The American journal of emergency medicine
-
Comparative Study
Comparing patients who leave the ED prematurely, before vs after medical evaluation: a National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey analysis.
Many patients leave the Emergency Department (ED) before beginning or completing medical evaluation. Some of these patients may be at higher medical risk depending on their timing of leaving the ED. ⋯ When comparing all patients who left the ED before completion of care, those who left after versus before medical provider evaluation differed in their patient, hospital, and visit characteristics and may represent a high risk patient group.
-
Limited data suggest that heroin worsens asthma severity, but little is known about heroin-dependent patients who seek emergency department (ED) care for asthma. ⋯ Patients with heroin dependence frequently use the ED for their health care needs related to asthma. Most do not have other health care providers, most have limited health literacy, and all would benefit from referral to a primary care provider and substance abuse resources.
-
Feedback devices are used to improve the quality of chest compression (CC). However, reports have noted that accelerometers substantially overestimate depth when cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is performed on a soft surface. Here, we determined whether a flexible pressure sensor could correctly evaluate the depth CC performed on a mannequin placed on a mattress. ⋯ The Shinnosukekun(™) could correctly measure the depth of CC on a mattress. According to our present results, the flexible pressure sensor could be a useful feedback system for CC performed on a soft surface.
-
Vortex tubes are simple mechanical devices to produce cold air from a stream of compressed air without any moving parts. The primary focus of the current study is to investigate the feasibility and efficiency of nasopharyngeal brain cooling method using a vortex tube. Experiments were conducted on 5 juvenile pigs. ⋯ Similarly, by using medical air cylinders at fill-pressure of 2265 PSI and down regulate the inlet pressure to the vortex tube to 50 PSI, brain temperature could be reduced more rapidly by blowing -22°C ± 2°C air at a flow rate of 50 L/min; brain-body temperature gradient of -8°C was obtained about 30 minutes. Furthermore, we examined scuba cylinders as a portable source of compressed gas supply to the vortex tube. Likewise, by setting up the vortex tube to have an inlet pressure of 25 PSI and 50 L/min and -3°C at the cold air outlet, brain temperature decreased 4.5°C within 10-20 min.
-
Letter Randomized Controlled Trial
A pilot study of mechanical chest compression with the LifeLine ARM device during simulated cardiopulmonary resuscitation.