Scand J Trauma Resus
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Sep 2019
ReviewThe management of unanticipated difficult airways in children of all age groups in anaesthetic practice - the position paper of an expert panel.
Children form a specific group of patients, as there are significant differences between children and adults in both anatomy and physiology. Difficult airway may be unanticipated or anticipated. Difficulties encountered during intubation may cause hypoxia, hypoxic brain injury and, in extreme situations, may result in the patient's death. ⋯ It covers both elective intubation and emergency situations in children in all age groups. An integral part of the paper is an algorithm. The paper describes in detail all stages of the algorithm considering some modification in specific age groups, i.e. neonates.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Sep 2019
Impact of traumatic events incurred by asylum-seekers on mental health and utilization of medical services.
Asylum-seekers from Africa immigrate to Israel through the Sinai desert and are often exposed to traumatic events. ⋯ PTSD among asylum-seekers appears to be associated more with length of exposure to stressful events than number/types of traumatic events and with delay in receiving medical care. Improving access to medical care may reduce asylum-seekers' development of PTSD and lead to lower utilization of services.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Sep 2019
Presence of a pre-hospital enhanced care team reduces on scene time and improves triage compliance for stab trauma.
A reduction in pre-hospital scene time for patients with penetrating trauma is associated with reduced mortality, when combined with appropriate hospital triage. This study investigated the relationship between presence of pre-hospital enhanced care teams (ECT) (Critical Care Paramedics (CCPS) or Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS)), on the scene time and triage compliance, of penetrating trauma patients in a UK ambulance service. The primary outcome was whether scene time reduces when an ECT is present. A secondary outcome was whether the presence of an ECT improved compliance with the trust's Major Trauma Decision Tree (MTDT). ⋯ The presence of an ECT at a central stabbing incident significantly improved the scene time and triage compliance with a MTDT. Ambulance services should consider routine activation of ECTs to such incidents, with subsequent service evaluation to monitor patient outcomes. Ambulance services should continue to strive to reduce scene times in the context of central penetrating trauma.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Aug 2019
Implementation of new guidelines in the prehospital services: a nationwide survey of Norway.
A debate regarding the potential harmful effects of rigid neck collar and backboard usage among prehospital and hospital care providers in Norway provoked the development of an evidence-based guideline. "The Norwegian guideline for the prehospital management of adult trauma patients with potential spinal injury" was developed with rigorous scientific methods and published in 2016. An e-learning course was developed in parallel. The aim of this study is to explore whether emergency medical services personnel in Norway have implemented the guideline, and to what extent the e-learning course was applied during the implementation process. ⋯ Although the guideline has not been authorized or made compulsory by national authorities, one-half of respondents with knowledge of the guideline reported it as implemented. E-learning did not seem to have affected the implementation. The guideline was developed based on perceived needs among care providers, and this probably facilitated implementation of the guideline.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Aug 2019
Observational StudyChest pain in the ambulance; prevalence, causes and outcome - a retrospective cohort study.
Chest pain is common in acute ambulance transports. This study aims to characterize and compare ambulance-transported chest pain patients to non-chest pain patients and evaluate if patient characteristics and accompanying symptoms accessible at the time of emergency call can predict cause and outcome in chest pain patients. ⋯ Chest pain is a common reason for ambulance transport, but the majority of patients are discharged without a diagnosis and with a high survival rate. Early risk prediction seems to hold a potential for resource downgrading and thus cost-saving in selected chest pain patients.