Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2006
ReviewState of play: clearing the thoracolumbar spine in blunt trauma victims.
The present article reviews the clinical and imaging clearance of the thoracic and lumbar spines of blunt trauma victims and the evolution of these strategies with the use of new imaging technologies. ⋯ Thoracolumbar spine screening is best done using reformatted images acquired when scanning the chest and abdomen of high-risk multi-trauma patients. If computed tomography is not clinically indicated for investigation of other injuries then plain films are the first line investigation.
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Avian influenza is a panzootic and recurring human epidemic with pandemic potential. Pandemic requirements for a viral pathogen are: a novel virus must emerge against which the general population has little or no immunity; the new virus must be able to replicate in humans and cause serious illness; and the new virus must be efficiently transmitted from person to person. At present, only the first two conditions have been met. ⋯ Other medical commodities including ventilators, hospital beds and intensive care units remain less well prioritized in national plans. These resources will play virtually no role in care of the overwhelming majority of patients worldwide in a pandemic. Prehospital care, triage and acute care all require additional professional standardization for the high patient volumes anticipated in a pandemic.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2006
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyRandomized comparison of the SLIPA (Streamlined Liner of the Pharynx Airway) and the SS-LM (Soft Seal Laryngeal Mask) by medical students.
The aim of the study was to compare the Streamlined Liner of the Pharynx Airway (SLIPA; Hudson RCI), a new supraglottic airway device, with the Soft Seal Laryngeal Mask (SS-LM; Portex) when used by novices. ⋯ In the present study novice users demonstrated high success rates with both devices. The SLIPA group achieved shorter times to ventilation when it was the first device they inserted, which might prove to be of clinical significance, particularly in resuscitation attempts. Although the Laryngeal Mask has gained wide recognition for use by both novice users and as a rescue airway in failed intubation, the data presented here suggest that the SLIPA might also prove useful in these areas.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2006
ReviewMultislice computed tomographic pulmonary angiography for diagnosing pulmonary embolism in the emergency department: has the 'one-stop shop' arrived?
Current diagnostic pathways for pulmonary embolism are complex and involve multiple tests. Clinicians await a single diagnostic modality that accurately rules in or out pulmonary embolism and also provides additional diagnostic and prognostic information. Multislice computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (msCTPA) might be that test. msCTPA has good outcomes using current reference standards and can be used as a stand alone test in low risk patients. ⋯ Right ventricular measurements may be calculated from msCTPA data and provide prognostic information for patients with severe PE. This may replace the need for echocardiography in the future. msCTPA provides a safe single radiological investigation for diagnosing PE for most patients, after risk stratification and D-dimer testing. A pathway is provided for msCTPA use in the management of PE in the ED.