Diagnostic Testing in Emergency Medicine

Section I: Overview. Diagnostic Testing in the Emergency Department: An Introduction. Cost Analysis. Modifying Physician Test-Ordering Behavior. The Pediatric Patient. The Pregnant Patient. The Elderly Patient. Section II: Clinical Syndromes. Ischemic Chest Pain. Dyspnea. Acute Abdominal Pain. Suspected Pregnancy. Headache. Altered Mental Status. Seizure. The Febrile Adult. Fever in Neonates. Diarrhea. Nausea and Vomiting. Deep Vein Thrombosis. Evaluation of the Sore Throat. Urinary Tract Infection. The Acute Scrotum. Urologic Trauma. Blunt Abdominal Trauma. Traumatic Aortic Disruption and Aortic Dissection. Trauma. Soft Tissue Infection. Superficial Foreign Bodies. Preoperative and Routine Preadmission Chest Radiography and Electrocardiography. Section III: Diagnostic Tests. Blood: Complete Blood Count. Arterial Blood Gas Analysis. Serum Electrolyte Determination. Blood Urea Nitrogen and Creatinine. Glucose Testing. Liver Function Tests. Serum Calcium. Serum Magnesium Determination. Muscle Enzymes and Myoglobin. Amylase and Lipase. Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate. Prothrombin Time, Partial Thromboplastin Time. Toxicology Laboratory Testing. Type, Screen, And Crossmatch. Uric Acid Levels. Other Fluids: Urinalysis--Dipstick and Microscopic Examination. Thoracentesis and Analysis of Pleural Effusions. Cerebrospinal Fluid. Synovial Fluid Analysis. Ascitic Fluid. Guaiac and Gastroccult. Microbiology: Blood Cultures. Vaginal Wet and KOH Preparations. Gonorrheal Culture. Chlamydia Culture and Immunoassay. Sputum Gram Stain. Radiology and Other Imaging: Chest Radiography. Rib Radiographs. Cervical Spine Radiography. Spine Radiography for Low Back Pain. Imaging After Head Trauma. Cranial Computed Tomography for Nontraumatic Conditions. Extremity Radiography. Imaging of the Sinuses. Abdominal Plain Films. Intravenous Pyelography. Ultrasonography. Ventilation/Perfusion Nuclear Lung Scan. Cholescintigraphy. Other: The 12-Lead Electrocardiogram in Acute Chest Pain. Pulse Oximetry.