Annals of emergency medicine
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A miniaturized, infrared, solid-state, end-tidal CO2 detector was used to confirm emergency endotracheal tube (ETT) placement. ⋯ This hand-held infrared capnometer reliably confirms ETT placement under emergency conditions.
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Comparative Study
Intraosseous administration of antibiotics: same-dose comparison with intravenous administration in the weanling pig.
To assess the reliability of the intraosseous route of administration for delivery of a loading dose of broad-spectrum antibiotics in a pediatric animal model. ⋯ In the weanling pig model, the IO route was used to deliver serum levels of broad-spectrum antibiotics comparable to those attained after IV administration. The data support the use of standard parenteral doses for IO administration. To overcome potential avid protein binding of ceftriaxone in the bone marrow, we recommend using ceftriaxone at its highest recommended IO loading dose. Consistent with many other medications that have been similarly tested, these data indicate that initial or empiric antibiotic coverage in hypodynamic and shock states in infants and young children need not await the establishment of traditional IV access.
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The purpose of this study was to obtain information about how patients perceive the health care delivered in an emergency department. ⋯ The information given to patients on arrival at the ED may be important to a positive perception of the care given during their stay.
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Comparative Study
An analysis of emergency department use by patients with minor illness.
To describe the motivation for emergency department use by patients with minor illnesses and compare the demographics and social class characteristics of these patients with those of the general ED population. ⋯ There are no major differences in ED use for minor illness patients from different racial, educational, and economic backgrounds. These patients tend to have a low frequency of chronic illness and often have no established health care provider. They choose the ED for its ease of access and the wide scope of care that can be delivered.
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Open-chest cardiac massage is an effective method of resuscitation if instituted within 15 minutes of normothermic cardiac arrest that has failed to respond to ongoing closed-chest CPR efforts. The usefulness of invasive forms of CPR after various periods of untreated cardiac arrest is less certain. This study was performed to determine the effectiveness of open-chest resuscitation after prolonged periods of untreated cardiac arrest. ⋯ Open-chest cardiac massage did not produce long-term survival if untreated cardiac arrest persisted for 20 or more minutes prior to invasive resuscitation efforts.