The American journal of emergency medicine
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The objective of the present study was to the determine the accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in assessing closed reduction (CR) of pediatric forearm fractures in a pediatric emergency setting. ⋯ Our study has reported the successful use of POCUS for the management of pediatric forearm fractures in a pediatric emergency department. Point-of-care ultrasound can minimize radiation exposure and appears to be an alternative and accurate tool for reduction attempts.
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Observational Study
Evaluating pediatric advanced life support in emergency medical services with a performance and safety scoring tool.
Pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (P-OHCA) are infrequent, have low survival rates, and often have poor neurologic outcomes. Recent evidence indicates that high-performance emergency medical service (EMS) care can improve outcomes. ⋯ EMS teams were successful in selecting the appropriate equipment but delayed initiating ventilations in a child with severe bradycardia. We also noted frequent use of continuous chest CC rather than the AHA recommended 15:2 ratio. We developed a scoring tool with time-based criteria that can be used to assess guideline compliance, individual performance, and/or educational effectiveness.
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Comparative Study
Text messages by wireless mesh network vs voice by two-way radio in disaster simulations: A crossover randomized-controlled trial.
Communication failures secondary to damaged infrastructure have caused difficulties in coordinating disaster responses. Two-way radios commonly serve as backup communication for hospitals. However, text messaging has become widely adopted in daily life and new technologies such as wireless mesh network (WMN) devices allow for text messaging independent of cellular towers, Wi-Fi networks, and electrical grids. ⋯ TEXT-WMN technology may be more effective and less burdensome than VOICE-TWR in facilitating accurate communication during disasters.
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Superior Vena Cava (SVC) syndrome is caused by SVC obstruction by external compression or intraluminal thrombus. Patients with the condition can present with upper body swelling, shortness of breath and shock. This case report highlights the use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to evaluate a patient with SVC syndrome in the emergency department. ⋯ Further investigation confirmed the diagnosis of lymphoma. The SVC can be visualized with transthoracic echocardiography using either the suprasternal, right supraclavicular or right parasternal approach. In this case, the presence of consolidation of the right lung mass provided an acoustic window for the visualization of the SVC using the right parasternal view, thereby allowing for more rapid diagnosis and management.
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Comparative Study
Clinical performance of early warning scoring systems for identifying sepsis among anti-hypertensive agent users.
Little is known about the accuracy of the quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) and the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) in identifying sepsis patients with a history of hypertension on anti-hypertensive agents, which affect vital signs as components of the scoring systems. We aimed to examine the ability of qSOFA and NEWS to predict sepsis among anti-hypertensive agent users by comparing them with non-users. ⋯ The clinical performance of qSOFA and NEWS for identifying sepsis among anti-hypertensive agent users was likely lower than that among non-users.