فهرست مطالب

Frontiers in Emergency Medicine
Volume:2 Issue: 4, Autumn2018

  • تاریخ انتشار: 1397/07/02
  • تعداد عناوین: 11
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  • Nur Hafizhah, Retty Ratnawati, Asti Melani Astari Page 1
    About 95% of the two billion airlines passengers suffered from health issues (1). Furthermore, a call center in North Carolina noted that there were 16 in-flight emergency cases for every 1 million airlines passengers (2). Cardiac arrest is one of these cases, which is a cause for mortality for about 1000 people during the flights (3). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can be demonstrated by the medical professionals or trained people such as flight attendants. Commercial flights usually do not have official medical staffs on board. Hence, whenever there are in-flight medical emergency cases, flight attendants should be trained to manage such cases. Flight attendants themselves are laymen who are trained to do basic medical emergency interventions, that is, even if they intervene in such cases, they cannot take an appropriate decision as the medical professionals. During in-flight cardiac arrest, the flight attendants are mainly responsible to immediately contact the ground staff and voluntary medical professionals on board; besides, they also have a right to perform CPR (4). Certain airlines such as Air Canada and Scandinavian Airlines have policies related to medical supervision. They apply emergency telemedicine that involves emergency specialists as the commander (5). Furthermore, the specialists will assign some instructions for the flight attendants who manage the in-flight medical emergencies (5). In contrast, in Indonesia, in case of any in-flight medical emergency, the flight attendants would announce on call asking for the presence of any medical professionals on board; however, no official medical professionals are recruited on board by the airlines for any medical casualties or emergency. Attendant expressed that the rescuer had many senses while helping people with in-flight medical emergency like shocked while looking at the victim. Contrary, the rescuer also determined to take her responsibility as a cabin crew by helping the victim. Furthermore, she had to manage her dilemma before doing that. The flight attendant has already expressed her suggestion on having in-flight medical professionals so that she can focus on her responsibility as a cabin crew. NBAA (2016) declares that commercial airlines are suggested to make policies that involve medical professionals in managing in-flight medical emergency (6). These will make flight attendants feel comfortable in serving the passengers. Consequently, the flight attendant needs medical companionship while performing CPR on board. Hence, in-flight medical emergency management, which is part of prehospital management, can be guaranteed
  • Ozlem Karagun, Hasan Yesilagac, Betul Gulalp Page 2
    Introduction
    In recent years, patients' satisfaction with emergency medical services provided to them has been one of the main criteria in the evaluation of the quality of these services.
    Objective
    The goal of our study was to determine the factors that affect the satisfaction of patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) and to provide new regulations.
    Method
    This prospective and descriptive study included 341 patients who utilized the ED services of a university hospital between October 1, 2004, and June 30, 2005. The patients' demographic and visit characteristics, waiting times, and the total duration of stay in the ED were noted in the prepared questionnaire. In addition, all patients were asked to indicate their level of satisfaction with the care received in the ED based on a five-point Likert scale. The results were analyzed using ANOVA, chi-square, and logistic regression tests.
    Results
    Of the 341 patients, 219 (64.2%) were satisfied with the care they had received in the ED. Factors such as doctor and nurse behavior, medical information, the frequency of doctors and nurses visits, the ease of access to personnel, the cleanliness of the ED, and the availability of technical equipment had a statistically significant effect on the overall satisfaction of the patients (p < 0.05).
    Conclusion
    The quality of patient care provided and the features of the ED determine the patients’ satisfaction with the ED services.
    Keywords: Emergency medicalservice, Patient care, Quality
  • Farhad Heydari, Nasim Golestani, Mehrdad Esmailian Page 3
    Introduction
    A clinical practice guideline (CPG) is developed with the aim of improving the quality of health care and reducing unnecessary interventions, hospitalization time, and related costs.
    Objective
    This study attempted to design a standard protocol for gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) patients.
