Evaluation of standard endotracheal intubation, assisted laryngoscopy (airtraq), and laryngeal mask airway in the management of the helmeted athlete airway: a manikin study.

Objectives: Physicians at sporting events must rarely manage the airway of a helmeted athlete. This poses challenges for providers who do not regularly engage in airway management. In a manikin model, our purpose was to determine (1) if standard endotracheal intubation (ETI) of a simulated helmeted athlete is adversely affected by bright-light conditions and (2) if the use of laryngeal mask airway (LMA) or Airtraq improves airway management success.

Are all-terrain vehicle injuries becoming more severe?

Background: There are several reasons to suspect that injuries from all-terrain vehicles (ATV) have become both more serious and frequent in recent years. These reasons include increasing engine power, younger age of operators and inconsistent enforcement of helmet laws. The purpose of this study was to determine if the increase in ATV injuries was out of proportion to the increase in ATV usage and whether ATV injuries have increased in severity.

Procedure documentation in emergency medicine residencies: a time of change.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the methods of procedure documentation (PD) used by emergency medicine residency programs and to ascertain the number of programs that are transitioning to a more advanced system.

Methods: All 122 ACGME-approved allopathic emergency medicine programs were contacted by telephone in December 2001. Survey information was obtained from the program director, an attending physician, a resident, or the residency coordinator.