Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
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Comparative Study
Comparison of bag-valve-mask, manually triggered ventilator, and automated ventilator devices used while ventilating a nonintubated mannikin model.
To determine whether there were differences in tidal volume (Vt), minute volume (MV), average mask leak per breath (ML), gastric insufflation (GI), and peak airway pressure (PAP) when ventilating a nonintubated mannikin with a bag-valve-mask (BV), manually triggered ventilator (MTV), and automated ventilator (AV). The authors' hypothesis was that there would be no differences among the devices for any of these variables. ⋯ All three devices delivered similar volumes when used by EMTs, but the BV was associated with higher PAP, ML, and GI.
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Controversy exists as to the effectiveness of defibrillation by emergency medical technicians (EMT-Ds) in reducing mortality from cardiac arrest in two-tiered EMS systems. This study was performed to assess the impact of EMT-Ds on outcome of sudden cardiac death in a small, urban, modified two-tiered EMS system. ⋯ EMT defibrillation had no impact on outcome of sudden cardiac death in this small, urban, two-tiered EMS system. Survival rates were similar to those reported for other such systems. However, power to detect significant differences was low, and further study is indicated. Controlled multicenter trials are recommended.
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To determine the accuracy of police, emergency department, and ambulance records in describing motor vehicle crash (MVC) characteristics when compared with a crash investigation report (CIR). ⋯ The accuracy of data sources used to determine crash characteristics varies. Using a CIR as the standard, the PR was the most accurate. Inaccuracies occurred most frequently for RU and TI. Researchers and clinicians need to be aware of these inaccuracies.
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The widespread use of orotracheal intubation with rapid-sequence induction has made it difficult for emergency medical services (EMS) professionals to gain experience in nasotracheal intubation (NTI) in a controlled and supervised setting. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a training session on NTI with a breathing manikin can be used to improve the self-assessed skill level and comfort of EMS professionals. ⋯ For EMS professionals, a training session for NTI using a relatively inexpensive and easily assembled breathing manikin model increases both comfort and self-assessed skill level.