The American journal of emergency medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
One-hand chest compression and hands-off time in single-lay rescuer CPR-a manikin study.
To evaluate the effect of one-hand chest compression while continuously maintaining an open airway (OCOA) on rescue breath-associated hands-off time (RAHO) during single-lay rescuer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). ⋯ In our study, OCOA resulted in shorter RAHO and less stomach inflation. Our results indicate that the airway should be maintained open during chest compressions, regardless of the technique. Larger studies are needed for the full clarification of OCOA.
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Numerous pathologies diagnosed in the emergency department (ED) are treated with invasive procedures involving anesthetic and surgical risks. Retropharyngeal abscess is a serious condition requiring emergent treatment, often in need of trans-oral incision and drainage under general anesthesia. A misdiagnosis, especially after surgical treatment, might generate undesirable consequences, more so if the final diagnosis is a non-surgical pathology such as longus colli (LC) tendonitis. ⋯ Longus colli tendonitis is a rare condition that mimics emergent surgical conditions. Emergency physicians are qualified to make a clinical and radiological diagnosis. While CT scan can provide a diagnosis, the primary evaluation tool is an adequate medical interview and physical exam.
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Intravenous lipid rescue therapy (LRT) may be implemented to attenuate drug toxicity. Little is known about LRT interference with laboratory tests in overdose settings. A 54-year-old man with a history of depression consumed unknown amounts of diphenhydramine, amitriptyline, and acetaminophen (APAP). ⋯ This conclusion is limited by the lack of repeat measurement of liver enzymes or measurement of serum lipid levels. Lipid rescue therapy may cause lipemia that interferes with the assay for liver enzymes. Suspected abnormal laboratory values should be repeated, or other techniques can be used to remove lipemic interference.
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Patients with pelvic fracture usually require transfers to trauma centers for additional advanced treatment. Patient safety during the transfer should always be a priority. The noninvasive pelvic circumferential compression device (PCCD) can reportedly provide a tamponade effect, which reduces hemorrhage. In the present study, we evaluated the feasibility and efficiency of PCCD in patients with pelvic fracture who required transfer to trauma centers. ⋯ Pelvic circumferential compression devices benefit patients with pelvic fracture who need to be transferred to trauma centers. Pretransfer PCCDs appeared to be a feasible and safe procedure during the transfer. In discussions between the referring physicians and the receiving physicians, we recommend using pretransfer PCCDs.
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Ambulance response time is a major factor associated with survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs); the fast emergency vehicle pre-emption system (FAST™) aids response time by controlling traffic signals. This eight-year observational study investigated whether FAST™ implementation reduced response times and improved OHCA outcomes. ⋯ The FAST™ implementation significantly reduced ambulance response times and improved OHCA outcomes in Kanazawa city.