Annals of emergency medicine
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The retention of knowledge and skill proficiency was evaluated for emergency care attendants (ECAs), emergency medical technicians (EMT-As) and paramedics (EMT-Ps). The sample represented 4.1% of the total number of individuals trained and certified in these positions in Texas. The average loss of didactic knowledge did not exceed 10% over a two-year period. ⋯ Participants in continuing education programs experienced an 11% better retention average for skill than did nonparticipants. The employees of privately operated ambulance services retained their basic skills better than did members of other types of services. The rate of knowledge deterioration for the sample evaluated was not correlated (R = 0.08) to the original written score.
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We present the case of a patient with traumatic ventricular septal defects following blunt chest trauma. The pathophysiology and clinical presentation of the lesion are discussed. Definitive diagnostic procedures should be performed immediately in patients with suggestive findings to establish the diagnosis and to determine the magnitude of the shunt and the presence of pulmonary hypertension.