Ornella Spagnolello, Silvia Fabris, Shekiba Esmati, Arezo Dost, Muhebullah Ahmadzai, Ahmad Khan Aryan, Sofia Gatti, Manuela Cormio, Gina Portella, Martina Baiardo Redaelli
{"title":"Traumatic brain injuries in civilian war victims in Afghanistan.","authors":"Ornella Spagnolello, Silvia Fabris, Shekiba Esmati, Arezo Dost, Muhebullah Ahmadzai, Ahmad Khan Aryan, Sofia Gatti, Manuela Cormio, Gina Portella, Martina Baiardo Redaelli","doi":"10.1136/emermed-2024-214127","DOIUrl":"10.1136/emermed-2024-214127","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a common cause of morbidity and mortality in war zones. Currently, the vast majority of reports on war-related TBIs concern soldiers, and little is known about this condition in civilians.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This is a retrospective observational study from the EMERGENCY NGO hospital for civilian war victims in Kabul, Afghanistan. Data were gathered for all adults and children with war-related TBIs admitted between June and November 2021. The study aims to describe the epidemiology and clinical patterns of patients with war-related TBIs in a non-military context.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of a total of 1469 hospital admissions during the study period, 130 (8.8%) were war-related TBIs. Among these, 90 (69.2%) involved a penetrating brain injury. More than one-third of the study population were children aged 14 or younger (36.1%), and the most frequent cause of war-related TBIs was shells (58.1%). The median time from injury to admission was 3 hours (from 30 min to 3 days), with only 19% of patients presenting in the 'golden hour'. Neurosurgery was performed on 38 patients (29.2%), and 55 patients (42.3%) underwent mechanical ventilation. In-hospital mortality occurred in 35 patients (26.9%), including 15 do-not-resuscitate cases.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>War-related TBIs were frequent among adults and children and had a high mortality rate. With more than one-third of patients undergoing mechanical ventilation, our data highlight that the availability of intensive care units with the ability to ventilate patients is of the utmost importance to save lives of civilians in areas of armed conflict.</p>","PeriodicalId":11532,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"231-236"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143457266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Best possible care in the circumstances.","authors":"Simon Horne","doi":"10.1136/emermed-2025-214860","DOIUrl":"10.1136/emermed-2025-214860","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11532,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"273-274"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143482415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laura Gabbott, Holly Shaw, Thomas Munro, Ellie Burke, Chloe Yeabin Jung, Ottalie Hoskyns, Oriana Munden, Michael Malley
{"title":"The journey to the front door; what pathways do paediatric patients take prior to attending the emergency department?","authors":"Laura Gabbott, Holly Shaw, Thomas Munro, Ellie Burke, Chloe Yeabin Jung, Ottalie Hoskyns, Oriana Munden, Michael Malley","doi":"10.1136/emermed-2024-214220","DOIUrl":"10.1136/emermed-2024-214220","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11532,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"241-242"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142921027","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Decision rules in the diagnostic work-up of aortic dissection.","authors":"Tom Jaconelli, Steven Crane","doi":"10.1136/emermed-2024-214567","DOIUrl":"10.1136/emermed-2024-214567","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A short cut review of the literature was carried out to examine whether a decision rule in conjunction with a D-dimer can be used to rule out aortic dissection. 117 unique papers were found of which three systematic reviews included data on patients relevant to the clinical question; these are discussed in the paper. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of the best papers are tabulated. The clinical bottom line is that in low-risk patients (aortic dissection detection risk score 0 or 1) who present to the Emergency Department with chest pain, a negative D-dimer level makes aortic dissection unlikely. However, further prospective validation studies are needed to optimally define the patient group that warrants investigation, the threshold for investigation and the clinical effectiveness of such a diagnostic strategy before it can be widely adopted.</p>","PeriodicalId":11532,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"279-280"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143002199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Conservative management of traumatic haemothoraces: a UK single-centre trauma unit retrospective audit.","authors":"Tom Roberts, Kirk Ramharack, Avinash Aujayeb","doi":"10.1136/emermed-2024-214305","DOIUrl":"10.1136/emermed-2024-214305","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11532,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"229-230"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142695391","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elizabeth Anderson, Wendy J Chaplin, Chloe Turner, Graham D Johnson, Holly Blake, Andrew Tabner
{"title":"Experiences and perceptions of acute testicular pain, with a focus on reasons for delayed presentation to hospital: a qualitative evidence synthesis.","authors":"Elizabeth Anderson, Wendy J Chaplin, Chloe Turner, Graham D Johnson, Holly Blake, Andrew Tabner","doi":"10.1136/emermed-2024-214125","DOIUrl":"10.1136/emermed-2024-214125","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The annual incidence of testicular torsion is approximately 1 in 4000 males under the age of 25. Despite the 97% testicular salvage rate when surgical intervention is within 6 hours of onset, orchidectomy is required in 40% of cases. These comparatively poor outcomes are driven by delays to intervention, the majority of which take place prior to presentation to healthcare. This study synthesises existing evidence to understand factors leading to delayed presentation to hospital in individuals with acute scrotal pain.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive literature search was performed with support from an information scientist. Two authors performed article screening, data extraction and inductive thematic synthesis independently, with disagreements resolved by discussion at each stage. An assessment of confidence in the review findings was performed using the ConQual approach.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The search identified 1251 unique articles for screening, with five eligible for inclusion; all included publications were drawn from two PhD projects. Synthesis of these articles revealed five descriptive themes with five subthemes. A lack of knowledge and education about testicular health, embarrassment and reliance on others for access to healthcare are major factors leading to delays in presentation. Societal and cultural impacts on health-seeking behaviour and denial were also causes of delayed presentation to healthcare.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>A lack of knowledge about testicular anatomy and health among both adults and children is amenable to improvement through education, and would likely impact many of the factors identified as contributory to delays. Communication was an overarching factor connecting the descriptive themes.</p><p><strong>Prospero registration number: </strong>CRD42023469435.</p>","PeriodicalId":11532,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"264-270"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142616980","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sriram Ramgopal, Remle P Crowe, Christopher M Horvat, Michelle L Macy, Rebecca E Cash, Robert J Sepanski, Christian Martin-Gill
{"title":"Prehospital vital sign abnormalities and in-hospital outcomes in children.","authors":"Sriram Ramgopal, Remle P Crowe, Christopher M Horvat, Michelle L Macy, Rebecca E Cash, Robert J Sepanski, Christian Martin-Gill","doi":"10.1136/emermed-2024-214402","DOIUrl":"10.1136/emermed-2024-214402","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11532,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"239-240"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143028133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Man with intermittent low back pain.","authors":"Tai-Yuan Chen, Wan-Ching Lien","doi":"10.1136/emermed-2024-214532","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/emermed-2024-214532","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11532,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Journal","volume":"42 4","pages":"283-286"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143708217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Identifying the walk-in wounded: paediatric major trauma patients self-presenting to a paediatric major trauma centre.","authors":"Robert Hirst, Ashwini Sridhar, Anne Frampton","doi":"10.1136/emermed-2024-214718","DOIUrl":"10.1136/emermed-2024-214718","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11532,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"237-238"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143364082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}