Resuscitation
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Dashing with scooters to in-hospital emergencies: a randomised cross-over experiment.
Physical exhaustion is a frequent condition in emergency medical teams after in-house emergency runs, which might affect the quality of advanced care. Newly available light-weight scooters may reduce exertion as measured by the cardiovascular response in these circumstances and, therefore, may reduce physical exhaustion on arrival. ⋯ Using scooters for simulated in-house emergency alarm runs markedly reduces the cardiovascular response of emergency medical teams.
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Because children have less subcutaneous fat, and a higher surface area to body weight ratio than adults, it has been suggested that children cool more rapidly during submersion, and therefore have a better outcome following near-drowning incidents. ⋯ Although submersion time is usually an estimate, it is the best prognostic factor after a near drowning incident. Children did not have a better outcome than adults.
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Heliox has a lower density than oxygen and nitrogen, and can improve ventilation rapidly in patients with critical upper airway obstruction. The choice of the best helium:oxygen ratio depends on whether the predominant problem is hypercarbia or hypoxia. In the former situation, 80% helium should be used, and in the latter, 100% oxygen is appropriate.
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To review the use of Open Chest Cardiac Compression (OCCC) techniques in postcardiac surgical patients in one specialist cardiothoracic centre in the UK. ⋯ In the absence of current European Resuscitation Council guidelines, we adopted recommendations for resternotomy to be performed after 5 min of unsuccessful conventional CPR and OCCC initiated. An adapted ERC algorithm incorporating these recommendations can provide much needed direction in postcardiac surgery cardiac arrest victims.