The utility of bedside ultrasound in the detection of a ruptured globe in a porcine model.

Background: Recent case reports have shown that ultrasonography can be used to diagnose ocular pathology in an emergency setting. Ultrasound may be especially useful when periorbital edema and pain interfere with the examination of the post-traumatic eye.

Objective: This study evaluated the ability of emergency physicians to detect a ruptured globe in an ex-vivo porcine model.

Point-of-care testing for drugs of abuse in an urban emergency department.

Point-of-care testing (POCT) has been used for illicit substance screening in several settings, primarily in law enforcement and drug treatment centers. In this study, we evaluate the use of this screening approach in the emergency department (ED) of a tertiary-care, urban medical center. Aliquots of urine specimens were tested simultaneously by a POCT device (OnTrak) and by a laboratory-based screening system (Triage).