Articles: emergency-medical-services.
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Multicenter Study
A prospective multicenter study of factors associated with hospital admission among adults with acute asthma.
We sought to determine patient characteristics associated with hospital admission after emergency treatment for asthma, and whether disposition guidelines are followed. ⋯ Associations between patient characteristics and disposition were similar across sites. Despite guidelines to the contrary, half of patients with final peak flow <50% were discharged. After emergency department treatment and discharge, short-term relapse was uncommon among patients with asthma, suggesting that strict peak flow cutoffs may be unnecessary if risk factors in patients with mild or moderate exacerbations are considered.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Automated external defibrillator (AED) utilization rates and reasons fire and police first responders did not apply AEDs.
To determine the rate at which fire and police first responders (FRs) apply automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and to ascertain reasons for not applying them. ⋯ Fire and police FRs did not apply AEDs to a significant number of OHCA patients. Use of the transport ambulance defibrillator was the primary reason given for not applying the FR AED. Given low AED application rates by FRs, future studies are needed to determine the characteristics of communities in which equipping FRs with AEDs is the most beneficial deployment strategy, and how to increase AED application by FRs in communities with FR AED programs.
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Multicenter Study
[Activity and epidemiology in an ophthalmological emergency center].
To investigate the numbers and characteristics of patients with ophthalmological emergencies presenting at a general hospital. ⋯ There is a real need for ophthalmic emergency services in general hospitals. Benign pathologies not needing diagnosis and adapted treatment were not noted in our study. The cheapest and most efficient way to diagnose these ophthalmic emergencies appeared to be the ophthalmological emergency center with a senior ophthalmologist, according to the regional health organization.
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J. Thromb. Thrombolysis · Jun 2002
Multicenter Study Clinical TrialFeasibility and timing of prehospital administration of reteplase in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
In myocardial infarction patients undergoing thrombolysis, treatment delays negatively impact outcomes. This pilot study was conducted to determine the feasibility and timing of field administration of intravenous double bolus reteplase in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction. ⋯ These results demonstrated that in-field administration of thrombolytic therapy is a viable option to reduce the delay from symptom onset to initiation of thrombolysis. They demonstrated that satisfactory resolution of ST-segment elevation can be recorded in the field. The reduction in mortality observed in this study is comparable to previously published studies on inpatients.
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On the basis of the data of a multicenter study, the impact of prehospital intubation and ventilation in the therapy of severe thoracic trauma without manifest respiratory insufficiency was analyzed. ⋯ Prognosis with respect to organ failure, treatment time, and mortality is not adversely affected in the German trauma system, if patients with severe thoracic trauma without manifest respiratory insufficiency and without other indications for intubation are not treated with prehospital intubation.