Introduction of a novel mathematical model for the prediction of the preformed particle gel's swelling in the presence of monovalent and divalent ions.

Excess water production is one of the challenges that can cause several operational and economic problems. In this work, a comprehensive study of the PPG swelling in the presence of monovalent and divalent ions was conducted. Then, a comprehensive and practical mathematical modified fractal grow (MFG) model that can calculate the amount of PPG swelling in different salinities overtime was introduced. The output of the model was compared with the experimental data and showed a matching of about 80%. The viscosity of the PPGs at various shear rates was studied and matched with the cross-viscosity model. To assess the thermal stability of the particle gels. The TGA result represented the 10% of weight loss up to the reservoir temperature. In the following, core flooding tests with different injection scenarios were conducted. The oil recovery for the water and water/PPG/water scenarios were 39.5% and 71.5%, respectively. Eventually, the relative permeability curves were plotted using the Corey approach, and the effect of the PPG injection on the relative permeability curves was shown. The PPG injection increased oil production and reduced the excess water production by reducing water mobility.

Prediction of difficult laryngoscopy / difficult intubation cases using upper airway ultrasound measurements in emergency department: a prospective observational study.

INTRODUCTION: Difficult laryngoscopy and intubation are serious problems among critically ill patients in emergency department (ED) so utility of a rapid, accurate and noninvasive method for predicting of these patients are necessary. Ultrasonography has been recently used in this regard and this study was conducted to investigate the correlation of some introduced upper airway ultrasound parameters with difficult laryngoscopy / difficult intubation in patients referred to the ED. METHOD: In this prospective observational study all patients ≥ 18-year-old who had an indication for rapid sequence intubation (RSI) were included. Ultrasound parameters including Hyoid Bone Visibility (HBV), Distance from Skin to Hyoid Bone (DSHB), Distance from Skin to Vocal Cords (DSVC), Distance from Skin to Thyroid Isthmus (DSTI), and Distance between Arytenoids Cartilages (DBAC) were measured in all cases. The patients underwent RSI and thereafter the patients' baseline characteristics, Cormack-Lehane grade, number of attempted laryngoscopy were recorded in a pre-prepared check list and compared with measured ultrasound parameters. The "difficult laryngoscopy" was defined as Cormack-Lehane classification grades III/IV; and need for more than 3 intubation attempts was considered as "difficult intubation". RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-three patients (52% male) were included of whom 10 patients (8.1%) were categorized as difficult laryngoscopy cases; and just 4 (3.3%) cases underwent more than 3 laryngoscopy attempts who considered as difficult intubation cases. The mean age of the patients in non-difficult and difficult intubation groups were 69.2 ± 15.16 and 68.77 ± 17.37 years, respectively (p > 0.05). There was no significant relationship between difficult laryngoscopy and HBV (p = 0.381) but has significant correlation with difficult intubation (p = 0.004). The DSHB had a significant correlation with difficult laryngoscopy (p = 0.002) but its correlation with difficult intubation was not significant (p = 0.629). The DSVC and DSTI had a significant relationship with both difficult laryngoscopy (p = 0.003 and p = 0.001), and difficult intubation (p = 0.025 and p = 0.001). The DBAC had not significant correlation neither with the difficult laryngoscopy (p = 0.142), nor with difficult intubation (p = 0.526). CONCLUSION: The findings showed that ultrasound parameters including soft tissue DSHB, DSVC and DSTI could be proper predictors of difficult laryngoscopy. Also, HBV, DSVC and DSTI may be proper predictors for difficult intubation. But DBAC was not useful in this regard.

