Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Comparative Study
Standard and higher doses of atropine in a canine model of pulseless electrical activity.
To determine whether standard or increased doses of atropine improve the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) rate in a canine model of pulseless electrical activity (PEA). ⋯ In this canine model of asphyxial PEA cardiac arrest, standard-dose atropine did not improve ROSC rates, compared with placebo. Increasing doses of atropine tended to decrease ROSC rates, compared with placebo and standard-dose atropine.
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Perimortem cesarean section is rarely required in the ED. However, since trauma now represents a leading cause of nonobstetric maternal death, emergency physicians (EPs) may more commonly be faced with the difficult decision of performing an emergency cesarean section. Two cases are described of severely traumatized pregnant patients for whom perimortem cesarean section in the ED led to birth of viable infants, with one long-term survivor. The rationale and guidelines for the procedure are discussed, and it is emphasized that the EP should be thoroughly familiar with the procedure and prepared to perform it when indicated to enhance fetal (and potentially maternal) survival.