surgery (SALTS).