Long-term exposure to PM2.5 and cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality in an Eastern Mediterranean country: findings based on a 15-year cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence concerning the impact of long-term exposure to fine Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5) on Cardio-Vascular Diseases (CVDs) for those people subject to ambient air pollution in developing countries remains relatively scant. This study assessed the relationship of 15-year PM2.5 exposure with cardiovascular incidence and mortality rate in Isfahan province, Iran. METHODS: The cohort comprised 3081 participants over 35 years old who were free of CVDs. They were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling in Isfahan, Iran. PM2.5 exposure was determined separately for each individual via satellite-based spatiotemporal estimates according to their residential addresses. In this context, CVD is defined as either fatal and non-fatal Acute Myocardial Infarctions (AMI) or stroke and sudden cardiac death. The incidence risk for CVD and the ensuing mortality was calculated based on the average PM2.5 exposure within a study period of 15 years using the Cox proportional hazards frailty model upon adjusting individual risk factors. The mean annual rate of PM2.5 and the follow-up data of each residential area were combined. RESULTS: Mean three-year PM2·5 exposure for the cohort was measured at 45.28 µg/m3, ranging from 20.01 to 69.80 µg/m3. The median time period for conducting necessary follow-ups was 12.3 years for the whole population. Notably, 105 cardiovascular and 241 all-cause deaths occurred among 393,786 person-months (27 and 61 per 100,000 person-months, respectively). In well-adjusted models, 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 corresponded to a 3% increase in the incidence rate of CVDs [0.95 CI = 1.016, 1.036] (in case of p = 0.000001 per 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5, the Hazard Ratio (HR) for AMI and Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) was 1.031 [0.95 CI = 1.005, 1.057] and 1.028 [0.95 CI = 1.017, 1.039]), respectively. No consistent association was observed between PM2.5 concentration and fatal CVD (fatal AMI, fatal stroke, SCD (Sudden Cardiac Death)) and all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Results from analyses suggest that the effect of PM2.5 on cardiovascular disease occurrence was stronger in the case of older people, smokers, and those with high blood pressure and diabetes. The final results revealed that long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 with high concentrations positively correlated with IHD incidence and its major subtypes, except for mortality. The outcome accentuates the need for better air quality in many countries.

Procalcitonin and D-dimer for Predicting 28-Day-Mortality Rate and Sepsis Severity based on SOFA Score; A Cross-sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the possible relationship of procalcitonin (PCT) and D-dimer with the 28-day-mortality rate and severity of sepsis based on sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, patients were enrolled based on their signs and symptoms of sepsis confirmed by essential laboratory studies. Demographic data, Glasgow coma scale and vital signs, serum PCT and D-dimer levels, creatinine, bilirubin level, arterial blood gas analysis and platelet count were recorded. Disease severity index was assessed based on SOFA score. Patients' 28-day-mortality rate and hospital length of stay were compared with the study variables. RESULTS: Sixty-four patients with the mean age of 78.3±11.6 were included of whom 34 cases (53.1%) were male. The 28-day-mortality rate was 17%. The analysis showed that only patients' age (p=0.01) and platelet count (p=0.02) had a statistically significant association with the mortality rate. SOFA score had no statistically significant correlation with PCT or D-dimer; and these two markers didn't have any significant correlation in terms of predicting mortality due to the sepsis. CONCLUSION: In our study, PCT and D-dimer failed to show any significant correlation with 28-day-mortality rate of sepsis.

Nebulized Budesonide vs. Placebo in Adults with Asthma Attack; a Double Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Asthma is one of acute respiratory diseases leading to emergency department (ED) referral. Management of acute attack plays an important role in its outcome. OBJECTIVE: This trial was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of nebulized budesonide versus placebo in moderate to severe acute asthma attack in adults in the ED. METHOD: In this clinical trial, we enrolled patients with acute exacerbation of asthma and standard treatment of acute asthma attack was administered to all of them. 41 patients in our study were randomly entered into 2 groups. In one group, we prescribed nebulized budesonide and in the other group nebulized placebo (normal saline) was administered. Patients' demographic data, vital signs, symptoms' acuity and the time of symptom relief, patient and physician satisfaction were all recorded and compared between the 2 groups. All cases were followed and disease outcome, readmission, mortality and morbidity rates were documented. RESULTS: In this study, 20 patients were entered the budesonide group and 19 patients were enrolled in the placebo group. The mean age ranges were 55.70±15.30 and 60.32±18.41 years old respectively. Heart rate, respiratory rate and O2 saturation in the first group were improved significantly after the treatment in comparison to the second group (p<0.05). The mean time of recovery and length of hospital stay were better in the first group than the second group but this difference was not significant (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The addition of nebulized budesonide to standard asthma treatment might result in more improvement in O2 saturation and less patient's distress.

