Curēus
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Objectives Emergency medicine (EM) residents are required to perform a cricothyrotomy during training as per the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) guidelines. Cricothyrotomy is a rare procedure, comprising 0.45% of emergency department airway management procedures. Procedural competence in utilizing a realistic trainer is of utmost importance. We have developed a cricothyrotomy trainer using a fused deposition modeling (FDM) three-dimensional (3D) printer and innovative bleeding tissue to enhance fidelity. We aim to evaluate the trainer's realism. Methods Implementation occurred during a difficult airway educational lab for EM residents in April 2018. ⋯ The survey included open-response suggestions for trainer improvement. Results Forty-three EM residents completed the survey (82.7%, 43/52). The mean realism rating of the trainer was 3.81 (95% CI = 3.54-4.1). The participants reported previous training on cadaver (62.8%, 27/43), porcine (46.5%, 20/43), and manikin (67.4%, 29/43) models prior to using this trainer. The bleeding cricothyrotomy trainer was rated higher than other models (4.45, 95% CI = 4.28-4.63). Participants noted improved comfort with performing the cricothyrotomy after the educational lab (average improvement of 1.23±0.75). Participants specifically commented on the realism of the bleeding and skin texture; however, they also recommended a reduction in the size of the cricothyroid membrane space. Conclusion The innovative bleeding cricothyrotomy trainer has greater fidelity and reported superiority when compared to other commonly used nonbleeding models. This trainer provides a more advanced platform to teach an infrequent yet critical procedural skill to emergency medicine residents.
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Introduction Self-directed learning in medical professions is established as an effective method of training in certain modalities. Furthermore, simulation technology is becoming widely used and accepted as a valid method of training for various medical skills, with ultrasound being one of the best studied. The use of point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) in the practice of emergency medicine is well established, and PoCUS is a core competency of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada emergency medicine standards. ⋯ Conclusion We were unable to demonstrate the achievement of competence in PoCUS in medical learners engaged in our combined self-directed simulation-based training program. This is in contrast to the considerable literature supporting self-directed learning and simulation-based learning for other skills. Feedback from faculty, curriculum integration, and alignment with clinical experience may be beneficial.
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Functional neurosurgery techniques remain integral to the neurosurgical treatment armamentarium but data on global implementation remains scarce. In comparison to high-income countries (HIC), low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) suffer from an increased prevalence of diseases like epilepsy, which may be amenable to functional techniques, and therefore, LMIC may benefit from an increased utilization of these treatment modalities. However, functional techniques tend to be expensive and thus difficult to implement in the LMIC setting. ⋯ In conclusion, awareness of global surgical disparities has increased dramatically while global guidelines for functional techniques are currently lacking. A concerted effort can harness these techniques for wider practice. Partnerships between centers in LMIC and HIC are making progress to better understand the burden of disease in LMIC and to create context-specific solutions for practice in the LMIC setting, but more collaborations are warranted.
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Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is described as a vascular defect, causing recurrent visceral and mucocutaneous bleeding. It is an autosomal dominant disease and has variable expressivity. The phenotypic presentation is dependent on the type of gene defect. ⋯ We describe the case of a 69-year-old male who presented with GI bleeding and a history of HHT and recurrent deep vein thrombosis (DVT). We discuss the diagnostic guidelines and treatment options for patients with HHT. Furthermore, we also discuss the challenge in treating patients with co-existing GI bleeding and DVT, as in our case.
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Due to the inherent stability of the hip joint, hip dislocations constitute a relatively small proportion of all the traumatic dislocations encountered in the emergency department. Among them, the anterior type of hip dislocation is less common than the posterior type of dislocation. Anterior dislocations are usually associated with an injury to other, nearby structures like the acetabulum and femoral head. ⋯ The joint was reduced promptly with traction-countertraction under sedation, and the associated fracture was subsequently fixed with two 6.5 mm partially threaded, cannulated, cancellous screws. The patient was symptom-free at the last follow-up of one year with a full range of hip joint motion, and without any evidence of osteonecrosis or osteoarthritis. The mechanism of greater trochanter fracture in such injuries and its management has been discussed.