Scand J Trauma Resus
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Nov 2016
Multicenter Study Observational StudyTraumatic brain injury patient volume and mortality in neurosurgical intensive care units: a Finnish nationwide study.
Differences in outcomes after traumatic brain injury (TBI) between neurosurgical centers exist, although the reasons for this are not clear. Thus, our aim was to assess the association between the annual volume of TBI patients and mortality in neurosurgical intensive care units (NICUs). ⋯ We did not find any association between annual TBI patient volume and 6-month mortality in NICUs. These findings should be interpreted taking into account that we only included NICUs, which by international standards all treated high volumes of TBI patients, and that we were not able to study the effect of NICU volume on neurological outcome.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Nov 2016
Multicenter StudyHemodynamic, management, and outcomes of patients admitted to emergency department with heart failure.
Heart failure is one of the leading reasons for hospitalization in developed countries. Our goal was to describe the hemodynamic vital signs (heart rate and systolic blood pressure) of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with heart failure and to describe the frequency of adverse events for patients presenting with various heart rate and systolic blood pressure values. ⋯ We found a relatively high frequency of serious adverse events among patients who present to the ED with heart failure, particularly among the patients having low systolic blood pressure and high heart rate.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Oct 2016
Multicenter StudyAgreement between triage category and patient's perception of priority in emergency departments.
Patients attending hospital emergency departments (ED) commonly cite the urgency and severity of their condition as the main reason for choosing the ED. However, the patients' perception of urgency and severity may be different to the nurses' perception of their urgency and severity, which is underpinned by their professional experience, knowledge, training and skills. This discordance may be a cause of patient dissatisfaction. The purpose of this study is to understand the extent of agreement/disagreement between the patient's perceived priority and actual triage category and associated factors. ⋯ Noted differences between patient and practitioner perception of clinical urgency were identifed in this study.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Oct 2016
Multicenter StudyUnmanned aerial vehicles (drones) in out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest.
The use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) prior to EMS arrival can increase 30-day survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) significantly. Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) can fly with high velocity and potentially transport devices such as AEDs to the site of OHCAs. The aim of this explorative study was to investigate the feasibility of a drone system in decreasing response time and delivering an AED. ⋯ To use drones in rural areas to deliver an AED in OHCA may be safe and feasible. Suitable placement of drone systems can be designed by using GIS models. The use of an AED equipped drone may have the potential to reduce time to defibrillation in OHCA.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Oct 2016
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyThe Copenhagen Triage Algorithm: a randomized controlled trial.
Crowding in the emergency department (ED) is a well-known problem resulting in an increased risk of adverse outcomes. Effective triage might counteract this problem by identifying the sickest patients and ensuring early treatment. In the last two decades, systematic triage has become the standard in ED's worldwide. However, triage models are also time consuming, supported by limited evidence and could potentially be of more harm than benefit. The aim of this study is to develop a quicker triage model using data from a large cohort of unselected ED patients and evaluate if this new model is non-inferior to an existing triage model in a prospective randomized trial. ⋯ If proven non-inferior to standard DEPT triage, CTA will be a faster and simpler triage model that is still able to detect the critically ill. Simplifying triage will lessen the burden for the ED staff and possibly allow faster treatment.