Advanced trauma life support, 8th edition, the evidence for change.

The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma's Advanced Trauma Life Support Course is currently taught in 50 countries. The 8th edition has been revised following broad input by the International ATLS subcommittee. Graded levels of evidence were used to evaluate and approve changes to the course content.

Acute nonspecific abdominal pain: A randomized, controlled trial comparing early laparoscopy versus clinical observation.

Aims: To evaluate, in a prospective, randomized, single-institution trial, the role of early laparoscopy in the management of nonspecific abdominal pain (NSAP) in young women.

Patients And Methods: Women aging from 13 to 45 years, admitted for NSAP at the emergency department, were included in the study. Exclusion criteria were pregnancy, previous appendectomy, contraindications to laparoscopy, diagnosis of malignancy, or chronic disease.