Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Multicenter, Prospective Study of Prehospital Administration of Analgesia in the U.S. Combat Theater of Afghanistan.
Published data on prehospital medical care in combat is limited, likely due to the chaotic and unpredictable nature of care under fire and difficulty in documentation There is limited data on how often analgesic agents are administered, which drug are being used, and whether there is an association with injury patterns. ⋯ Patients with penetrating trauma are more likely to receive analgesic agents in the combat prehospital setting. The most common analgesic used was ketamine. Patient ISS was not associated with administration of analgesia. Patients receiving analgesia were more likely to still be hospitalized at 30 days. The prospective nature of this study supports feasibility for future, larger, more comprehensive projects.
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To estimate the rate, characteristics, and dispositions of hypoglycemia events among persons who received care from Alameda County, California, Emergency Medical Services (EMS). ⋯ Without an understanding of EMS encounters and non-transport rates, surveillance based solely on emergency department and hospital data will significantly underestimate rates of severe hypoglycemia. Additionally, given that hypoglycemia is often safely and effectively treated by non-physicians, EMS protocols should provide guidance for non-transport of hypoglycemic patients whose blood glucose levels have normalized.
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Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an uncommon disease. We report the case of a 50 year-old woman with a past medical history of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, presenting with acute chest pain and diffuse ST segment elevation on ECG. ⋯ The association between cerebral aneurysms and SCAD should trigger providers concern for fibromuscular dysplasia. We hereby report on a rare and atypical case involving the relationship between fibromuscular dysplasia and SCAD.
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Case Reports
Case Report: Life Saving Application of Commercial Tourniquet in Pediatric Extremity Hemorrhage.
Hemorrhage is the leading preventable cause of death in civilian and military trauma. Recent data from the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan suggest that early and aggressive tourniquet utilization is a safe and effective way to dramatically reduce mortality from extremity hemorrhage. As a result, prehospital tourniquet use is now endorsed by a majority of professional emergency medicine, emergency medical service and trauma professional societies. However, there currently exists scant evidence supporting the efficacy of commercially available tourniquets in controlling extremity hemorrhage in pediatric trauma patients.