The preventability of trauma-related death at a tertiary hospital in Ghana: a multidisciplinary panel review approach.

Introduction: The purpose of the study was to determine the preventable trauma-related death rate (PDR) at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana three years after initiation of an Emergency Medicine (EM) residency.

Method: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study. A multidisciplinary panel of physicians completed a structured implicit review of clinical data for trauma patients who died during the period 2011 to 2012.

Skill and knowledge retention after training in cardiopulmonary ultrasound in Ghana: an impact assessment of bedside ultrasound training in a resource-limited setting.

Objective: Brief training courses in bedside ultrasound are commonly done by visiting faculty in low-income and middle-income countries, and positive short-term effects have been reported. Long-term outcomes are poorly understood. We held a training course on a cardiopulmonary ultrasound (CPUS) protocol over two separate 10-day periods in 2016.

An evidence-based approach to evaluation and management of the febrile child in Indian emergency department.

Fever is the most common complaint for a child to visit hospital. Under the aegis of INDO-US Emergency and Trauma Collaborative, Pediatric Emergency Medicine chapter of Academic College of Emergency Experts in India developed evidence-based consensus for evaluation and management of febrile child in emergency department. An extensive literature search and further online communication of the group led to the development of a detailed approach for the evaluation and management of individual conditions associated with fever.

Cardiopulmonary ultrasound for critically ill adults improves diagnostic accuracy in a resource-limited setting: the AFRICA trial.

Objective: To assess the effects of a cardiopulmonary ultrasound (CPUS) examination on diagnostic accuracy for critically ill patients in a resource-limited setting.

Methods: Approximately half of the emergency medicine resident physicians at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana, were trained in a CPUS protocol. Adult patients triaged to the resuscitation area of the emergency department (ED) were enrolled if they exhibited signs or symptoms of shock or respiratory distress.

Sustainable Resuscitation Ultrasound Education in a Low-Resource Environment: The Kumasi Experience.

Background: Point-of-care-ultrasound (POCUS) is an increasingly important tool for emergency physicians and has become a standard component of emergency medicine residency training in high-income countries. Cardiopulmonary ultrasound (CPUS) is emerging as an effective way to quickly and accurately assess patients who present to the emergency department with shock and dyspnea. Use of POCUS, including CPUS, is also becoming more prevalent in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); however, formal ultrasound training for emergency medicine resident physicians in these settings is not widely available.

The role of short-term volunteers in a global health capacity building effort: the Project HOPE-GEMC experience.

Background: Increasingly, medical students and practicing clinicians are showing interest in traveling to low-income settings to conduct research and engage in clinical rotations. While global health activities have the potential to benefit both the individual and the host, there can be challenges. We describe one way to harmonize the desire of volunteers to have a meaningful impact on the health care delivery system in a developing country with the needs of that country.

Optimizing clinical operations as part of a global emergency medicine initiative in Kumasi, Ghana: application of Lean manufacturing principals to low-resource health systems.

Background: Although many global health programs focus on providing clinical care or medical education, improving clinical operations can have a significant effect on patient care delivery, especially in developing health systems without high-level operations management. Lean manufacturing techniques have been effective in decreasing emergency department (ED) length of stay, patient waiting times, numbers of patients leaving without being seen, and door-to-balloon times for ST-elevation myocardial infarction in developed health systems, but use of Lean in low to middle income countries with developing emergency medicine (EM) systems has not been well characterized.

Objectives: To describe the application of Lean manufacturing techniques to improve clinical operations at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Ghana and to identify key lessons learned to aid future global EM initiatives.