Oral Diclofenac Potassium Versus Intravenous Acetaminophen in Acute, Isolated, Closed-Limb Trauma.

Pain control is an important concern in limb trauma. The most ideal agent for this purpose varies among different hospitals. The objective of this study was to compare the analgesic effect of oral diclofenac potassium versus intravenous acetaminophen in patients with limb trauma. This was a double-blind randomized clinical trial conducted on 60 adult patients. Oral diclofenac potassium (50 mg) was given in Group D, and intravenous acetaminophen (1 g in 500 ml normal saline over 20 min) was administered in Group A. Patients' pain scores (visual analogue scale) were recorded and compared at baseline, 5, 15, 30, 60 min, and 4 hr after drug administration. The mean age was 42.62 ± 15.42 and 38.04 ± 17.48 years in Group A and Group D, respectively. No significant change was observed between the 2 groups (p = 0.11). In this study, both drugs could decrease the pain score effectively and safely in isolated limb trauma.

Impact of point-of-care ultrasound on disposition time of patients presenting with lower extremity deep vein thrombosis, done by emergency physicians.

BACKGROUND: Point-of-care venous compression ultrasound (VCU) is highly accurate in deep vein thrombosis (DVT) diagnosis; however, waiting to perform this exam by radiologists, may cause delay in patients' disposition. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of point-of-care VCU on patients' disposition time, done by emergency physician versus radiologists. METHODS: A total of 50 patients suspected of having lower extremity DVT, were randomized into 2 equal groups and they underwent a point-of-care VCU performed either by an emergency physician (emergency medicine (EM) group) or a radiologist (radiology group). The mean time of patients' disposition and management were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The EM group consisted of 16 males and 9 females while the radiology group consisted of 13 males and 12 females. The median time elapsed from triage to performing ultrasonography and the median time elapsed from triage to final disposition were significantly lower in the EM group than those in the radiology group (50 min vs. 142 min, and 69 min vs. 260 min, respectively; p < .001). The final diagnosis was confirmed to be DVT in 14 patients (56%) in the EM group and in 17 patients (68%) in the radiology group (p = .38). There was no false positive or negative diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Performing VCU in patients suspected of having DVT by a trained emergency physician could significantly reduce the time of patients' disposition in the emergency setting.

Analyzing the effects of urban expansion on land surface temperature patterns by landscape metrics: a case study of Isfahan city, Iran.

Urban expansion can cause extensive changes in land use and land cover (LULC), leading to changes in temperature conditions. Land surface temperature (LST) is one of the key parameters that should be considered in the study of urban temperature conditions. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to investigate the effects of changes in LULC due to the expansion of the city of Isfahan on LST using landscape metrics. To this aim, two Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 images, which had been acquired, respectively, on August 2, 1985, and July 4, 2015, were used. The support vector machine method was then used to classify the images. The results showed that Isfahan city had been encountered with an increase of impervious surfaces; in fact, this class covered 15% of the total area in 1985, while this value had been increased to 30% in 2015. Then LST zoning maps were created, indicating that the bare land and impervious surfaces categories were dominant in high temperature zones, while in the zones where water was present or NDVI was high, LST was low. Then, the landscape metrics in each of the LST zones were analyzed in relation to the LULC changes, showing that LULC changes due to urban expansion changed such landscape properties as the percentage of landscape, patch density, large patch index, and aggregation index. This information could be beneficial for urban planners to monitor and manage changes in the LULC patterns.

Comparison of sedative effectiveness of thiopental versus midazolam in reduction of shoulder dislocation.

