Occipital Lobe Status Epilepticus, A Stroke Mimic with Novel Imaging Findings: A Case Report.

Introduction: Stroke mimics are a major diagnostic challenge during the initial evaluation of patients presenting with an acute focal neurological deficit. This case reviews a patient who presented to the emergency department (ED) with homonymous hemianopsia, a rare manifestation of focal status epilepticus of the occipital lobe. Her initial brain computed axial tomographic perfusion scan and magnetic resonance imaging revealed novel findings associated with this diagnosis.

Here one year, gone the next? Investigating persistence of frequent emergency department attendance: a retrospective study in Australia.

Objectives: Patients are presenting to emergency departments (EDs) with increasing complexity at rates beyond population growth and ageing. Intervention studies target patients with 12 months or less of frequent attendance. However, these interventions are not well targeted since most patients do not remain frequent attenders.

Comparison of COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY Image Quality Using Intravenous vs. Intraosseous Contrast Administration in Swine.

Background: Vascular access is essential in managing patients with significant injuries. It is required for medications, fluids, blood products, and radiographic contrast administration. Generally, this is accomplished through peripheral intravenous (i.

Multicenter clinical evaluation of the novel Alere™ i Influenza A&B isothermal nucleic acid amplification test.

Background: Rapid detection of influenza infection is important for patient management and timely anti-viral therapy. Rapid antigen detection tests for influenza have inferior sensitivity when compared to nucleic acid-based amplification tests. An isothermal nucleic acid amplification test that offers the potential for rapid molecular testing at the clinical point-of-care with simple equipment can improve influenza detection rates.

Classification accuracy of serum Apo A-I and S100B for the diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injury and prediction of abnormal initial head computed tomography scan.

The objective of the current study was to determine the classification accuracy of serum S100B and apolipoprotein (apoA-I) for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and abnormal initial head computed tomography (CT) scan, and to identify ethnic, racial, age, and sex variation in classification accuracy. We performed a prospective, multi-centered study of 787 patients with mTBI who presented to the emergency department within 6 h of injury and 467 controls who presented to the outpatient laboratory for routine blood work. Serum was analyzed for S100B and apoA-I.

Associated factors for recommending HBV vaccination to children among Georgian health care workers.

Background: Most cases of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and subsequent liver diseases can be prevented with universal newborn HBV vaccination. The attitudes of health care workers about HBV vaccination and their willingness to recommend vaccine have been shown to impact HBV vaccination coverage and the prevention of vertical transmission of HBV. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the factors associated with health care worker recommendations regarding newborn HBV vaccination.

Bias in medicine: a survey of medical student attitudes towards HIV-positive and marginalized patients in Russia, 2010.

Background: Russia has a substantial HIV epidemic which is poised to escalate in the coming years. The increases in prevalence of HIV will result in increased healthcare needs by a medical system with limited experience with HIV. A healthcare provider's attitude towards a patient plays a significant role in determining the patient's health-related behaviours and medical outcomes.

The nature of emergency department interruptions and their impact on patient satisfaction.

Objective: To explore the nature of interruptions that occur during clinical practice in the emergency department (ED). We determined the frequency, duration and type of interruptions that occurred. We then determined the impact on patient satisfaction of those interruptions occurring at the bedside.

Prevalence of and risk factors for hepatitis B and C infection among Mongolian blood donors.

Background: Mongolia has one of the highest rates of viral hepatitis infections worldwide yet risk factors have been largely unstudied. This sentinel study of hepatitis infection in Mongolia determined the prevalence of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV) among a sample of blood donors and identified demographic and behavioral factors associated with hepatitis infection.

Study Design And Methods: Data were collected by interview from 923 Ministry of Health Blood Center donors between August 2004 and February 2005.

Exhaled breath condensate appears to be an unsuitable specimen type for the detection of influenza viruses with nucleic acid-based methods.

Exhaled breath condensate is an airway-derived specimen type that has shown significant promise in the diagnosis of asthma, cancer, and other disorders. The presence of human genomic DNA in this sample type has been proven, but there have been no reports on its utility for the detection of respiratory pathogens. The suitability of exhaled breath condensate for the detection of influenza virus was investigated, as an indication of its potential as a specimen type for respiratory pathogen discovery work.

Patient satisfaction as a function of emergency department previsit expectations.

Study Objectives: This study measures the effect of meeting emergency department (ED) patients' expectations for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions on patient satisfaction.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of consecutive patients during block enrollment periods surveyed at the beginning and end of their ED visits. On arrival patients or their surrogates were surveyed about the specific interventions they expected during their visit.

Knowledge and anticipated behaviour of health-care workers in response to an outbreak of pandemic influenza in Georgia.

Background: Avian influenza has been documented in over 331 humans since 2003 with 203 associated deaths. Health Care Workers (HCWs) have been shown to be at personal risk during other highly virulent outbreaks with a high attack rate. This study aimed to determine the magnitude and factors associated with absenteeism of hospital based health care workers (HCWs) in Georgia associated with a potential highly virulent influenza pandemic.

Lemierre syndrome in a child with recent pharyngitis.

A 14-year-old boy presented with fever and progressive respiratory distress, one week after an episode of pharyngitis. Although there was a concern about pulmonary embolism secondary to a lower extremity fracture, his presentation was most consistent with Lemierre syndrome. This syndrome is an uncommon but potentially lethal complication of otolaryngological infections.

Exception from informed consent enrollment in emergency medical research: attitudes and awareness.

Objectives: To explore attitudes surrounding exception from informed consent enrollment into research studies. In addition, the authors sought to determine the level of awareness of such an ongoing study among potential subjects, as defined by their presence in an emergency department (ED).

Methods: A convenience sample of urban academic ED patients and visitors was surveyed during a visit regarding their attitudes and awareness of an emergency exception from informed consent, blood-substitute trial ongoing in the community.

Knowledge and anticipated behavior of health care workers in response to an outbreak of pandemic influenza in Georgia.

Background: Avian influenza has been documented in over 331 humans since 2003 with 203 associated deaths. Health Care Workers (HCWs) have been shown to be at personal risk during other highly virulent outbreaks with a high attack rate. This study aimed to determine the magnitude and factors associated with absenteeism of hospital based health care workers (HCWs) in Georgia associated with a potential highly virulent influenza pandemic.

Impact of outside regulatory investigation on opiate administration in the emergency department.

Unlabelled: This study was conducted to determine whether outside regulatory investigation related to opiate prescription diversion changes the prescribing frequency of opiates in an emergency department (ED). The presence of ED administration of opiates and prescriptions for opiates on discharge were compared across a baseline period 90 days before arrest of a physician for opiate diversion, a period immediately surrounding the arrest, and a follow-up period 90 days later. At no time was there investigation of excessive opiate prescribing for patients in the ED.

Keynote address: Toward a pragmatic model for community consultation in emergency research.

Under the Final Rule enacted in 1996 by the United States Food and Drug Administration and Office of Health and Human Services, community consultation and public notification are required when emergency research is to be conducted in the absence of prior informed consent by subjects. There is a dearth of published recommendations concerning the degree to which communities must be aware of the existence and parameters of a study for which informed consent might not be obtained prior to enrollment. It is argued that effective community consultation requires empirical measurement of the dynamics of community, and that ordinary notions of community may not capture the populations at greatest risk or those who might for other reasons figure most prominently in community consultation.