European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Boussignac continuous positive airway pressure device in the emergency care of acute cardiogenic pulmonary oedema: a randomized pilot study.
This study aimed to assess the short-term respiratory effects of a new portable device that delivers a continuous positive airway pressure via a face mask (Boussignac-CPAP) in patients with severe acute cardiogenic pulmonary oedema, and the feasibility of using this technique in an emergency department. We prospectively studied 30 consecutive patients with acute cardiogenic pulmonary oedema. They were randomly assigned either to the Boussignac-CPAP valve, which delivered oxygen, or to standard oxygen delivery for a duration of 30 min. ⋯ Continuous positive pressure delivered using the Boussignac-CPAP device is feasible in an emergency care setting. It can quickly improve respiratory distress in acute cardiogenic pulmonary oedema patients. A larger trial should be initiated in such an emergency care setting to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Boussignac-CPAP device.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
The impact of television fiction on public expectations of survival following inhospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation by medical professionals.
Research has shown that the public overestimates the survival chances of patients after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Other studies have suggested that demonstrably exaggerated survival rates in medical television fiction might affect these estimates. Such studies were mostly conducted in the United States, dealt with cardiopulmonary resuscitation in general, and asked respondents to indicate their source of medical information, an unreliable survey technique. ⋯ The consumption of medical television drama is related to overestimating survival chances after inhospital resuscitation by physicians and nurses following cardiopulmonary arrest. A practical knowledge of basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques moderates but does not eliminate the television effect.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Comparison of tissue adhesive and suturing in the repair of lacerations in the emergency department.
The objective of this study was to compare the applications of Histoacryl Blue (HAB) and suturing regarding cosmetic outcome, cost and patient and physician satisfaction in the emergency department (ED). A total of 92 consecutive adult patients with lacerations equal to or shorter than 5 cm were enrolled in the study. Patients were randomized to either HAB or suturing. ⋯ Costs of HAB were significantly lower than sutures (p=0.0001). It is concluded that HAB is a cheaper method of laceration repair and results in greater satisfaction of both patients and physicians, while cosmetic outcomes were comparable. These results suggest that HAB is a viable alternative to suturing for selected lacerations in the ED.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Comparison of alfentanil and morphine in the prehospital treatment of patients with acute ischaemic-type chest pain.
Patients with acute myocardial ischaemic pain would benefit from rapid pain relief. The clinical usefulness of alfentanil, which has a rapid onset of action, was therefore assessed as the initial pain relieving opioid in patients suffering from acute myocardial ischaemic pain. The effects of alfentanil were compared with those of morphine in the prehospital treatment of 40 haemodynamically stable patients suffering from acute ischaemic-type chest pain. ⋯ Alfentanil was found to provide effective analgesia during the follow-up period of 15 minutes. No haemodynamic or respiratory side effects occurred. It is concluded that alfentanil is an effective analgesic in the prehospital treatment of myocardial ischaemic pain.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Reduction in gram-positive pneumonia and antibiotic consumption following the use of a SDD protocol including nasal and oral mupirocin.
The objective of this prospective, randomized, double-blind study was to evaluate the effect of the addition of mupirocin to the 'classical' topical SDD regimen (tobramycin 80 mg, polymyxin E 100 mg, amphotericin B 500 mg) on the development of ICU-acquired infections due to gram-positive bacteria. The study was carried out in an intensive care unit (ICU) of a 1400-bed community hospital. All patients admitted to the ICU during a 16-month period, who were expected to require mechanical ventilation for more than 24 hours, were randomized to receive either the 'classical' SDD regimen (Group A) or a modified regimen with mupirocin (Group B). ⋯ There were no differences in the isolation of gram-negative bacilli. Antibiotic consumption and cost were lower in Group B. In conclusion, our data show that the topical use of a modified formula of SDD, with the addition of mupirocin to the oral paste and in the anterior nares, is associated with a reduction in lung infections caused by gram-positives and in a reduction in antibiotic consumption and in the overall expenditure for antibiotics.