To Tube or Not to Tube ... That Continues to Be the Question.

In the prehospital setting, "to tube, or not to tube" will persist as a probing question - long after this article is published. It is the hope of the authors simply to position a compilation of thoughts to consider in regards to alternate airways vs. endotracheal intubation.

Implementing the 2005 American Heart Association Guidelines improves outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to determine whether applying highly recommended changes in the 2005 American Heart Association (AHA) Guidelines would improve outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Background: In 2005, AHA recommended multiple ways to improve circulation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Methods: Conglomerate quality assurance data were analyzed during prospective implementation of the 2005 AHA Guidelines in five emergency medical services (EMS) systems.

From laboratory science to six emergency medical services systems: New understanding of the physiology of cardiopulmonary resuscitation increases survival rates after cardiac arrest.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to: 1) describe a newly mechanism of blood flow to the brain during cardiopulmonary resuscitation using the impedance threshold device in a piglet model of cardiac arrest, and 2) describe the survival benefits in humans of applying all of the highly recommended changes in the 2005 guidelines related to increasing circulation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, including use of the impedance threshold device, from six emergency medical services systems in the United States.

Design: Animal studies prospective trial with each piglet serving as its own control. Historical controls were used for the human studies.

The 2003 Air Medical Leadership Congress: findings and recommendations.

To address important concerns facing the air medical community, 149 air medical transport leaders, providers, consultants, and experts met September 4-6, 2003, in Salt Lake City, Utah, for a 3-day summit-the Air Medical Leadership Congress: Setting the Health Care Agenda for the Air Medical Community. Using data from a Web-based survey, top air medical transport issues were identified in four core areas: safety, medical care, cost/benefit, and regulatory/compliance. This report reviews the findings of previous congresses and summarizes the discussions, findings, recommendations, and proposed industry actions to address these issues as set forth by the 2003 congress participants.

The Air Medical Leadership Congress: setting the health care agenda for the air medical community.

Background: Emergency air medical transport provides the means for critically ill or injured patients to rapidly access sophisticated medical flight teams and medical centers. However, issues such as surging emergency medical services helicopter accidents, expected pilot and nurse shortages, falling reimbursements, and new compliance regulations are now threatening these important but expensive transport services. Unless an industry strategy can be developed to address these and other threats, many medical flight programs may be forced to curtail the availability of these lifesaving services.