why this blog?

Likelihood Ratio (LR) in Emergency Medicine

5/28/2012

Is CRP correlated to CT result in the evaluation of abdominal pain?


A 74 yo/man complained of diffuse abdominal pain. The pain was intermittent and accompained by vomiting. He has no history of abdominal pain or abdominal surgery.
On examinations the patient presented non icteric, afebrile, not tachicardic. 
The abdomen was mildly distensed with midline tenderness. 
The US evidenced a normal aorta diameter. 
Abdominal x ray showed non specific bowel gas pattern. 
CRP value was 7 mg/L.


The radiologist says it is a little value to perform an abdominal CT, we see tomorrow…..

Read more...

5/01/2012

How LR works. Why any test is unnecessary for a patient with very low-risk chest pain ?

A 40 yo truck driver, presented in ED with substernal chest pain. He is healthy, no family history of CAD. Held for observation, serial ECG have not modified, not elevated troponin.






Is an Exercise Treadmill Testing useful (ETT)? Or a Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI) is better ?

Read more...