European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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Review Meta Analysis
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for relieving acute pain in the prehospital setting: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials.
Although medics in many services are equipped with pharmacological analgesia, legislative or logistical restrictions in some systems result in the need to rely on nonpharmacological avenues for the management of acute pain. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been proposed as an alternative to analgesic medication that could be feasible and effective in the prehospital setting. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness and safety of TENS when administered by medics to patients with acute pain in the prehospital setting. ⋯ TENS was also effective in reducing acute anxiety secondary to pain. No safety risks were identified. When administered by medics in the prehospital setting to patients with acute pain, TENS appears to be an effective and safe nonpharmacological analgesic modality that should be considered by emergency medical services organizations in which pharmacological pain management is restricted or unavailable.
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Review
Ultrasound-guided peripheral venous access: a systematic review of randomized-controlled trials.
To systematically review the current literature on the effect of using ultrasound (US) guidance for the placement of peripheral intravenous (PIV) catheters in patients with difficult access. ⋯ On the basis of this review, routine use of US guidance for PIV placement is not strongly supported by the literature.