Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
-
Specialized research training for emergency physicians (EPs) may strengthen overall patient care through the development and improvement of clinical evidence in emergency care. One way an increasing number of emergency physicians have acquired these skills is through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program (CSP), a 2-year fellowship that trains physicians to be leaders in improving health care. In addition to providing training in health policy and health services research, the CSP emphasizes the translation of research into action through leadership training, program development, and community-based participatory research. ⋯ Past and present EM-trained Clinical Scholars are working to find creative solutions for the challenges posed by the U. S. health care system and improve the delivery of emergency care. Emergency physicians who wish to conduct research or work with communities, organizations, practitioners, and policy-makers to address issues essential to the health and well-being of all Americans should consider the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation CSP.
-
This exploratory study examined novice intubators and the effect difficult airway factors have on pre- and posttraining oral-tracheal simulation intubation success rates. ⋯ Design of experimentation is useful in analyzing the effect difficult airway factors and training have on simulator intubation success rates. Future quality improvement DOE simulator research studies should be performed to help clarify the relationship between simulator factors and patient intubation rates.
-
Comparative Study
Amiodarone or procainamide for the termination of sustained stable ventricular tachycardia: an historical multicenter comparison.
The objective was to compare the effectiveness of intravenous (IV) procainamide and amiodarone for the termination of spontaneous stable sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT). ⋯ Procainamide was not more effective than amiodarone for the termination of sustained VT, but the ability to detect a significant difference was limited by the study design and potential confounding. As used in practice, both agents were relatively ineffective and associated with clinically important proportions of patients with decreased blood pressure.
-
Patient management in emergency departments (EDs) is often based on management protocols developed for specific complaints like dyspnea, chest pain, or syncope. To the best of our knowledge, to date no protocols exist for patients with nonspecific complaints (NSCs) such as "weakness,"dizziness," or "feeling unwell." The objectives of this study were to provide a framework for research and a description of patients with NSCs presenting to EDs. ⋯ Patients with NSC presenting to the ED are at high risk of suffering from serious conditions. Sensitive risk stratification tools are needed to identify patients with potentially adverse health outcomes.