Annals of emergency medicine
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To evaluate whether helmeted bicyclists are more compliant with traffic regulations than nonhelmeted bicyclists. ⋯ Helmeted bicycle riders showed a significantly greater compliance with two traffic laws than nonhelmeted bicyclists. They were 2.6 times more likely to stop at stop signs and 7.1 times more likely to use legal hand signals. This very strong association of helmet use with safer riding habits has implications for injury-control efforts aimed at preventing bicycle-related injuries.
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To assess the effects of simulated mouth-to-mouth (MTM) ventilation on blood gases, gas exchange, and minute ventilation during external cardiac compression (ECC) or active compression-decompression (ACD) in a swine model of witnessed cardiac arrest and bystander CPR. ⋯ In this swine model of witnessed CPR, simulated MTM ventilation was not beneficial for blood gases, gas exchange, or ventilation during ECC or ACD CPR.
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To evaluate the hemodynamic response to transcutaneous pacing (TCP) during rewarming from hypothermia. ⋯ TCP is safe, effective and easily implemented in dogs. In this small series of dogs, TCP restored and maintained hemodynamic stability and allowed the hypothermic animals to rewarm in half the time required by their nonpaced counterparts.
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We hypothesized that the negative predictive value of the ECG would improve with time and assessed the effect of time elapsed from symptom onset to ED presentation on the negative predictive value, sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of the initial ECG in patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). ⋯ The negative predictive value of a normal ECG for exclusion of AMI does not improve as the duration of time from symptom onset to presentation increases. Normal ECG findings cannot be used to rule out an AMI, even those obtained up to 12 hours after symptom onset.
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To obtain current demographic data and information regarding the opinion of a stratified random sample of emergency physicians about the greatest current challenges facing emergency medicine. ⋯ Overall, the ABEM Longitudinal Study participant responses to the 1995 interim survey describe a committed group of emergency physicians who are struggling and coping with the needs of a maturing specialty and with the crosscurrents and changes in American medicine.