    Method
    This was a cross-sectional study conducted during 2013 and 2014 in an educational medical center in Isfahan, Iran. A checklist containing questions about waiting time for the services, hospitalization time, and costs was completed for the GIB patients. After this primary data gathering, a CPG was designed, codified, underwent several revisions, and finally implemented. Thereafter, the checklist was completed by GIB patients and compared with the previous ones.
    Result
    Fifty patients in each of the two phases were included. The mean age and sex of the studied patients were not different. The time from emergency departments (ED) arrival until the first visit (14 ± 9.8 Vs. 19.4 ± 13.4 minutes; p = 0.03), hospitalization (73.7 ± 49.2 Vs. 116.2 ± 7.2 hours; p=0.003) and costs (1.3 ± 0.81 Vs. 3.68 ± 3.51 million rials; p < 0.001) were significantly reduced following the CPG implementation. The time from admission until conducting endoscopy was not different in the two study periods (16.5 ± 7.8 Vs. 23.9 ± 24.5 hours, p = 0.89).
    Conclusion
    The implementation of the CPG for the management of GIB patients in the ED resulted in a reduction in the waiting time for the services and, further, reduction of hospitalization time and related costs.
    Keywords: Clinical protocols, Emergency department, Emergency service, hospital, Gastrointestinal hemorrhage
  • Sahar Mirbaha, Amin Saberinia, Sepide Ghesmati, Mohammadmehdi Forouzanfar Page 4
    Introduction
    Epidemiologic evaluation generally starts with recording the raw data regarding mortality, and healthcare managers should have a national plan executed for this purpose.
    Objective
    The present study was planned and performed with the aim of epidemiologically evaluating mortality cases among patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) of a major hospital in Tehran, Iran in order to plan and provide proper equipment for decreasing the mortality of patients.
    Method
    This cross-sectional study was performed in Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital, Tehran, Iran. All cases of mortality, recorded in the ED of the studied hospital from 20 March 2016 until 21 June 2016, were included in the study. A checklist was prepared for gathering data and the clinical profiles of all the considered patients were reviewed. Using this checklist, demographic data, chief complaint, history of underlying disease, pathologic findings of imaging modalities, and cause of death were extracted from the patients’ profiles.
    Result
    Over the mentioned period of time, in total, the data of 8420 admissions to the ED were recorded. Out of these patients, 76 (0.9%) had died, the mean age of whom was 67.66 ± 21.40 years. Based on these findings, among patients who had presented to the ED, 42.1% died due to the complications of heart attack and 13.2% died from complications caused by cancer.
    Conclusion
    Based on the findings of the present study, cardiovascular complications were the most leading cause of mortality in the studied ED and complications resulting from malignancy were in the second place. Trauma and accidents leading to intracranial hemorrhage were in the next places.
    Keywords: Cause of death, Emergency department, Epidemiologic studies, Mortality
  • Mani Mofidi, Roghayeh Rouhi, Babak Mahshidfar, Mahdi Rezai, Saeed Abbasi, Peyman Hafezimoghadam, Davood Fars Page 5
    Introduction
    Painful surgical procedures require adequate sedation and analgesia. A vast array of medications can be used for Procedural Sedation and Analgesia (PSA) in Emergency Departments (EDs).
    Objective
    The present study was conducted to compare Propofol-Ketamine (PK) and Propofol-Fentanyl (PF) compounds in patients undergoing closed reduction in EDs.
    Methods
    This randomized, double-blind, clinical trial was conducted on 110 consecutive patients who required sedation for closed reduction. The patients were randomly divided into two groups of equal sizes. The PK group received an intravenous bolus of 1 mg/kg of propofol plus 0.5 mg/kg of ketamine, and the PF group received an intravenous bolus of 1 mg/kg of propofol plus 1 µg/kg of fentanyl. The analgesic effect and success rate were the primary outcomes under study.
    Results
    The PK group achieved more effective analgesia at the end of the experiment. The success rate was almost the same in both groups Shivering (p=0.005) and a drop in oxygen saturation to below 92% (p=0.048) were two side effects that were more prevalent in the FK group . The mean recovery time was significantly shorter in the PK group (p<0.001). The patients in the PK group were more satisfied.
