Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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Multicenter Study
Derivation and validation of a sensitive IMA cutpoint to predict cardiac events in patients with chest pain.
In patients with acute chest pain, we derived a cutpoint for ischaemia-modified albumin (IMA) and prospectively validated this cutpoint to predict 30-day major adverse cardiac events (MACEs). ⋯ We prospectively validated the sensitive IMA cutpoint of 75 KU/litre with 80% sensitivity for MACEs in patients with acute chest pain. Our data suggest that IMA alone and in combination with initial hsTnT are more sensitive than the initial hsTnT for MACEs.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
An evaluation of an educational intervention to reduce inappropriate cannulation and improve cannulation technique by paramedics.
Intravenous cannulation enables administration of fluids or drugs by paramedics in prehospital settings. Inappropriate use and poor technique carry risks for patients, including pain and infection. We aimed to investigate the effect of an educational intervention designed to reduce the rate of inappropriate cannulation and to improve cannulation technique. ⋯ The educational intervention was effective in bringing about changes leading to enhanced quality and safety in some aspects of prehospital cannulation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of bed height on the performance of chest compressions.
The correct chest compression technique was emphasised to enhance the result of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the 2005 guidelines. The present study compared the effects of different bed heights, including a bed at knee height, on the performance of chest compressions. ⋯ The performance of chest compressions decreased when the bed height was 20 cm higher than the knee height of the rescuer.