Annals of emergency medicine
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Stress experienced by emergency medical providers during the resuscitation of critically ill or injured patients can cause cognitive and technical performance to deteriorate. Psychological skills training offers a reasonable and easily implemented solution to this problem. In this article, a specific set of 4 performance-enhancing psychological skills is introduced: breathe, talk, see, and focus. These skills comprise breathing techniques, positive self-talk, visualization or mental practice, and implementing a focus "trigger word." The evidence supporting these concepts in various domains is reviewed and specific methods for adapting them to the environment of resuscitation and emergency medicine are provided.
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We examine first-look success in emergency pediatric intubation by a physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service (EMS). ⋯ A high first-look success rate for pediatric intubation was achieved by adult helicopter EMS physicians and intensive care paramedics. To our knowledge, this compares favorably with the rate in published literature in pediatric emergency departments and critical care units.