Does wearing a surgical facemask or N95-respirator impair radio communication?

Purpose: This study evaluated the impact wearing a surgical facemask or N95 air purifying respirator (N95) has on radio reception.

Methods: We compared the ability of a flight crewmember and a layperson sitting in a Bell 407 crew compartment and a dispatcher sitting in a communication center to accurately record 20 randomized aviation terms transmitted over the radio by a helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) pilot wearing a surgical facemask and six different N95s with and without the aircraft engine operating.

Results: With the aircraft engine off, all terms (100% accuracy) were correctly identified, regardless of the absence or presence of the surgical facemask or N95 studied.

Expanding laparoscopic cholecystectomy to rural Mongolia.

Background: Although laparoscopic cholecystectomy was first introduced in Mongolia in 1994, the benefits of the laparoscopic approach have been largely unavailable to the majority of the population. The burden of gallbladder disease in Mongolia is significant. Despite the barriers to expanding laparoscopic surgery in Mongolia (lack of physical resources and adequate training opportunities, a difficult political situation, and an austere environment), the Health Sciences University of Mongolia (HSUM) began looking for ways to further the development of laparoscopy for the entire country, including the rural areas where half the population resides.

The measure of treatment agreement between portable and laboratory blood gas measurements in guiding protocol-driven ventilator management.

Background: Portable blood gas analyzer and monitor devices are increasingly being used to direct ventilator therapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the "measure of treatment agreement" between portable and laboratory blood gas measurements used in guiding protocol-driven ventilator management.

Materials And Methods: Using National Institutes of Health Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome network ventilator management guidelines to manage patient care, measurements taken from the Nonin 8500 M pulse oximeter (SpO2), the Novametrix-610 end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) detector, and the i-STAT 1 (SaO2, PO2, pH, PCO2) were compared with the recommended treatment from paired laboratory ABL-725 (SaCO2, PO2, pH, PCO2) measurements.

Outcomes of pediatric trauma patients transported from rural and urban scenes.

Objectives: Mortality differences exist between victims of urban and rural trauma. It is unknown if these differences persist in those patients who survive to HEMS transport. This study examined the in-hospital mortality, hospital LOS, and discharge status of pediatric blunt trauma victims transported by HEMS from rural and urban scenes.

Outcomes of blunt trauma victims transported by HEMS from rural and urban scenes.

Objective: Mortality differences exist between victims of urban and rural trauma; however, it is unknown if these differences persist in those patients who survive to HEMS transport. This study examined the in-hospital mortality, length of hospital stay, and discharge status of adult blunt trauma victims transported by HEMS from rural and urban scenes to regional trauma centers.

Methods: Retrospective review of all adult (age >/= 15) HEMS transports in 2001; 271 urban and 141 rural blunt trauma patients were identified from HEMS transport records and the trauma registries at three level one trauma centers.

Sleep and cognitive performance of flight nurses after 12-hour evening versus 18-hour shifts.

Background: Inadequate rest can result in disastrous medical and aviation errors. Using a prospective within-subjects design, this study compared the amount of daily sleep and the cognitive performance in flight nurses working 12-hour evening versus 18-hour shifts during a 72-hour duty schedule.

Methods: Ten flight nurses who worked two different duty schedules participated in the study.

Scene transport of pediatric patients injured at winter resorts.

Objective: To examine the characteristics of pediatric patients (age =16 years) injured at winter resort scenes and transported by helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) or ground EMS (GEMS) ambulance services to regional trauma centers.

Methods: Between 1997 and 2001, a total of 119 patients (GEMS = 69; HEMS = 50) were identified from trauma registries and HEMS transport records. Demographic data, initial vital signs, hospital interventions, and discharge status of the two groups were examined.

Transport of winter resort injuries to regional trauma centers.

Introduction: This study examined the epidemiology of winter resort injuries presenting to regional trauma centers by helicopter (HEMS) or ground (GEMS) ambulance.

Methods: Five hundred seventy-five patients (GEMS 289; HEMS 286) were identified from trauma registries and HEMS transport records. Demographic data, hospital interventions, and discharge status were examined.

Correlation between human epidermal growth factor receptor family (EGFR, HER2, HER3, HER4), phosphorylated Akt (P-Akt), and clinical outcomes after radiation therapy in carcinoma of the cervix.

Objective: To investigate prognostic significance of and correlations between HER1 (EGFR), HER2 (c-erb-B2), HER3 (c-erb-B3), HER4 (c-erb-B4), and phosphorylated Akt (P-Akt) in patients treated with radiation for cervical carcinoma.

Methods: Fifty-five patients with stages I-IVA cervical carcinoma were treated with definitive radiotherapy. Tumor expression of each biomarker was quantitatively scored by an automated immunohistochemical imaging system.

Computed tomography without oral contrast solution for blunt diaphragmatic injuries in abdominal trauma.

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) of computed tomography (CT) without oral contrast for diaphragm injuries (DIs) in blunt abdominal trauma.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 500 consecutive "trauma-one" patients who received CT imaging and interpretation (CT-Read1) of the abdomen within 45 minutes of their arrival from July 2000 to December 2001. All patients were imaged without oral contrast but with intravenous contrast.

Comparison of late rectal toxicity from conventional versus three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer: analysis of clinical and dosimetric factors.

Objectives: To compare late rectal toxicity (LRT) after definitive radiotherapy (DR) and salvage radiotherapy (SR) in prostate cancer using conventional (CONV) or three-dimensional conformal (3-D) techniques.

Methods: The outcomes and clinical factors of 212 patients with Stage T1a-T4 prostate cancer were evaluated (separated into DR and SR groups). The median prescribed dose was 66, 74, 66, and 70 Gy, for the CONV-DR, 3-D-DR, CONV-SR, and 3-D-SR groups, respectively.