The American journal of emergency medicine
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Health care support occupations have an assault-injury rate nearly 10 times the general sector. Emergency departments (EDs) are at greatest risk of such events. ⋯ Emergency department HCWs are frequent victims of violence perpetrated by visitors and patients. This results in injuries, acute stress, and lost productivity. Acute stress has negative consequences on workers' ability to perform their duties.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Decision support system in prehospital care: a randomized controlled simulation study.
Prehospital emergency medicine is a challenging discipline characterized by a high level of acuity, a lack of clinical information and a wide range of clinical conditions. These factors contribute to the fact that prehospital emergency medicine is a high-risk discipline in terms of medical errors. Prehospital use of Computerized Decision Support System (CDSS) may be a way to increase patient safety but very few studies evaluate the effect in prehospital care. The aim of the present study is to evaluate a CDSS. ⋯ The results indicate that this CDSS increases the ambulance nurses' compliance with regional prehospital guidelines but at the expense of an increase in OST.
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To evaluate the effects of hypothermia on cerebral edema and metabolism, a porcine model of cardiac arrest was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging during the first 72 hours after restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). ⋯ Magnetic resonance imaging could effectively detect the dynamic trend of cerebral injury in a porcine model of cardiac arrest within the first 72 hours after ROSC. Hypothermia produced a protective effect on neurological function by reducing brain edema and formation of adverse metabolites.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Head position angles to open the upper airway differ less with the head positioned on a support.
The aim of the study was to assess the effects of positioning the head on a support on "head position angles" to optimally open the upper airway during bag-valve mask ventilation. ⋯ In the head-with-a-support group, when compared with the head-without-a-support group, head position angles differed less, indicating a decreased potential for failure during bag-valve mask ventilation with the head on a support. Moreover, in the head-with-a-support group, ventilation parameters differed less between head positions, and ventilation improved. These findings suggest a potential benefit of positioning the head on a support during bag-valve mask ventilation.
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The Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) score has shown use in predicting 30-day and 1-year outcomes in emergency department (ED) patients with potential acute coronary syndrome. Few studies have evaluated the TIMI score in risk stratifying patients selected for the ED observation Unit (EDOU). Risk stratification of patients in this group could identify those at risk for significant cardiac events. Our goal was to evaluate TIMI use for risk stratification in this population and compare outcomes among differing scores. ⋯ The TIMI risk score may serve as an effective risk stratification tool among chest pain patients selected for EDOU placement. Patients with intermediate-risk by TIMI may be considered for inpatient admission and/or more aggressive evaluation and therapy.