Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in denver, colorado: epidemiology and outcomes.

Objectives: The annual incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA) in the United States is approximately 6 per 10,000 population and survival remains low. Relatively little is known about the performance characteristics of a two-tiered emergency medical services (EMS) system split between fire-based basic life support (BLS) dispersed from fixed locations and hospital-based advanced life support (ALS) dispersed from nonfixed locations. The objectives of this study were to describe the incidence of OOHCA in Denver, Colorado, and to define the prevalence of survival with good neurologic function in the context of this particular EMS system.

Administration of corticosteroids for acute spinal cord injury: the current practice of trauma medical directors and emergency medical system physician advisors.

Objective: In 1997, the results from the Third National Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study (NASCIS 3) were published. We undertook the present study to determine the treatment protocols for patients with spinal cord injuries in Colorado and assess whether there were any barriers to the administration of corticosteroids.

Study Design: Cross-sectional.