    Conclusion
    In comparison with the PF compound, the use of KP leads to better pain relief and greater patient satisfaction and shorter sedation time in PSA.
    Keywords: Analgesia, Emergency department, Fentanyl, Ketamine, Pain, procedural, Propofo
  • Ali Abdolrazaghnejad, Mohsen Banaie, Nader Tavakoli, Mohammad Safdari, Ali Rajabpour Page 6
    Context: The aim of this review is to recognizing different methods of analgesia for emergency medicine physicians (EMPs) allows them to have various pain relief methods to reduce pain and to be able to use it according to the patient’s condition and to improve the quality of their services. Evidence acquisition: In this review article, the search engines and scientific databases of Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, Medline, Scopus, and Cochrane for emergency pain management methods were reviewed. Among the findings, high quality articles were eventually selected from 2000 to 2018, and after reviewing them, we have conducted a comprehensive comparison of the usual methods of pain control in the emergency department (ED).
    Results
    For better understanding, the results are reported in to separate subheadings including “Parenteral agents” and “Regional blocks”. Non-opioids analgesics such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and acetaminophen are commonly used in the treatment of acute pain. However, the relief of acute moderate to severe pain usually requires opioid agents. Considering the side effects of systemic drugs and the restrictions on the use of analgesics, especially opioids, regional blocks of pain as part of a multimodal analgesic strategy can be helpful.
    Conclusion
    This study was designed to investigate and identify the disadvantages and advantages of using each drug to be able to make the right choices in different clinical situations for patients while paying attention to the limitations of the use of these analgesic drugs.
    Keywords: Analgesics, Opioid, Anesthesia, Conduction, Emergency Service, Hospital, Pain Management
  • Kawa A. Mahmood, Suha N. Aloosi, Shakhawan M. Ali, Payman Kh. Mahmud, Seerwan O. Hasan, Hawbash O. Muhamed Page 7
    Introduction
    Gorlin-Goltz syndrome (GGS), also known as basal cell nevus syndrome, is a very rare autosomal dominant inherited disorder that is characterized by the development of numerous basal cell carcinoma. This article reports a case of GGS, emphasizing its clinical and radiographic manifestations.
    Case presentation
    We report here the case of a 35-year-old man who visited the maxillofacial emergency department due to left facial swelling. According to his clinical and radiographic examination we diagnosed him with GGS with no family history. The patient has multiple odontogenic keratocysts, rib anomalies, calcifications of the falx cerebri, lower jaw prognathism, frontal bossing, macrocephaly, and thick eyebrows.
    Conclusion
    A definitive diagnosis of GGS should be made by a multidisciplinary team including a maxillofacial surgeon and medical specialists. Early diagnosis, treatment, and regular follow up are important to decrease complications, including oromaxillofacial deformation and destruction, and possible malignancy.
    Keywords: Basal cell nevus syndrome, Case reports, Odontogenic cysts, Oral, maxillofacial surgeons
  • Yatin Mehta, Vivekanshu Verm, Devendra Richhariya Page 8
    Introduction
    Traumatic injury to the pancreas is not common, but if the diagnosis is delayed or misdiagnosed in the emergency department (ED), the condition is associated with high morbidity and mortality and raises a question about the quality of emergency care. Here, we describe a rare case of blunt abdominal trauma resulted in isolated pancreas injury.
    Case presentation
    A 25-year-old young male came to our emergency room (ER) in a conscious, anxious state from a nearby town with a history of roadside trauma. Further investigations revealed an isolated pancreatic injury due to trauma with no other major injuries, which occurred due to a sudden high-speed impact of the steering wheel to the epigastrium of a driver while driving the car, severely compressing the pancreas between the backbone and steering wheel. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit for close observation and monitoring. He was managed conservatively on intravenous fluids, antibiotics, analgesics, and vasopressors. He was discharged after five days in a hemodynamically stable and afebrile condition, on a normal diet.
