First aid: level of knowledge of relatives and bystanders in emergency situations.

Bystanders who are able to provide immediate first aid to patients who require emergency care can make a big difference in the outcome. Thus, first-aid training should be made available to as many people as possible. The aims of this study were to assess the level of first-aid knowledge among bystanders in emergency situations and to identify factors that affected this level of knowledge.

[Assessment of physicians employed in emergency medical services about their level of knowledge on basic life support, advanced cardiac life support and medicolegal responsibilities].

Background: We aimed to determine the level of knowledge of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) physicians on Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and medicolegal responsibilities in conjunction with related factors.

Methods: Fifty-three physicians (43 male, 10 females; mean age 39 years; range 28 to 50 years) employed in EMS were required to respond a questionnaire consisting of demographic data and educational background. They also answered 25 multiple-choice questions about BLS, ACLS and medicolegal responsibilities of physicians in a face-to-face manner.

Acute subdural hemorrhage while traveling by bus: a risk factor in the elderly?

A 71-year-old man was delivered to our emergency department by an intercity bus. About 4 hours into a journey, he had complained of a headache to his wife. After one more hour, she noted a change in his level of alertness and notified the bus driver.

Evaluation of prehospital emergency care in the field and during the ambulance drive to the hospital.

This study was conducted to evaluate the appropriateness of ambulance procedures and interventions in the management of patients dispatched to 2 emergency departments (EDs) of urban hospitals in Izmir. Use of trauma boards and cervical collars, airway patency, breathing, and circulation problems were recorded in both EDs. Eighty-one patients with a mean age of 47.

Analysis of factors affecting satisfaction in the emergency department: a survey of 1019 patients.

The objective of this study was to identify factors that affect overall satisfaction of patients admitted to the emergency department (ED). All consecutive adult patients in the ED during a 14-day period who could communicate well were enrolled into this cross-sectional analytic study. Patients' demographic data, information on care, and level of satisfaction were recorded.

Paramedics and triage: effect of one training session on triage in the emergency department.

This 3-stage intervention study enrolled all adult patients referred to a university-based emergency department (ED) during randomly assigned 1-week preeducation or posteducation periods. Triage decisions recorded by ED paramedics (n = 8) both before and after an educational training session were compared to decisions made by emergency physicians (EPs). Triage decisions of paramedics and EPs in the preeducation phase showed poor consistency (K = 0.

Comparison of meperidine plus midazolam and fentanyl plus midazolam in procedural sedation: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial.

This double-blind, randomized, prospective study was conducted to compare the analgesic and sedative efficacy of fentanyl and meperidine in orthopedic closed reduction of fractures and dislocations undertaken in the emergency department. Seventy consecutive adult patients with fractures or dislocations suitable for reduction were randomized to receive fentanyl (1 mcg/kg; n = 36) or meperidine (0.5 mg/kg; n = 34) in combination with midazolam (0.

Prilocaine versus plain or buffered lidocaine for local anesthesia in laceration repair: randomized double-blind comparison.

Aim: To compare the effectiveness of 2% prilocaine plain solution, 1% lidocaine hydrochloride, and 1% buffered lidocaine in local anesthesia and pain reduction during injection in laceration repair.

Methods: A double-blind randomized prospective comparison study included 183 consecutive eligible adult patients with simple lacerations, admitted to the emergency department between January 2001 and June 2002. Each of the three groups of patients received different local anesthetic before laceration suturing (1% lidocaine, 2% prilocaine, or buffered 1% lidocaine).