Transport Blood Pressures and Outcomes in Stroke Patients Requiring Thrombectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Mechanical thrombectomy is the treatment of choice for acute ischemic strokes from large vessel occlusions. Absolute blood pressure and blood pressure variability (BPV) may affect patients' outcome. We hypothesized that patients' outcomes were not associated with BPV during transport between hospitals in the era of effective thrombectomy. METHODS: We performed a retrospective observational review of adult patients admitted to our comprehensive stroke center who underwent mechanical thrombectomy between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2018. Data were collected from our stroke registry and transportation records. Outcomes were defined as 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≤2 and any acute kidney injury (AKI) during hospitalization. RESULTS: We analyzed 134 eligible patients. The mean age was 66 years (standard deviation = 14 years). Forty percent achieved mRS ≤2, and 16% had an AKI. BPV and maximum systolic blood pressures during transport were examined as variables to determine outcome. We found BPV was similar between patients with good and bad functional independence. Furthermore, the maximum systolic blood pressure during transport (odds ratio = 0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.96-0.99; P = .038), not BPV, was associated with a lower likelihood of mRS ≤2. No similar correlation of analyzed blood pressure variables could be found for AKI as an outcome. CONCLUSION: The maximum systolic blood pressure was associated with worse functional outcomes in stroke patients transported for thrombectomy. Prehospital clinicians should be cognizant of high blood pressure among patients with acute ischemic stroke from large vessel occlusion during transport and treat accordingly.

Minor Procedures in Trauma.

Procedures such as central access and tube thoracostomy are integral in the care of the injured patient. However, both increasing life span and patient complexity of comorbidities can hinder procedural success. Careful forethought should be completed before, simply, charging ahead with a procedure. This article covers the details needed to be successful in carrying out these 2 procedural "staples" in trauma. From anatomy to pain control to postprocedural management, this article will be the building block for technical success. Understanding what you are doing and careful planning ahead are now more than ever crucial to patient care.

The Big Five-Lifesaving Procedures in the Trauma Bay.

Although resuscitation in trauma requires a multidisciplinary and multifaceted approach, one of the Big Five procedures may need to be performed as lifesaving and improving intervention. Your patient's lives depend on understanding, timing, and techniques of these elusive and difficult-to-master procedures. This article focuses on and reviews these five critical procedures: cricothyroidotomy, burr hole craniotomy, resuscitative thoracotomy, emergent hysterotomy, and lateral canthotomy. Prepare the team, system, and yourself when performing any of these procedures. It is important to be facile with your equipment and familiar with the steps to maximize success.

Sedation for Rapid Sequence Induction and Intubation of Neurologically Injured Patients.

There are subtle physiologic and pharmacologic principles that should be understood for patients with neurologic injuries. These principles are especially true for managing patients with traumatic brain injuries. Prevention of hypotension and hypoxemia are major goals in the management of these patients. This article discusses the physiology, pitfalls, and pharmacology necessary to skillfully care for this subset of patients with trauma. The principles endorsed in this article are applicable both for patients with traumatic brain injury and those with spinal cord injuries.

Ultrasound physics.

Bedside ultrasound has become an important modality for obtaining critical information in the acute care of patients. It is important to understand the physics of ultrasound in order to perform and interpret images at the bedside. The physics of both continuous wave and pulsed wave sound underlies diagnostic ultrasound. The instrumentation, including transducers and image processing, is important in the acquisition of appropriate sonographic images. Understanding how these concepts interplay with each other enables practitioners to obtain the best possible images.

Need for standardized sign-out in the emergency department: a survey of emergency medicine residency and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship program directors.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the existing patterns of sign-out processes prevalent in emergency departments (EDs) nationwide. In addition, to assess whether training programs provide specific guidance to their trainees regarding sign-outs and attitudes of emergency medicine (EM) residency and pediatric EM fellowship program directors toward the need for the development of standardized guidelines relating to sign-outs. METHODS: A Web-based survey of training program directors of each Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited EM residency and pediatric EM fellowship program was conducted in March 2006. RESULTS: Overall, 185 (61.1%) program directors responded to the survey. One hundred thirty-six (73.5%) program directors reported that sign-outs at change of shift occurred in a common area within the ED, and 79 (42.7%) respondents indicated combined sign-outs in the presence of both attending and resident physicians. A majority of the programs, 119 (89.5%), stated that there was no uniform written policy regarding patient sign-out in their ED. Half (50.3%) of all those surveyed reported that physicians sign out patient details "verbally only," and 79 (42.9%) noted that transfer of attending responsibility was "rarely documented." Only 34 (25.6%) programs affirmed that they had formal didactic sessions focused on sign-outs. A majority (71.6%) of program directors surveyed agreed that specific practice parameters regarding transfer of care in the ED would improve patient care; 80 (72.3%) agreed that a standardized sign-out system in the ED would improve communication and reduce medical error. CONCLUSIONS: There is wide variation in the sign-out processes followed by different EDs. A majority of those surveyed expressed the need for standardized sign-out systems.