BACKGROUND: Various sedative drugs have been proposed to control anxiety and agitation in shoulder dislocation, but none of them has been diagnosed as the best sedative and relaxant agent. The study aimed to compare the sedative effectiveness of thiopental versus midazolam in reduction of shoulder dislocation. METHODS: A randomized double-blind controlled trail was performed in 80 patients with shoulder dislocation recruited from the emergency department. Ten patients were excluded and 70 patients were enrolled in the study. Case group received intravenous thiopental 2 mg/kg+2 µg/kg fentanyl while control group received intravenous midazolam 0.1 mg/kg+2 µg/kg fentanyl. Number of times, patients and physician's satisfaction, difficulty of procedure, degree of muscle relaxation, time of sedation and complete recovery, number of patients with apnea episode, O2 saturation, patient's pain score and adverse events were all recorded. RESULTS: Muscular tone had significant difference between the two groups (P-value=0.014) and thiopental was more muscle relaxant than midazolam. Replacement of shoulder dislocation in thiopental group was easier than midazolam group (P-value=0.043). There was no need to use multiple methods of reduction in either group. Before drug infusion the mean±SD VAS scores were 8.37±2.21 in the midazolam group (A) and 8.94±1.78 in the thiopental group (B); mean difference 0.57, 95% CI= -0.38 to 1.52. After completion of the procedure, the mean±SD VAS scores in group (A) and (B) were 3.20±1.30 vs. 3.65±1.30; mean difference -0.45, 95% CI= -1.07 to 0.16. CONCLUSION: Thiopental might be more effective and relaxant than midazolam for reduction of shoulder dislocation.

Emergency Overcrowding Impact on the Quality of Care of Patients Presenting with Acute Stroke.

INTRODUCTION: Emergency overcrowding is defined as when the amount of care required for patients overcomes the available amount. This can cause delays in delivering critical care in situations like stroke. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the possible impact of emergency department (ED) crowding on the quality of care for acute stroke patients. METHODS: In this cross-sectional prospective study, all patients with symptoms of acute stroke presenting to the ED of educational hospitals were enrolled. All patients were assessed and examined by the emergency medicine (EM) residents on shift and a questionnaire was filled out for them. The amount of time that passed from the first triage to performing the required interventions and delivering health services were recorded by the triage nurse. ED crowding was measured by the occupancy rate. Then, the correlation between all of the variables and ED crowding level were calculated. RESULTS: The average daily bed occupancy rate was 184.9 ± 54.3%. The median time passed from the first triage to performing the interventions were as follows: the first EM resident visit after 34 min, the first neurologic visit after 138 min, head CT after 134 min, ECG after 104 min and ASA administration after 210 min. There was no statistically significant relationship between the ED occupancy rate and the time elapsed before different required health services in the management of stroke patients either throughout an entire day or during each 8-hour interval (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In the current study, the ED occupancy rate was not significantly correlated with the time frame associated with management of admitted acute stroke patients.

Smartphones and Medical Applications in the Emergency Department Daily Practice.

INTRODUCTION: Medical applications help physicians to make more rapid and evidence based decisions that may provide better patient care. This study aimed to determine the extent to which smart phones and medical applications are integrated in the emergency department daily practice. METHOD: In a cross sectional study, a modified standard questionnaire (Payne et al.) consisting of demographic data and information regarding quality and quantity of smartphone and medical app utilization was sent to emergency-medicine residents and interns twice (two weeks apart), in January 2015. The questionnaire was put online using open access "Web-form Module" and the address of the web page was e-mailed along with a cover letter explaining the survey. Finally, responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and SPSS 22 software. RESULTS: 65 cases participated (response rate 86%). The mean age of interns and residents were 25.03 ± 1.13 and 30.27 ± 4.68 years, respectively (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between interns and residents in owning a smartphone (p = 0.5). Android was more popular than IOS (67.7% against 25.8%) and the most popular medical apps were Medscape and UpToDate, respectively. 38 (61.3%) of the respondents were using their apps more than once a day and mostly for drug information. English (83.9%), Persian (12.9%), and other languages (3.2%) were preferred languages for designing a medical software among the participants, respectively. CONCLUSION: The findings of present study showed that smartphones are very popular among Iranian interns and residents in emergency department and a substantial number of them own a smartphone and are using medical apps regularly in their clinical practice.

