Diagnostic Testing in Emergency Medicine

This unique handbook gives you all the guidance you need to select the right tests, at the right times in the ER! It's divided into 3 sections: Section I gives an overview of the decision-making strategies that affect test choice and interpretation, as well as a cost-benefit analysis, Section II deals with common emergency department presentations and complaints and discusses the appropriate use of diagnostic testing for each one, Section III, the most extensive section, addresses the individual tests themselves, summarizing what is known about their indications, their limitations, and their overall utility in the emergency department setting.Discusses over 50 diagnostic tests, including laboratory tests, imaging modalities, and more.Describes - for each diagnostic test - technical aspects, test characteristics, range of normal values in various populations, and the utility of the test in clinical situations specific to the ED.Features contributions from practising emergency physicians to ensure coverage reflects what's happening in the ED today.Provides information on the newest test and their potential for improving the diagnostic process in the ED.Reviews testing for paediatric patients, pregnant women, and the elderly.Offers a chapter on strategies to alter test-ordering habits.Includes current reference lists in each chapter to promote easy referencing.