Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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To evaluate a 4-hour ultrasonography course in the setting of an emergency medicine (EM) training program. ⋯ This 4-hour ultrasonography course has potential to serve as a foundation for an instructional model for ultrasonography training in the setting of an EM residency program.
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Given that clinical and laboratory studies suggest that ethanol and hemorrhagic shock (HS) potentiate traumatic brain injury (TBI), the authors studied the effects of ethanol in a model of combined TBI and HS. ⋯ In this TBI/HS model, ethanol administration decreased survival time, impaired the hemodynamic response, and worsened measures of cerebral tissue perfusion.
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To review all ladder fall injuries seen in a community ED and to identify patterns of injury, factors that contribute to falls, and what pre-event and event factors could have reduced the likelihood of a fall or a resulting injury. ⋯ Falls from ladders, both in the occupational and nonoccupational settings, often result in significant injury. Simple safety measures may have prevented the majority of falls in this study. Public health efforts should emphasize education on safe ladder practices and techniques to reduce the possibility of injury in the event of a fall.
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Mild cerebral hypothermia improves neurologic outcome in animals resuscitated from cardiac arrest. This study examined whether one practical external cooling method, i.e., local application of ice to the heads and necks of swine, during resuscitation induces cerebral cooling. ⋯ External application of ice packs during resuscitation effectively reduced intracerebral temperatures in swine by an amount that improved neurologic outcomes in previous large animal studies. These data suggest that clinically significant cerebral cooling could be accomplished with a noninvasive, inexpensive, and universally available intervention. Further studies are required to assess the clinical feasibility and therapeutic efficacy of this intervention.