Comparison of intranasal ketamine versus IV morphine in reducing pain in patients with renal colic.

BACKGROUND: Various drugs have been used to relieve abdominal pain in patients with renal colic. Ketamine is a popular choice as an analgesic. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of intranasal (IN) ketamine versus intravenous (IV) morphine in reducing pain in patients with renal colic. METHODS: A randomized double-blind controlled trial was performed in 53 patients with renal colic recruited from the emergency department (ED) in 2015. Finally, 40 patients were enrolled in this study. Patients in the ketamine group received IN ketamine 1 mg/kg and IV placebo while patients in the control group received IV morphine 0.1mg/kg and IN placebo. Our goal was to assess visual analogue scale (VAS) changes between the 2 groups. Patients' VAS scores were reported before and 5, 15, 30min after drug injection. RESULTS: Before drug administration, the mean±SD VAS score was 7.40±1.18 in the morphine group (group A) and 8.35±1.30 in the ketamine group (group B) (P-value=0.021). After adjustment by the appropriate analysis, the mean±SD VAS score in group (A) and (B) at 5min were (6.07±0.47 vs 6.87±0.47; mean difference -0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.48 to -1.04) (P-value=0.025), at 15 and 30min, the mean±SD VAS score in group (A) and (B) were (5.24±0.49 vs 5.60±0.49; mean difference -0.36, 95% CI -1.08 to 0.34) and (4.02±0.59 vs 4.17±0.59; mean difference -0.15, 95% CI -1.02 to 0.71) (P-value=0.304 and 0.719) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: IN ketamine may be effective in decreasing pain in renal colic.

Evaluation of factors affecting psychological morbidity in emergency medicine practitioners.

BACKGROUND: Assessing and evaluating mental health status can provide educational planners valuable information to predict the quality of physicians' performance at work. These data can help physicians to practice in the most desired way. The study aimed to evaluate factors affecting psychological morbidity in Iranian emergency medicine practitioners at educational hospitals of Tehran. METHODS: In this cross sectional study 204 participants (emergency medicine residents and specialists) from educational hospitals of Tehran were recruited and their psychological morbidity was assessed by using a 28-question Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Somatization, anxiety and sleep disorders, social dysfunction and depression were evaluated among practitioners and compared to demographic and job related variables. RESULTS: Two hundreds and four participants consisting of 146 (71.6%) males and 58 (28.4%) females were evaluated. Of all participants, 55 (27%) were single and 149 (73%) were married. Most of our participants (40.2%) were between 30-35 years old. By using GHQ-28, 129 (63.2%) were recognized as normal and 75 (36.8%) suffered some mental health disorders. There was a significant gender difference between normal practitioners and practitioners with disorder (P=0.02) while marital status had no significant difference (P=0.2). Only 19 (9.3%) declared having some major mental health issue in the previous month. CONCLUSION: Females encountered more mental health disorders than male (P=0.02) and the most common disorder observed was somatization (P=0.006).

Comparison of local anesthetic effect of lidocaine by jet injection vs needle infiltration in lumbar puncture.

BACKGROUND: Usual routes of drug administration are often painful and invasive. Nowadays, using jet injection has been introduced successfully, as a noninvasive and painless method of anesthetic delivery in performing different procedures. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to compare the local anesthetic effect of lidocaine by jet injection vs needle infiltration in performing lumbar puncture in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: A randomized single-blind controlled study was performed in 65 patients needing lumbar puncture recruited from the ED from July to November 2014. We enrolled 44 patients and excluded 21 patients by the exclusion criteria. Local lidocaine was delivered in 1 group by jet injector (group B), whereas in the other group conventional method, needle infiltration was used (group A). In both groups, intravenous midazolam 1 mg was administered as an anxiolytic drug before the procedure. Patients' pain score (visual analog scale [VAS]) from 0 to 10 was recorded both during drug delivery and performing the procedure itself. The observer who collected patients' data and fulfill the questionnaire was blinded to the study. RESULTS: During lidocaine injection, the mean ± SD VAS score was 5.27 ± 1.77 in group A and 2.95 ± 1.81 in group B (mean difference, 2.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-3.41) (P= .000). During performing the procedure, the mean ± SD VAS score in groups A and B was 3.77 ± 1.77 vs 2.18 ± 1.50 (mean difference, 1.59; 95% confidence interval, 0.59-2.58) (P= .003). CONCLUSIONS: Injecting lidocaine by jet injector is less painful than infiltrating it by needle and syringe.

