Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
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Background: Patients presenting with a diagnosis of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA) to community hospitals must be transported to tertiary care centers, where necessary resources are available. Unfortunately, guidelines for treatment of RAAA lack high-level evidence on the optimal resuscitation of RAAA patients during transport. We hypothesized that transfusion of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) during transport would not delay transport times in patients with RAAA. ⋯ Mean ± standard deviation (SD) of the total intervals were 67 ± 28 and 71 ± 42 minutes, among patients who received or did not receive PRBCs in transit respectively, with no significant difference (p = 0.437). Following adjusted analysis, the receipt of PRBCs during transport was not associated with increased transport times, after accounting for age, hypotension, endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), and PRBC transfusion at the OSH. Conclusion: PRBC transfusion during air medical transport in patients with RAAA did not delay transport times.
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Objectives: The objectives of this study were to evaluate first attempt intubation failure rate, its associated factors, and its related complications in out-of-hospital emergency setting, when emergency physicians perform standardized airway management using rapid sequence intubation in adult patients. Material and methods: The present study was a substudy of the Succinylcholine versus Rocuronium for out-of-hospital Emergency Intubation (CURASMUR) Trial, which compared Succinylcholine and Rocuronium used for Rapid sequence intubation. First attempt Intubation failure rate and early intubation related complications were recorded. ⋯ Early intubation related complications were more frequent in case of first attempt intubation failure: 80 of 285 (28.4%) in patients with first attempt intubation failure and 185 of 945 (19.6%) in patients with successful first attempt intubation [OR 1.44; CI 95%, 1.11-1.87]. Conclusion: Based on a large multicenter study on out-of-hospital tracheal intubation of adult patients, we found that first attempt intubation failure rate was high and that history of ear, nose, and throat (ENT) neoplasia was an independent associated factor. Failure in first intubation attempt was associated with significantly more intubation related complications.
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Review Case Reports
Umbilical Cord Prolapse in the prehospital setting: a case report.
Umbilical cord prolapse is an acute obstetric emergency associated with high fetal morbidity and mortality. To avoid poor outcomes, rapid diagnosis with immediate intervention is required, especially in the prehospital setting where resources are limited. In this case report, we describe a 38-year-old woman with umbilical cord prolapse, with a review of appropriate prehospital maneuvers and treatment.
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Background: Large and unacceptable variation exists in cardiac resuscitation care and outcomes across communities. Texas is the second most populous state in the US with wide variation in community and emergency response infrastructure. We utilized the Texas-CARES registry to perform the first Texas state analysis of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Texas, evaluating for variations in incidence, care, and outcomes. ⋯ Survival to hospital discharge ranged from 6.7% to 14.0%, and there were three communities above and two below the adjusted 95% confidence interval. Conclusion: While overall OHCA care and outcomes were similar in Texas compared to national averages, bystander CPR, bystander AED use, and survival varied widely across communities in Texas. These variations signal opportunities to improve OHCA care and outcomes in Texas.
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Objective: U. S. opioid overdoses increased nearly sixfold from 1999 to 2018, and greater than 1% of all emergency medical services (EMS) encounters now involve naloxone administration. While "treat and release" protocols may have low short-term mortality, the risk of subsequent non-fatal overdoses is not known. ⋯ Refusal of transport was associated with a hazard ratio of 1.66 (95% CI: 1.23-2.23) for subsequent EMS encounters with naloxone administration. Conclusions: Non-transport after prehospital naloxone administration is associated with an increased risk of subsequent non-fatal overdose requiring EMS intervention. Limitations include the use of a single EMS agency as patients may have had uncaptured overdose encounters in neighboring municipalities.