Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
-
Comparative Study
A comparison of demand-valve and bag-valve ventilations in a swine pneumothorax model.
Two means of delivering artificial ventilation readily available to out-of-hospital personnel are the bag-valve (BV) and the O2-powered demand-valve (OPDV). However, use of the OPDV has been limited because of concerns that it may worsen an underlying pneumothorax. This study compared the changes in size of pneumothorax in swine ventilated with the 2 devices. ⋯ There is no difference in final pneumothorax volumes after OPDV or BV ventilation.
-
To determine the minimal clinically significant difference (MCSD) on a visual analog patient satisfaction scale. ⋯ The MCSD in patient satisfaction scores measured with a 100-mm VAS was approximately 7-11 mm. Future studies evaluating differences in patient satisfaction should be designed to detect this difference.
-
To determine the utility of pulse oximetry as a routine fifth vital sign in emergency geriatric assessment. ⋯ Using pulse oximetry as a routine fifth vital sign resulted in important changes in the diagnoses and treatments of a small proportion of emergency geriatric patients.
-
To determine Oregon intermediate and advanced emergency medical technicians' (EMTs') attitudes toward physician-assisted suicide (PAS) and factors associated with those attitudes. ⋯ A majority of Oregon EMTs responding to this survey expressed support for PAS, think treatment protocols should direct paramedics to withhold resuscitation in such cases, and would feel comfortable withholding resuscitation given appropriate protocols. Nearly 3 out of 4 Oregon EMTs report seeing at least 1 terminally ill patient who had attempted suicide.