Analgesic effect of paracetamol combined with low-dose morphine versus morphine alone on patients with biliary colic: a double blind, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Numerous drugs have been proposed to alleviate pain in patients with biliary colic, especially opioids, but still there is a tendency to use less narcotics because of their side effects and the unwillingness of some patients. The present study aimed to compare the analgesic effect of paracetamol combined with low-dose morphine versus morphine alone in patients with biliary colic. METHODS: A randomized double-blind controlled trial was performed in 98 patients with biliary colic, recruited from two emergency departments from August 2012 to August 2013. Eleven patients were excluded and the remaining were randomized into two groups: group A received 0.05 mg/kg morphine+1 000 mg paracetamol in 100 mL normal saline and group B received 0.1 mg/kg morphine+normal saline (100 mL) as placebo. Pain scores were recorded using visual analogue scale (VAS) at baseline and 15 and 30 minutes after drug administration. Adverse effects and the need for rescue medication (0.75 µg/kg intravenous fentanyl) were also reported within 60 minutes of drug administration. RESULTS: Before the infusion, the mean±SD VAS scores were 8.73±1.57 in group A and 8.53±1.99 in group B. At 15 minutes after drug administration, the mean±SD VAS scores were 2.16±1.90 in group A vs. 2.51±1.86 in group B; mean difference was -0.35, and 95%CI -1.15 to 0.45 (P=0.38). At 30 minutes the mean±SD VAS scores were 1.66±1.59 in group A vs. 2.14±1.79 in group B; mean difference was -0.48, and 95%CI -1.20 to 0.24 (P=0.19). The mean pain scores in the two groups at 15 and 30 minutes demonstrated no significant difference. CONCLUSION: Paracetamol combined with low-dose morphine may be effective for pain management in patients with biliary colic.

Midazolam Plus Haloperidol as Adjuvant Analgesics to Morphine in Opium Dependent Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Tolerance to opioids among opium-dependent patients creates obstacles for proper pain management of these patients in the emergency department (ED). The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of intramuscular (IM) haloperidol plus midazolam on morphine analgesia among opium-dependent patients. METHODS: Opium-dependent adults who were admitted to the ED for new-onset severe pain in the limbs or abdomen (within 24 hours of admission and a pain score of over six, using a numerical rating scale [NRS]) were recruited. Participants were randomly assigned into two groups. Group A received morphine 0.05 mg/kg intravenously (IV) and a mixture of midazolam 2.5 mg and haloperidol 2.5 mg (diluted in 5 cc of distilled water, IM); group B received morphine 0.05 mg/kg IV and distilled water 5 cc, IM. Measured outcomes were related to: 1) pain intensity; 2) total doses of morphine; 3) changes in hemodynamic status and level of consciousness of patients. NRS scores (zero to 10) before and one, three and six hours following intervention, as well as total doses of morphine, were recorded. RESULTS: We recruited 68 males (78.16%) and 19 females (21.83%). The mean age was 38.28±6.59 years. The pain score in group A declined more rapidly over six hours than that in group B. Moreover, as compared to group B, the amount of morphine use decreased significantly in group A. CONCLUSION: Based on the present data, adding haloperidol plus midazolam to morphine for pain management improved pain scores and lowered morphine consumption among opium-dependent patients.

Efficacy of the jet injector in local anaesthesia for small wound sutures: a randomised clinical trial compared with the needle infiltration technique.

