Emergency medicine in the United States: a systemic review.

BACKGROUND Fifty years of our history in developing and advancing emergency medicine into an independent medical specialty will surely provide emergency medicine colleagues from all over the world with valuable suggestions and guidance. DATA SOURCES This systemic review is based on the author's extensive experience through active involvement in the national and international development of emergency medicine. RESULTS Emergency physicians in the U.S. emergency departments and sometimes other settings provide urgent and emergency care to patients of all ages, including definitive diagnosis of emergent conditions, prolonged stabilization of patients when necessary, airway management, and life-saving procedures using rapid sequence intubation and sedation. They use a multitude of diagnostic technologies including laboratory studies, bedside ultrasound and other sophisticated radiology, such as CT scan, and MRI. CONCLUSION In the U.S., emergency medicine fits extremely well into the overall medical system, and is clearly the most efficient way to provide emergency patient care.