Validation of the Simplified Motor Score in the out-of-hospital setting for the prediction of outcomes after traumatic brain injury.

Study Objective: The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score is widely used to assess patients with head injury but has been criticized for its complexity and poor interrater reliability. A 3-point Simplified Motor Score (SMS) (defined as obeys commands=2, localizes pain=1, and withdraws to pain or worse=0) was created to address these limitations. Our goal is to validate the SMS in the out-of-hospital setting, with the hypothesis that it is equivalent to the GCS score for discriminating brain injury outcomes.

Echelon I interventions and triage are effective and concordant with echelon II care in combat operations.

We describe identified injuries, effectiveness of treatment, and triage categories for combat casualties at echelon 1 from April 1 to June 30, 2005 from western Iraq. A total of 133 casualties were evaluated including 12 who were killed in action and 7 who died of wounds. A medic or corpsman treated 75% of the remaining patients, 9% were treated by bystanders, 2% were seen by a physician or physician assistant, and 15% administered self-aid.

Trauma scissors vs. the rescue hook, exposing a simulated patient: a pilot study.

The objective of this study was to compare the exposure times using trauma scissors vs. the rescue hook on a simulated patient. This was a prospectively randomized, parallel group comparison study with two arms.

ED treatment of migraine headache: factors influencing pharmacotherapeutic choices.

Study Objective: To evaluate the factors that influence clinicians' choices of parenteral medications in the emergency department (ED) management of migraine headache.

Background: Migraine headache is a common problem in the United States. Many migraineurs require periodic ED management.

Human influenza A (H5N1): a brief review and recommendations for travelers.

Although avian influenza A (H5N1) is common in birds worldwide, it has only recently led to disease in humans. Humans who are infected with the disease (referred to as human influenza A [H5N1]) have a greater than 50% mortality rate. Currently there has not been documented sustained human-to-human transmission; however, should the virus mutate and make this possible, the world could experience an influenza pandemic.

Hemotympanums secondary to spontaneous epistaxis in a 7-year-old.

Hemotympanum is a well-known physical finding most often associated with basilar skull fractures and therapeutic nasal packing. A literature review demonstrated only five cases of hemotympanum associated with spontaneous epistaxis in adults. To our knowledge, there have been no reported cases in children.

Variations among emergency departments in the treatment of benign headache.

Study Objective: The practice patterns of US emergency departments in the treatment of patients with isolated benign headache have been recently described. How treatment varies among EDs has not been reported. To assess institutional variability in the pharmacotherapy of patients with benign headache, we describe and analyze the practice patterns of 3 US EDs.