An investigation into emergency medicine resident cricothyrotomy competency: Is three the magic number?

Objectives: Cricothyrotomy is a high-stakes emergency procedure. Because the procedure is rare, simulation is often used to train residents. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires performance of three cricothyrotomies during residency, but the optimal number of training repetitions is unknown.

A human cadaver fascial compartment pressure measurement model.

Background: Fresh human cadavers provide an effective model for procedural training. Currently, there are no realistic models to teach fascial compartment pressure measurement.

Objectives: We created a human cadaver fascial compartment pressure measurement model and studied its feasibility with a pre-post design.

Prehospital pearls, pitfalls, and updates.

The rapid proliferation of emergency medical services in the United States has led to numerous controversies concerning delivery, interventions, and efficacy. This article presents a brief overview of the important literature in this expanding field. Important clinical topics, including first-responder defibrillation, rapid sequence intubation, and airway management, are reviewed.

ExacTech blood glucose meter clinical trial.

Introduction: Current prehospital protocols for the management of patients with altered mental status include the empiric administration of hypertonic glucose, naloxone, and thiamine. The injudicious use of 50% dextrose (D50W) may result in hyperosmolarity, a worsening of hypokalemia, and unwarranted additional health-care costs for the patient. The administration of D50W also may worsen the neurological outcome of patients with local or generalized ischemia.

Analysis of hospital ability to provide trauma services: a comparison between teaching and community hospitals.

Hypothesis: Teaching hospitals (TH) can maintain the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACSCOT) criteria for Level II trauma care more consistently than can community hospitals (CH).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 2,091 trauma system patients was done to determine if TH in an urban area are better able to meet the criteria for Level II trauma care than are CH. During the study period, a voluntary trauma plan existed among five hospitals; two TH and three CH.