J Emerg Med
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Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is an important cause of mortality and disability worldwide. The health care community hoped that, with the development of the automated external defibrillator (AED), the mortality and functional outcomes of patients with OHCAs would improve. Despite their effectiveness, their use in OHCA has not yet become common practice. Unfortunately, in 18-59% of cases, public access AEDs were deemed to be in poorly accessible areas or not available all of the time. ⋯ While drones have the potential to dramatically improve cardiac arrest patient care, further studies are needed to evaluate their effectiveness in real-life clinical scenarios.
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Coronavirus-2 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic. As of August 21, mortality from COVID-19 has reached almost 200,000 people, with the United States leading the globe in levels of morbidity and mortality. Large volumes of high-acuity patients, particularly those of advanced age and with chronic comorbidities, have significantly increased the need for palliative care resources beyond usual capacity. More specifically, COVID-19 has changed the way we approach patient and family member interactions. ⋯ We describe our rapid and ongoing implementation of TM consultation for our ED patients and discuss lessons learned and recommendations for others considering similar care models.