Comparison of droperidol and haloperidol for use by paramedics: assessment of safety and effectiveness.

Background: Since the 2001 "black box" warning on droperidol, its use in the prehospital setting has decreased substantially in favor of haloperidol. There are no studies comparing the prehospital use of either drug. The goal of this study was to compare QTc prolongation, adverse events, and effectiveness of droperidol and haloperidol among a cohort of agitated patients in the prehospital setting.

Interhospital transfers from U.S. emergency departments: implications for resource utilization, patient safety, and regionalization.

Objectives: The authors sought to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of interhospital transfers from U.S. emergency departments (EDs) along with the primary reasons for transfers.

Rural clinical experiences for emergency medicine residents: a curriculum template.

Rural emergency departments (EDs) in the United States are less likely to be staffed with emergency medicine (EM) residency-trained and American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM)-certified physicians than urban EDs. Rural EM clinical experiences during residency training have been suggested as a strategy to encourage future rural practice, but past Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Residency Review Committee for Emergency Medicine program requirements and a lack of familiarity with rural rotations in the EM graduate medical education (GME) community have limited their availability. To provide a template for the development and implementation of a rural EM clinical experience, Kern's six-step approach was followed.

An argument for the conservative management of small traumatic pneumathoraces in populations with high prevalence of HIV and tuberculosis: an evidence-based review of the literature.

Background: Traumatic pneumothoraces are common. Many are managed with tube thoracostomy. However, there is a high complication rate from chest tube placement, particularly in patients with HIV, TB, or both.

Treatment of suspected cardiac ischemia with aspirin by paramedics in an urban emergency medical services system.

Background: Aspirin (ASA) has unquestioned benefit to patients with cardiac ischemia. Previous studies indicate health care providers may not adequately treat patients experiencing cardiac ischemia with ASA.

Objective: To determine the rate of ASA use for patients being treated for chest pain suggestive of cardiac ischemia in the prehospital setting.