The American journal of emergency medicine
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Review Meta Analysis
Association between helicopter medical services for pediatric trauma patients and mortality: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) have become widespread around the world. However, previous studies of the influence of HEMS on mortality were limited to adult patients only and showed inconsistent and heterogeneous results. This study aimed to examine the association between HEMS and mortality among pediatric emergencies compared to ground emergency medical service (GEMS). ⋯ Our systematic review and meta-analysis, which was limited to trauma pediatric trauma patients, revealed that HEMS deployment correlated with decreased mortality. Further research is necessary to more effectively measure the potential influence and applicability of HEMS for pediatric emergencies.
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The number of critically ill patients that present to emergency departments across the world continues to rise. In fact, the proportion of critically ill patients in emergency departments is now higher than pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. [1] The emergency physician (EP) is typically the first physician to evaluate and resuscitate the critically ill patient. Given the continued shortage of intensive care unit (ICU) beds, persistent staff shortages, and overall inefficient hospital throughput, EPs are often tasked with providing intensive care to these patients long beyond the initial resuscitation phase. ⋯ As such, it is imperative for the EP to be knowledgeable about recent literature in resuscitation and critical care medicine, so that critically ill ED patients can continue to receive the best, most up-to-date evidence-based care. This review summarizes important articles published in 2023 that pertain to the resuscitation and management of select critically ill ED patients. Topics included in this article include cardiac arrest, post-cardiac arrest care, septic shock, rapid sequence intubation, severe pneumonia, transfusions, trauma, and critical procedures.
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Ectopic pregnancy is a serious condition that can have significant morbidity and mortality. ⋯ Knowledge of the latest advances in managing ectopic pregnancy will help clinicians more quickly and accurately diagnose patients presenting with this potentially fatal condition.