    Conclusion
    Isolated pancreatic injury following blunt abdominal trauma is rare, and the symptoms are difficult to analyze early due to its retroperitoneal anatomy. Early detection and early intervention are important in the ED, and if left unrecognized, could result in a poor outcome.
    Keywords: Case reports, Disease management, Pancreas, Wounds, nonpenetrating
  • Mahnaz Pejman, Sani, Mahbube Ebrahimpur, Mohammad, Reza Mohajeri Page 9
    A 45-year-old man was admitted in our department with complaints of severe headache for over 6 months period. He also suffered from several problems such as visual field defect, decreased energy and libido, body hair loss, cold intolerance, decreased appetite and dry skin. On physical examination, he was afebrile: BP (blood pressure): 110/70 mm/Hg, PR (pulse rate) :65 beat/min, BMI (body mass index): 24. He had no terminal hair on face or chest and subcutaneous adipose tissue mass had been decreased substantially. Laboratory tests revealed; Hb: 12 g/dL (N: 14–17 g/dL), Total testosterone: 1.2 ng/mL (N:–-10 ng/mL), Luteinizing hormone (LH):3.3MIU/mL (N:1–8 MIU/mL), Follicle Stimulating hormone (FSH):1.3 MIU/mL (N:1–7 MIU/mL), T4:3.4 micg/dL (N:4–12 micg/dL), TSH:0.6 MIU/mL (N:0.5–5 MIU/mL), Prolactin:100 ng/mL (2–24 ng/mL), serum cortisol:6 MIU/mL (N:4–21 MIU/mL), IGF1:162 ng/mL (50–245). Pituitary MRI showed macroadenoma (29*16*14 mm) in left side of sella turcica which bulged to suprasellar cistern with pressure effect on left optic nerve (Figure 1, 2). Visual field examination revealed mild temporal hemianopia. These findings are consistent with macroadenoma and mild prolactin elevation. We also observed a discrepancy between pituitary tumor size and prolactin level. The correct estimate of serum prolactin was obtained after serial dilutional measurement. Serum prolactin after dilution was 6470 ng/mL. With these findings pituitary macroadenoma was diagnosed and treatment with cabergoline (dopamine agonist) 0.5 mg/week was started. After one month follow-up he had no symptoms, visual field defect was improved and pituitary MRI showed significant shrinkage of tumor.
  • Nadien Khaled Fahim, Ahmed Negida Page 10
    Sample size calculation is an essential methodological issue in clinical research. It is crucial to ensure that the study has sufficient participants in order to detect the expected effect estimate. Moreover, it has been advocated that the underpowered clinical trials lead to wastage of time, money, and resources, and are not ethical as they do not generate expected results and expose the patients to a higher risk. Considering the importance of this methodological point, we shall commence the research methodology section of the Advanced Journal of Emergency Medicine with a series of educational letters explaining the method to calculate the sample size for various clinical research study designs. For more illustration, each educational note will be accompanied by a real-life example from the published articles in emergency medicine research. This is the first article of our educational series where we have explained the sample size calculation based on a prevalence rate.
  • Anees Abdul, Arpith Easo Samuel, Fabith Moideen, Jayasree Nambiar Page 11
    ntroduction: Studies have shown that patients with Von Willebrand disease (VWD) have decreased prevalence of thrombotic events like myocardial infarction (MI). Here we describe a case of VWD with acute non-ST-elevation MI with ongoing bleeding manifestations. 
    Case presentation
    A 37-year-old female patient presented to the emergency department with a complaint of central chest pain since 7 days. She also had a history of hemoptysis since 8 days. Electrocardiogram (ECG) revealed ST-segment depression in leads I, aVL, II, III, aVF, and V4-V6 compatible with diagnosis of Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (Non STEMI). She was started on nitroglycerine infusion, angiotensin II receptor blockers, and calcium channel blockers along with trimetazidine. Her chest pain and ECG changes settled after 2 days, and she was discharged in a stable condition. 
    Conclusion
    There are limited studies available regarding the management of acute MI in VWD patients with acute bleeding manifestations. Further studies have to be carried out to determine successful ways of managing thrombotic events like MI in this subset of patients.