Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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To determine the type of electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation instruction in emergency medicine (EM) residency programs, the use and perceived value of teaching modalities and resources, and the methods used to assess competency of ECG interpretation. ⋯ These data suggest that EM PDs believe that EM residency is adequately preparing graduates to interpret ECGs. This goal is achieved through a variety of methods.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
A randomized clinical trial to assess the efficacy of the Epley maneuver in the treatment of acute benign positional vertigo.
To compare the efficacy of the Epley maneuver with that of a placebo maneuver in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with benign positional vertigo (BPV). ⋯ The Epley maneuver is a simple bedside maneuver that appears to be more efficacious than a placebo maneuver in the treatment of acute BPV among ED patients.
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This was a study to evaluate the utilization of emergency medical services (EMS) systems during the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and to assess the incidence of infection among emergency medical technicians (EMTs). ⋯ During the outbreak of SARS, the overall EMS volume did not change significantly, but the non-SARS EMS activities decreased. Compared with the general population, EMS providers are at higher risk of contracting the SARS virus regardless of different perceived levels of risk. Standard protections and procedures for infection control should be strictly followed during transport and within the hospital environment.
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To determine the association between emergency medicine (EM) program format (postgraduate year [PGY] 1-3, 2-4, or 1-4) and two dependent variables: fellowship training and academic career. ⋯ Four-year formats, especially 1-4, were associated with more common pursuit of fellowships and academics than the 1-3 format. Fellowship pursuit was uncommon (4% to 9% of graduates), whereas 18% to 34% initially chose academics.
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Emergency medicine and its academic teaching programs face an ethical dilemma surrounding the question of practicing procedures on the newly dead. For many years, procedures have been practiced on the newly dead, but few institutions have had policies addressing the practice. This article considers the ethical arguments both for and against practicing procedures on the newly dead without consent, reviews the empirical studies on the subject, and presents the positions of other professional societies, before concluding with the position of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). ⋯ The practice should not occur behind closed doors or on an ad hoc basis without clearly articulated guidelines. With improvements in technology, including patient simulation and virtual reality, the need for the practice may decrease, but there is no current evidence that is compelling regarding the best methods of teaching procedural skills. Given the importance of protecting trust in the profession of medicine and the existing evidence that the public would expect that consent be obtained, SAEM recommends that families be asked for consent prior to practicing procedures on the newly dead.