Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Long-term Retention of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Skills After Shortened Chest Compression-only Training and Conventional Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
It is unclear how much the length of a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training program can be reduced without ruining its effectiveness. The authors aimed to compare CPR skills 6 months and 1 year after training between shortened chest compression-only CPR training and conventional CPR training. ⋯ UMIN-CTR UMIN000001675.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of Outcomes for Children With Cervical Spine Injury Based on Destination Hospital From Scene of Injury.
Pediatric cervical spine injury is rare. As a result, evidence-based guidance for prehospital triage of children with suspected cervical spine injuries is limited. The effects of transport time and secondary transfer for specialty care have not previously been examined in the subset of children with cervical spine injuries. ⋯ Initial destination from scene (pediatric trauma center vs. local hospital) appears to be associated with neurologic outcome of children with cervical spine injuries. Markers of injury severity (altered mental status and focal neurologic findings) are important predictors of poor outcome in children with cervical spine injuries and should remain the primary guide for prehospital triage to designated trauma centers.
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Emergency department (ED) care for acute vascular diseases faces the challenge of overcrowding. A vascular unit is a specialized, protocol-oriented unit in the ED with a team trained to manage acute vascular disorders, including stroke, coronary syndromes, pulmonary embolism (PE), and aortic diseases. ⋯ The vascular unit strategy has the potential to reduce overall mortality for most acute vascular conditions.
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Central venous catheter (CVC) placement is a common procedure in critical care management. The authors set out to determine echocardiographic features during a saline flush of any type of CVC. The hypothesis was that the presence of a rapid saline swirl in the right atrium on bedside echocardiography would confirm correct placement of the CVC tip, similar to the accuracy of the postplacement chest radiograph (CXR). ⋯ The rapid appearance of prominent turbulence in the right atrium on echocardiography after CVC saline flush serves as a precise bedside screening test of optimal CVC tip position.
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Organ donation after cardiac death (DCD) is increasingly considered as an option to address the shortage of organs available for transplantation, both in the United States and worldwide. The procedures for DCD differ from procedures for donation after brain death and are likely less familiar to emergency physicians (EPs), even as this process is increasingly involving emergency departments (EDs). This article explores the ED operational and ethical issues surrounding this procedure.