Improved auscultation skills in paramedic students using a modified stethoscope.

Background: The Ventriloscope® (Lecat's SimplySim, Tallmadge, OH) is a modified stethoscope used as a simulation training device for auscultation.

Objective: To test the effectiveness of the Ventriloscope as a training device in teaching heart and lung auscultatory findings to paramedic students.

Methods: A prospective, single-hospital study conducted in a paramedic-teaching program.

The effectiveness and adverse events of morphine versus fentanyl on a physician-staffed helicopter.

Background: Morphine and fentanyl are both frequently used in prehospital trauma patients, but due to limited formulary size, we sought to study whether both drugs should be included.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of fentanyl as compared to morphine for patients requiring analgesic medications for a traumatic injury during transport via a physician-staffed air medical service.

Methods: Trauma patients were grouped by even and odd days (even - morphine 4 mg, odd - fentanyl 50 μg).

Characteristics of patients transported by an aeromedical service for acute toxicologic emergencies: a 5-year experience.

Introduction: Aeromedical services are used routinely in the prehospital and interhospital transfer of patients with trauma, neurosurgical, cardiac, and other conditions requiring specialized care. The use of aeromedical transport in patients with acute toxicologic emergencies is not well described. We sought to investigate and describe the characteristics of patients transported by our aeromedical service.