Comparative Analysis of META and SALT Disaster Triage in an Adult Trauma Population: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Background: Medical professionals can use mass-casualty triage systems to assist them in prioritizing patients from mass-casualty incidents (MCIs). Correct triaging of victims will increase their chances of survival. Determining the triage system that has the best performance has proven to be a difficult question to answer.

Role of Emergency Medical Services in Disaster Response - National Association of EMS Physicians Position Statement.

This is the official position statement of the National Association of EMS Physicians on the role of emergency medical services (EMS) in disaster response.

A Rare Presentation of Epstein-Barr Virus Infection.

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a herpesvirus spread by intimate contact. It is known to cause infectious mononucleosis. Complications, including hematologic pathology and splenic rupture, are uncommon.

A centralized system for providing dispatcher assisted CPR instructions to 9-1-1 callers at multiple municipal public safety answering points.

Background: Dispatcher CPR instruction increases the odds of survival. However, many communities do not provide this lifesaving intervention, often citing the barriers of limited personnel, funding, and liability.

Objective: Describe the implementation of a novel centralized dispatcher CPR instruction program that serves seven public safety answering points (PSAPs).

Comparing the Accuracy of Mass Casualty Triage Systems When Used in an Adult Population.

To use a previously published criterion standard to compare the accuracy of 4 different mass casualty triage systems (Sort, Assess, Lifesaving Interventions, Treatment/Transport [SALT], Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment [START], Triage Sieve, and CareFlight) when used in an emergency department-based adult population. We performed a prospective, observational study of a convenience sample of adults aged 18years or older presenting to a single tertiary care hospital emergency department. A co-investigator with prior emergency medical services (EMS) experience observed each subject's initial triage in the emergency department and recorded all data points necessary to assign a triage category using each of the 4 mass casualty triage systems being studied.

Comparing the Accuracy of Mass Casualty Triage Systems in a Pediatric Population.

Introduction: It was previously difficult to compare the accuracy of different mass casualty triage systems to one another. This pilot study is one of the first attempts to operationalize an expert panel's criterion standard definitions of triage categories in a pediatric population in order to compare accuracy between different systems.

Objective: To compare the accuracy of 4 different mass casualty triage systems (SALT, JumpSTART, Triage Sieve, and CareFlight) when used for children.

A Nanoparticle Platform To Evaluate Bioconjugation and Receptor-Mediated Cell Uptake Using Cross-Linked Polyion Complex Micelles Bearing Antibody Fragments.

Targeted nanomedicines are a promising technology for treatment of disease; however, preparation and characterization of well-defined protein-nanoparticle systems remain challenging. Here, we describe a platform technology to prepare antibody binding fragment (Fab)-bearing nanoparticles and an accompanying real-time cell-based assay to determine their cellular uptake compared to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and Fabs. The nanoparticle platform was composed of core-cross-linked polyion complex (PIC) micelles prepared from azide-functionalized PEG-b-poly(amino acids), that is, azido-PEG-b-poly(l-lysine) [N3-PEG-b-PLL] and azido-PEG-b-poly(aspartic acid) [N3-PEG-b-PAsp].

A consensus-based gold standard for the evaluation of mass casualty triage systems.

Introduction: Accuracy and effectiveness analyses of mass casualty triage systems are limited because there are no gold standard definitions for each of the triage categories. Until there is agreement on which patients should be identified by each triage category, it will be impossible to calculate sensitivity and specificity or to compare accuracy between triage systems.

Objective: To develop a consensus-based, functional gold standard definition for each mass casualty triage category.

Development of an EMS curriculum.

Emergency medical services (EMS) became an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) approved subspecialty of emergency medicine in September 2010. Achieving specialty or subspecialty recognition in an area of medical practice requires a unique body of knowledge, a scientific basis for the practice, a significant number of physicians who dedicate a portion of their practice to the area, and a sufficient number of fellowship programs. To prepare EMS fellows for successful completion of fellowship training, a lifetime of subspecialty practice, and certification examination, a formalized structured fellowship curriculum is necessary.

Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR) and Emergency Medicine Residents' Learning of Case Presentation Skills.

Background: To date, no standardized presentation format is taught to emergency medicine (EM) residents during patient handoffs to consulting or admitting physicians. The Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR) is a common format that provides a consistent framework to communicate pertinent information.

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe and evaluate the feasibility of using SBAR to teach interphysician communication skills to first-year EM residents to use during patient handoffs.

Mass casualty triage: an evaluation of the data and development of a proposed national guideline.

Mass casualty triage is a critical skill. Although many systems exist to guide providers in making triage decisions, there is little scientific evidence available to demonstrate that any of the available systems have been validated. Furthermore, in the United States there is little consistency from one jurisdiction to the next in the application of mass casualty triage methodology.

Hospital variability of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival.

Background: Previous literature has identified patient and emergency medical services (EMS) system factors that are associated with survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.

Objective: To determine variability in rates of survival to discharge of resuscitated adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients and to identify hospital-related factors associated with survival.

Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study of all adult (21 years or older) out-of-hospital Utstein criteria cardiac-etiology arrests treated by Milwaukee County EMS during the period 1995-2005 and surviving to hospital intensive care unit admission.

Third-degree AV block from extended-release diltiazem ingestion in a nine-month-old.

Calcium channel blocker (CCB) overdose is associated with dysrhythmias and atrioventricular (AV) block, however, experience with infant CCB overdose is limited. A 9-month-old girl was found playing with tablets of extended-release diltiazem 120 mg. The patient had two episodes of emesis, which contained pill fragments, and was brought to the Emergency Department (ED) 4.