The American journal of emergency medicine
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This was a pilot retrospective case-series study performed to investigate whether synthesized 18-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) could improve the accuracy of infarction site diagnosis in patients presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). ⋯ The diagnosis of STEMI by synthesized 18-lead ECG is useful to identify the site of infarction in patients with infarction of the right ventricular wall (supplied by the RCA) or posterior wall of the left ventricle (supplied by the LCX), which often fail to be diagnosed by the standard 12-lead ECG.
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Observational Study
Does the number of emergency medical technicians affect the neurological outcome of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest?
It is unclear whether the number of paramedics in an ambulance improves the outcome of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) or not. ⋯ The number of paramedics in an ambulance did not affect the outcome in OHCA patients.
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In the early phases of resuscitation in a critically ill patient, especially those in cardiac arrest, intravenous (IV) access can be difficult to obtain. Intraosseous (IO) access is often used in these critical situations to allow medication administration. When no IV access is available, it is difficult to obtain blood for point of care analysis, yet this information can be crucial in directing the resuscitation. We hypothesized that IO samples may be used with a point of care device to obtain useful information when seconds really do matter. ⋯ IO samples can be used with a bedside point of care analyzer to rapidly obtain certain laboratory information during resuscitations when IV access is difficult.
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We aimed to determine the incidence of esophageal strictures in corrosive ingestions and potential predictors of severe injury. ⋯ All inpatient deaths and severe complications were apparent within hours of ingestion, and occurred with highly corrosive substances. One delayed stricture occurred, not predicted by inpatient endoscopy.
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The purpose of this study is to determine the economic value of the Utah Poison Control Center (UPCC) by examining its contribution to the reduction of unnecessary emergency department (ED) visits and associated charges across multiple years. ⋯ Compared to the cost of operation, the service UPCC provides demonstrates economic value by reducing ED visits and associated charges. As the majority of patients have private insurance, the largest benefit falls to private payers.