The American journal of emergency medicine
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Trauma patients sustaining blunt injuries are exposed to multiple radiologic studies. Evidence indicates that the risk of cancer from exposure to ionizing radiation rises in direct proportion to the cumulative effective dose (CED) received. The purpose of this study is to quantify the amount of ionizing radiation accumulated when arriving directly from point of injury to San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC), a level I trauma center, compared with those transferred from other facilities. ⋯ III.
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Monitoring the partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide (PEtco2) has been advocated since 2010 as an index of resuscitation efforts. However, related research has largely focused on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims. In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) differs in terms of etiologies and demographics, the merit of initial PEtco2 values was explored. ⋯ In IHCA, the therapeutic threshold for initial PEtco2 should set fairly higher to encourage more pulmonary flow and increase the likelihood of sustained ROSC.
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Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a potentially fatal vascular emergency, and several computed tomographic (CT) findings have been introduced to determine the presence of intestinal ischemia or necrosis, although the most useful finding is unknown. ⋯ The baseline disease rather than CT findings is the most important determinant of the primary end point. In patients with AMI, SMAT should undergo exploratory surgery and subsequent surgical treatment without delay.