Open access emergency medicine : OAEM
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Open Access Emerg Med · Jan 2020
Negative Whole-Body Computed Tomography Scans in Polytrauma Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
Whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) has been a mainstay and an integral part of the evaluation of polytrauma patients in trauma centers and emergency departments (ED) for a comprehensive evaluation of the extent of injuries. However, routine use of WBCT remains controversial since it exposes patients to radiation and exponentially increases financial expense. The primary objective was to determine the rate of negative WBCT in polytrauma patients. ⋯ Our study revealed a slightly higher rate of utilization of WBCT in the management of trauma patients compared to studies with similar practice. We believe that in the correct setting with incorporating high index of suspicion, a physical examination with attention to vital signs and mental status, performing E-FAST, and dedicated X-Rays is a way to potentially reduce the use of WBCT in polytrauma patients.
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Open Access Emerg Med · Jan 2020
Bag-Valve Mask versus Endotracheal Intubation in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest on Return of Spontaneous Circulation: A National Database Study.
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is the main issue for pre-hospital emergency care. There are several airway managements during the out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) such as endotracheal intubation (ETI) or alternative airway device: bag-valve mask (BVM). Data comparing both methods showed inconclusive results on survival and limited results on CPR outcome. This study aimed to add additional results on comparing the ETI and BVM in cardiac arrest outside hospitals; focused on the CPR outcome. ⋯ The BVM and ETI had comparable ROSC rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims. However, the study population of the BVM group had less severe conditions and received faster treatment than the ETI group.