The American journal of emergency medicine
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Pulmonary embolism (PE) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) are potentially fatal disease states. Early diagnosis and goal-directed management improve outcomes and survival. Both conditions share several echocardiographic findings of right ventricular dysfunction. This can inadvertently lead to incorrect diagnosis, inappropriate and potentially harmful management, and delay in time-sensitive therapies. Fortunately, bedside echocardiography imparts a few critical distinctions. ⋯ Emergency physicians must appreciate the echocardiographic findings and associated pathophysiology that help distinguish acute and chronic right ventricular dysfunction. In the proper clinical context, these findings can point towards PE or PH, thereby leading to earlier goal-directed management.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Extraglottic device use is rare during emergency airway management: A National Emergency Airway Registry (NEAR) study.
Airway management is a critical component of the management of emergency department (ED) patients. The ED airway literature primarily focuses upon endotracheal intubation; relatively less is known about the ED use of extraglottic devices (EGDs). The goal of this study was to describe the frequency of use, success, and complications for EGDs among ED patients. ⋯ EGD use was rare in this multi-center ED registry. EGD occurred predominantly in patients with difficult airway characteristics with favorable airway management outcomes. Clinicians should consider this emergency airway device for patients with a suspected difficult airway.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Surgical mask-to-mouth ventilation as an alternative ventilation technique during CPR: A crossover randomized controlled trial.
Chest compression with rescue breathing improves outcomes in cardiac arrest. However, the efficacy of rescue breathing through surgical masks has not been investigated. ⋯ MMV resulted in a superior average tidal volume when compared to both MSV and SSV. However, SMV achieved a comparable average tidal volume to MMV.
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In October 2021, French acute care societies jointly published cognitive aids to standardise practices and limit cognitive biases to ensure greater safety in management of severe trauma patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of a checklist on emergency physicians' adherence to the recommendations. ⋯ This work shows a significant reduction in the number of omissions on the actions carried out during the management of a trauma patient in prehospital settings, allowing better adherence to the recommendations. Its benefit is increased in severely traumatised patients.
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Multicenter Study
The association of standard base excess upon emergency admission with outcomes in patients with heat stroke.
Standard base excess (SBE) is a quick and effective tool to identify acid-base disorders in critically ill patients, independent of respiratory factors. The predictive value of SBE for adverse outcomes in patients with heat stroke (HS) is still unclear. This study aimed to explore the prognostic significance of SBE for in-hospital mortality and other adverse outcomes in patients with HS. ⋯ SBE upon emergency admission was significantly associated with adverse outcomes in patients with HS.