Performing procedures on the newly deceased for teaching purposes: what if we were to ask?

Background: Performance of procedures on the recently dead for physician training is controversial. It has been suggested that permission be obtained. We investigated whether patients and family members would grant such permission or if even this request might anger the recently bereaved.

Do patients with a negative Emergency Department evaluation for syncope require hospital admission?

Is hospitalization needed for patients in whom an underlying cause of syncope is not detected in the Emergency Department (ED)? To answer this question, we conducted a prospective, short-term outcomes study of consecutive patients > or = 50 years old presenting to our ED after a syncopal episode. All subjects received a structured ED evaluation. Forty-five patients met inclusion criteria, 67% were hospitalized.