Articles: pediatrics.
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Pediatric emergency care · Dec 1985
A pediatric emergencies training program for emergency medical services.
Accidents are the leading cause of death in children, accounting for more pediatric deaths than all other causes combined. Accidents also account for 21.7 million injuries to children that require medical care annually. ⋯ The course consists of 18 hours of lectures and skill stations focusing on medical emergencies, care of the injured child, the special needs of the infant, and the emotional response of the child and family in an emergency. Test evaluations before and after the course from the 190 participants demonstrate a significant improvement in their knowledge and skills in treating pediatric emergencies (P less than 0.001).
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The flow rates of the 18- to 24-gauge catheters most commonly used in pediatrics were studied to determine which catheters and infusion techniques allowed for rapid volume replacement in infants and children. As expected, short, large-diameter catheters were found to have a higher flow rate, and flows under pressure in the largest catheters tested were up to 17 times greater than in a longer, smaller diameter catheter. ⋯ Thus, intravenous access via a central vein does not guarantee more rapid fluid infusion unless the use of the central vein permits the insertion of a catheter larger in diameter than any that could be placed peripherally. Knowledge of the flow rates determined for the various catheters in this study will assist the physician in optimizing fluid resuscitation of the critically ill or injured child.
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Comparative Study
Maternal mortality and manpower. Comparisons in relation to anaesthetists, obstetricians, and paediatricians in England and Wales and in Japan.
In 1982 maternal mortality in England and Wales was given seven per 100 000 compared to 18 per 100 000 total births in Japan. This represented 160 more deaths in Japan. Perinatal mortality rates were similar in England and Wales and Japan, being 11.3 and 10.1 per 1000 respectively. ⋯ However, more than 50% of anaesthetics for Caesarean sections in district hospitals in Japan are administered by obstetricians. A pilot study in Japan would be necessary to determine the precise role of anaesthetic provision on maternal mortality. Maternal mortality may prove a useful indicator of anaesthetic service deficiency.