European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Teaching basic life support: a prospective randomized study on low-cost training strategies in secondary schools.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training at school is recommended. Limited school resources prevent implementation. The learning efficacy of low-cost training strategies is unknown. ⋯ Training efficacy with low-cost equipment was not different from training with a manikin. The outcome for all training strategies was suboptimal. The basics of CPR can be taught with alternative equipment if manikins are not available.
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Bilateral chemical eye injuries are a common and important problem in the Emergency Department. Irrigation of both eyes can be time-consuming, so we present a novel, simple and cost-effective technique for hands-free bilateral eye irrigation. Modifications of a generic dual-lumen cannula adapter and fixation about the glabella allow sterile irrigation fluid to be delivered directly to the medial canthi of the contaminated eyes in a hands-free fashion. ⋯ Patients regain autonomy of movement to reposition themselves for comfort or to manipulate the eyelids for more effective irrigation. Clinicians are freed to tend to other tasks. By sharing this technique we hope to stimulate discussion on the safest and most effective method of irrigating chemically injured eyes and prompt the generation of comparable outcome data for the benefit of patients.
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Febrile infants undergoing urethral catheterization (UC) are often not treated for pain and distress. The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of midazolam premedication. We compared a convenience sample of infants who underwent UC with midazolam with those who did not receive midazolam. ⋯ Serious adverse events were not observed during sedation and at 48 h after discharge. Study participants had longer emergency department length of stay compared with the controls (191.5 vs. 139 min, P<0.017). In this cohort, midazolam significantly reduced the distress associated with UC without causing serious adverse events.
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Zipper injuries are highly distressing to patients and often difficult to manage. Several management techniques are described in the literature. ⋯ This novel technique is quick, nontraumatic and requires readily available equipment. It has been used successfully in two patients who were ineligible for a circumcision.
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As one of Europe's most densely populated countries with multiple nuclear installations and a prominent petrochemical industry, Belgium is at some reasonable risk for terrorist attacks or accidental chemical, biological, radiation, and nuclear (CBRN) incidents. We hypothesize that local hospitals are not sufficiently prepared to deal with these incidents. ⋯ There are serious gaps in hospital preparedness for CBRN incidents in Belgium. Lack of financial resources is a major obstacle in achieving sufficient preparedness.