Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
-
Comparative Study
Applying the trauma triage rule to blunt trauma patients.
To determine the accuracy of the Baxt Trauma Triage Rule (TTR: systolic blood pressure < 85 mm Hg; Glasgow Coma Scale-motor score < 5; or penetrating trauma to head, neck, or trunk) for prediction of major trauma in an independent data set of blunt trauma patients. ⋯ In this blunt trauma population, the Baxt TTR failed to identify a significant number of severely injured patients. Slight alterations in the definition of "major trauma" can significantly affect the performance characteristics of triage instruments.
-
Comparative Study
Standard and higher doses of atropine in a canine model of pulseless electrical activity.
To determine whether standard or increased doses of atropine improve the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) rate in a canine model of pulseless electrical activity (PEA). ⋯ In this canine model of asphyxial PEA cardiac arrest, standard-dose atropine did not improve ROSC rates, compared with placebo. Increasing doses of atropine tended to decrease ROSC rates, compared with placebo and standard-dose atropine.
-
To describe ventilatory dynamics following the onset of ventricular fibrillation (VF) in an experimental swine model. ⋯ In this swine model, 11 of 12 (92%) continued to have spontaneous agonal respirations for the first 3 minutes of VF cardiac arrest. Many animals had supranormal tidal volumes, and near-normal minute ventilations. These findings have potential implications for lay-rescuer and first-responder contributions to resuscitation of victims of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.