Annals of emergency medicine
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Multicenter Study
Coronavirus Disease 2019 Infections Among Emergency Health Care Personnel: Impact on Delivery of United States Emergency Medical Care, 2020.
In the early months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and before vaccine availability, there were concerns that infected emergency department (ED) health care personnel could present a threat to the delivery of emergency medical care. We examined how the pandemic affected staffing levels and whether COVID-19 positive staff were potentially infectious at work in a cohort of US ED health care personnel in 2020. ⋯ During the first wave of the pandemic, COVID-19 infections in ED health care personnel were infrequent, and the time lost from the workforce was minimal. Health care personnel frequently reported for work while infected with SARS-CoV-2 before laboratory confirmation. The ED staffing levels were poorly correlated with facility and community COVID-19 burden.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Diagnostic Accuracy of Point-of-Care Ultrasound Versus Radiographic Imaging for Pediatric Distal Forearm Fractures: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
In patients aged 5 to 15 years with a clinically nondeformed distal forearm injury presenting to the emergency department (ED), we examined whether point-of-care ultrasound or radiographic imaging had better diagnostic accuracy, with the reference diagnosis determined by an expert panel review. ⋯ In children and adolescents presenting to the ED with a clinically nondeformed distal forearm injury, clinician-performed (acquired and interpreted) point-of-care ultrasound more accurately identified the correct diagnosis than clinician-interpreted radiographic imaging.
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Editorial Comment Multicenter Study
Tenecteplase Versus Alteplase for Acute Stroke: Mortality and Bleeding Complications.
Intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase has been the foundation of initial treatment of acute ischemic stroke for several decades. Tenecteplase is a thrombolytic agent that offers logistical advantages in cost and administration relative to alteplase. There is evidence that tenecteplase has at least similar efficacy and safety outcomes compared with alteplase for stroke. In this study, we compared tenecteplase versus alteplase for acute stroke in a large retrospective US database (TriNetX) regarding the following 3 outcomes: (1) mortality, (2) intracranial hemorrhage, and (3) the need for acute blood transfusions. ⋯ In our large retrospective multicenter study using real-world evidence from large health care organizations, tenecteplase for the treatment of acute stroke demonstrated a lower mortality rate, decreased intracranial hemorrhage, and less significant blood loss. The favorable mortality and safety profiles observed in this large study, taken together with previous randomized controlled trial data and operational advantages in rapid dosing and cost-effectiveness, all support the preferential use of tenecteplase in patients with ischemic stroke.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Laryngoscopy and Tracheal Intubation: Does Use of a Video Laryngoscope Facilitate Both Steps of the Procedure?
To compare the effect of the use of a video laryngoscope versus a direct laryngoscope on each step of emergency intubation: laryngoscopy (step 1) and intubation of the trachea (step 2). ⋯ Among critically ill adults undergoing tracheal intubation, the use of a video laryngoscope was associated both with a better view of the vocal cords and with a higher probability of successfully intubating the trachea when the view of the vocal cords was incomplete in this observational analysis. However, a multicenter, randomized trial directly comparing the effect of a video laryngoscope with a direct laryngoscope on the grade of view, success, and complications is needed.
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Multicenter Study
Defining Successful Intubation on the First Attempt Using Both Laryngoscope and Endotracheal Tube Insertions: A Secondary Analysis of Clinical Trial Data.
Successful intubation on the first attempt has historically been defined as successful placement of an endotracheal tube (ETT) using a single laryngoscope insertion. More recent studies have defined successful placement of an ETT using a single laryngoscope insertion followed by a single ETT insertion. We sought to estimate the prevalence of first-attempt success using these 2 definitions and estimate their associations with the duration of intubation and serious complications. ⋯ Defining successful intubation on the first attempt as placement of an ETT in the trachea using 1 laryngoscope and 1 ETT insertion identifies attempts with the shortest apneic time.