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in the application of needle free devices in medical procedure, there is a paucity of knowledge on the efficacy of the jet injector for suturing skin wounds. AIMS: Our study aimed to compare the severity of pain and time to initiation of anaesthesia between two methods of local anaesthesia for skin suturing of small facial wounds. METHODS: We conducted a double blind randomised clinical trial between December 2012 and February 2013 at a university hospital in Tehran, Iran. 53 patients with small facial wounds needing skin closure with sutures were assigned to either the jet injection group or the needle infiltration group. Pain severity after administration of local anaesthesia and during the stitching procedure, and time to initiation of skin numbness were evaluated. RESULTS: Mean pain score during the anaesthetic procedure was 1.1±1 in the jet injector group compared with 4.4±1.4 in the needle infiltration group (p<0.0001). Moreover, time to initiation of local numbness was significantly longer in the jet injection group than in the needle infiltration group (p<0.0001). Nevertheless, suture procedure related pain scores did not differ significantly between the two groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The jet injector is an effective device in reducing the pain of the anaesthetic procedure for small facial wounds. However, the remarkably lower pain should be evaluated in light of other parameters, including acceptance and preference of the newly introduced technique. TRIAL REGISTRATION NO: IRCT201201308872N3.

Evaluation of emergency medicine residents competencies in electrocardiogram interpretation.

An electrocardiogram (ECG) leads physicians to diagnose many potentially life-threatening cardiac, metabolic, electrolyte, and toxicological conditions. This study was designed to evaluate the competency of emergency medicine residents (EMRs) in comparison with cardiologists in the interpretation of ECG when an interpretation checklist is used. This clinical trial was done in the emergency wards of the first grand general hospital of Iran. Patients were categorized in three classes of disorder severity based on ECG abnormalities. The two stages of the study included the survey phase (Stage I), training phase and intervention phase (Stage II). Accuracy of ECG interpretation by EMRs and cardiologists was compared before and after using a Daily ECG Check List (DECKList). One hundred and fifty ECGs were evaluated in Stage I, before DECKList usage, and 150 ECGs were evaluated in stage II, after DECKList usage by EMRs. Mean age of participants was 60.13 years in Stage I and 61.66 years in Stage II. Stage I and II were similar to each other in terms of disorder severity (P=0.22). Mean the ECG interpretation score was significantly different between Stages I and II (P<0.001). Concordance of ECG diagnosis between EMRs and cardiologists was significantly different in Stages I and II (P<0.01). In first-year EMRs, ECG diagnosis scores in stages I and II were not changed significantly. However, ECG interpretation scores increased significantly in first-year EMRs (P=0.04). In second-year EMRs, both ECG interpretation and ECG diagnosis scores improved significantly (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). In third year EMRs, ECG interpretation was not improved but ECG diagnosis based on two methods improved significantly (P<0.05). The significant increase in accuracy of ECG interpretation and final diagnosis can be attributed to the utilization of a checklist by EMRs especially in the first year and second residents.

Comparison of the effect of intravenous ketamine and intramuscular ketamine for orthopedic procedures in children's sedation.

BACKGROUND: Ketamine is used as a general anesthetic for short-term surgical procedures. The aim of this study is to compare the effect of intravenous (IV) ketamine and intramuscular (IM) ketamine in children admitted to the emergency department (ED). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a clinical trial on 60 patients who were randomly classified into two groups. The first group received IV ketamine (1 mg/kg) and the second received IM ketamine (4 mg/kg). Data were collected before, during, and after the procedure. Time to reach sedation, severity of the sedation, and complications of the drug until discharge were studied. RESULTS: In this study, 60 patients were evaluated. The average length of the procedures was similar in both groups (P > 0.05). According to this study, sedation levels in the two groups in 5, 10, and 15 minutes did not show significant differences (P > 0.05), but there was a significant difference in sedation levels of patients in 30, 35, 40, and 45 minutes during sedation (P = 0.03, P = 0.04, P = 0.03 and P = 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups. DICUSSION: There was no significant difference in complications and level of sedation in both groups, but sedation was longer in the IM group; so, IV ketamine is the desirable approach for orthopedic procedures in sedating children.