Utility of routine testing for patients with asymptomatic severe blood pressure elevation in the emergency department.

Study Objective: Recommendations for the treatment of emergency department (ED) patients with asymptomatic severely elevated blood pressure advise assessment for occult, acute hypertensive target-organ damage. This study determines the prevalence of unanticipated, clinically meaningful test abnormalities in ED patients with asymptomatic severely elevated blood pressure.

Methods: This was a prospective observational study at 3 urban academic EDs.

Emergency medicine research directors and research programs: characteristics and factors associated with productivity.

Background: Periodic surveys of research directors (RDs) in emergency medicine (EM) are useful to assess the specialty's development and evolution of the RD role.

Objectives: To assess associations between characteristics and research productivity of RDs and EM programs.

Methods: A survey of EM RDs was developed using the nominal group technique and pilot tested.

Evaluation and treatment of patients with severely elevated blood pressure in academic emergency departments: a multicenter study.

Study Objective: Current guidelines advise that emergency department (ED) patients with severely elevated blood pressure be evaluated for acute target organ damage, have their medical regimen adjusted, and be instructed to follow up promptly for reassessment. We examine factors associated with performance of recommended treatment of patients with severely elevated blood pressure.

Methods: Observational study performed during 1 week at 4 urban, academic EDs.

Decreased mortality by normalizing blood glucose after acute ischemic stroke.

Objectives: Hyperglycemia after cerebral ischemia exacerbates brain injury and worsens the outcome of stroke patients. The authors sought to examine the effect of glycemic control on mortality after acute stroke.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients discharged with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke during a 40-month period from a large urban U.

Interest in services among prostate cancer patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy.

Treatment side effects and decreased quality of life associated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) suggest the need for supportive services for prostate cancer (PC) patients receiving ADT. Nonetheless, uptake of services is low, suggesting that PC patients' preferences are not being addressed. We examined interest in supportive services and predictors of interest among 118 PC patients receiving ADT.