Evidence-Based Emergency Care: Diagnostic Testing and Clinical Decision Rules

This useful handbook provides a concise compilation of the evidence supporting diagnostic testing and clinical decision rules in emergency care. Clinical decision rules are now widely recognised as best practice for the ordering of diagnostic tests in the emergency department. Aimed at all physicians working with emergency and acute patients, the book begins with an overview of how to evaluate a diagnostic test using an evidence-based approach, followed by an explanation of the clinical decision rules and the methods of assessing the strength and applicability of the clinical prediction rule. These introductory chapters are followed by sections covering the following clinical areas: * Traumatic Injuries * Cardiology * Infectious Disease * Surgical and Abdominal Complaints * Urology * Neurology * Ophthalmology, Hematology, Rheumatology * Pulmonology. For each test and clinical decision rule, the most current and best available studies in the literature are discussed and applied to emergency department and acute care patients in addressing the question at hand, followed by an overall recommendation on how to use the test or rule in the clinical context. Evidence-Based Emergency Care is an accessible and extremely useful reference for physicians at all levels to use in applying an evidence-based approach to ordering and interpreting tests in an acute care environment. Content: Chapter 1 Diagnostic Testing in Emergency Care (pages 1–9): Chapter 2 Evidence?Based Medicine: the Process (pages 10–15): Chapter 3 The Epidemiology and Statistics of Diagnostic Testing (pages 16–31): Chapter 4 Clinical Decision Rules (pages 32–38): Chapter 5 Cervical Spine Fractures (pages 39–52): Chapter 6 Cervical Spine Fractures in Older Adults (pages 53–58): Chapter 7 Cervical Spine Fractures in Children (pages 59–61): Chapter 8 Blunt Abdominal Trauma (pages 62–66): Chapter 9 Acute Knee Injuries (pages 67–71): Chapter 10 Blunt Head Injury (pages 72–82): Chapter 11 Blunt Head Trauma in Children (pages 83–90): Chapter 12 Acute Ankle and Foot Injuries (pages 91–95): Chapter 13 Occult Scaphoid Fractures (pages 96–100): Chapter 14 Blunt Chest Trauma (pages 101–107): Chapter 15 Occult Hip Fracture (pages 108–112): Chapter 16 Heart Failure (pages 113–121): Chapter 17 Syncope (pages 122–126): Chapter 18 Acute Coronary Syndrome (pages 127–139): Chapter 19 Serious Bacterial Infections and Occult Bacteremia in Children (pages 141–148): Chapter 20 Bacterial Meningitis in Children (pages 149–151): Chapter 21 Necrotizing Fasciitis (pages 152–155): Chapter 22 Pharyngitis (pages 156–159): Chapter 23 Infective Endocarditis (pages 160–166): Chapter 24 Urinary Tract Infection (pages 167–170): Chapter 25 Sinusitis (pages 171–175): Chapter 26 Pneumonia (pages 176–180): Chapter 27 Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis (pages 181–185): Chapter 28 Acute Nonspecific, Nontraumatic Abdominal Pain (pages 187–193): Chapter 29 Bowel Obstruction (pages 194–197): Chapter 30 Acute Pancreatitis (pages 198–200): Chapter 31 Acute Appendicitis (pages 201–207): Chapter 32 Acute Cholecystitis (pages 208–211): Chapter 33 Kidney Stones (pages 213–219): Chapter 34 Testicular Torsion (pages 220–225): Chapter 35 Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (pages 227–233): Chapter 36 Acute Stroke (pages 234–239): Chapter 37 Pulmonary Embolism and Deep Vein Thrombosis (pages 241–253): Chapter 38 Temporal Arteritis (pages 254–258): Chapter 39 Intraocular Pressure (pages 259–265): Chapter 40 Asthma (pages 266–275):