Intracranial hypertension in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a devastating and life-threatening condition with high mortality and morbidity. Even though there is an association with intracranial pressure (ICP) raise and aSAH, there is a lack of recommendations regarding the indications for ICP monitoring in patients with aSAH. Defining what patients are at a higher risk to develop intracranial hypertension and its role in the functional outcome and mortality in patients with aSAH will be the purpose of the following systematic review and meta-analysis. The primary endpoint is to determine the prevalence and impact on mortality of ICP in patients with aSAH. Secondary endpoints aim to describe the variables related to the development of ICP and the relationship between traumatic and aneurysmal etiology of intracranial hypertension. PubMed, Embase, Central Cochrane Registry of Controlled Trials, and research meeting abstracts were searched up to August 2019 for studies that performed ICP monitoring, assessed the prevalence of intracranial hypertension and the mortality, in adults. Newcastle Ottawa scale (NOS) was used to assess study quality. The statistical analysis was performed using the Mantel-Haenszel methodology for the prevalence and mortality of intracranial hypertension for reasons with a randomized effect analysis model. Heterogeneity was assessed by I2. A total of 110 bibliographic citations were identified, 20 were considered potentially eligible, and after a review of the full text, 12 studies were considered eligible and 5 met the inclusion criteria for this review. One study obtained 7 points in the NOS, another obtained 6 points, and the rest obtained 5 points. Five studies were chosen for the final analysis, involving 793 patients. The rate of intracranial hypertension secondary to aSAH was 70.69% (95% CI 56.79-82.84%) showing high heterogeneity (I2 = 92.48%, p = < 0.0001). The results of the meta-analysis of mortality rate associated with intracranial hypertension after aSAH found a total of four studies, which involved 385 patients. The mortality rate was 30.3% (95% CI: 14.79-48.57%). Heterogeneity was statistically significant (I2 = 90.36%; p value for heterogeneity < 0.001). We found that in several studies, they reported that a high degree of clinical severity scale (Hunt and Hess or WNFS) and tomographic (Fisher) were significantly correlated with the increase in ICP above 20 mmHg (P < 0.05). The interpretation of the results could be underestimated for the design heterogeneity of the included studies. New protocols establishing the indications for ICP monitoring in aSAH are needed. Given the high heterogeneity of the studies included, we cannot provide clinical recommendations regarding this issue.

The importance of developing global emergency medicine research network.

Despite the fact that emergency care can impact health of populations, the global epidemiology of emergencies in children and adults is unknown and substantial variation exists in emergency infrastructure among different nations, especially among the low and middle income countries. Various research networks which are etiology specific or subspecialty specific, including emergency care based networks have positively impacted the health of populations. However, emergency departments (ED) in low and middle income counties are underrepresented in most international networks. Creation of a global ED based research network will help generate generalizable evidence that can then be translated into locally relevant evidence-based guidelines, nurture future researchers in emergency medicine, standardize training/education and improve patient outcomes by reducing variation in clinical care.

Pattern of reporting and practices for the management of traumatic brain injury: An overview of published literature from India.

BACKGROUND: Published literature regarding the demographics and mechanism of injury for traumatic brain injury (TBI) in India has not been analyzed in an organized sample. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this systematic review was to organize the published literature from India related to TBI and analyze it in a very specific sample to identify the specific patterns of injury and associated mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A search strategy with specific inclusion criteria was performed in PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Health Library. The process included an additional search within the indexed literature and the website-based population survey reports. RESULTS: Our review identified 72 studies from 300 potentially relevant articles based on the broad criteria that defined the demographics of the patients suffering from TBI and the details of trauma sustained, including the mechanism of injury as well as its diagnosis, management, and outcome. Changes in demographic patterns, the patterns of the body regions involved, the associated injuries, the clinical presentation, the follow-up status of patients suffering from TBI, who may or may not have shown clinical improvement, the overall outcome, as well as the mortality and disability status reported in the literature were analyzed. A high incidence of TBI in the productive population is of serious concern. Extremes of ages are more vulnerable to severe injury and a poor outcome. CONCLUSION: Quantitative analysis of injuries and outcomes of TBI victims shows a bigger health impact in the economically active population and in patients in the extremes of age groups.

Confirmation of endovenous placement of central catheter using the ultrasonographic "bubble test".

Insertion of central venous catheter (CVC) is the most common procedure to be performed in Intensive Care Units. Addition of ultrasonographic guidance to this procedure, which was initially performed blindly, has improved safety of this procedure. Confirmation of endovenous placement of CVC though, is tricky, as methods for confirmation are either operator dependent, time-consuming or not available at bedside. Prospective observational study was carried out to study feasibility of use of sonobubble test to confirm the presence of CVC within central vein. After insertion of CVC in the internal jugular, subclavian or axillary vein, a 10 ml bolus of shaken saline microbubble is injected through port of CVC, and opacification of right atrium is observed in xiphoid view on ultrasonography. The Sonobubble test was helpful for dynamic confirmation of endovenous placement of CVC and prevented complications such as arterial puncture and cannulation. We recommend its use following CVC insertion.

Cerebral Venous Thrombosis in Pregnant and Postpartum Women Presenting to the Emergency Department with Headaches.

Introduction: Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a thromboembolic disease of the intracranial venous systems. The disease can be difficult to diagnose as it often requires a high index of suspicion. Risk factors for the disease include pregnancy, oral contraceptive pills, congenital thrombophilia, infection, cancer, polycythemia, head trauma, and recent surgery. However, there have been no studies in the United States that have examined whether pregnancy and the postpartum stage are truly a risk factor for CVT. The aim of this study is to determine whether pregnant and postpartum women presenting to the emergency department with headaches have a higher incidence of CVT to better risk stratify which patients need to have advanced imaging pursued. Methods: A retrospective, observational case-control study was performing by querying the electronic medical record at a large county hospital for patients presenting with a headache to the emergency department. Patients were stratified into groups based on whether they were diagnosed with CVT, pregnancy status, and comorbid conditions to determine the risk associated between pregnancy, the puerperium stage, and CVT. Results: A total of 20,955 males and females presented to the emergency department between January 1, 2016 and April 13, 2023, with a chief complaint of headache. There were 19,474 female patients and 9581 male patients. In the case group, there were 793 pregnant women and 53 postpartum women. In the control group, there were 18,628 women who were not pregnant. Of the 22 patients diagnosed with CVT, 1 was in the puerperium stage and no patients were pregnant. Pregnant and postpartum patients were 1.05 (0.14-7.80) times more likely to develop CVT. Pregnant and postpartum patients were 1.73 (0.23-13.52) times more likely to develop CVT when controlled for comorbidities. Patients in the puerperium stage were 26.48 (3.33-210.87) times more likely to develop CVT when controlled for comorbidities. Conclusion: Pregnant patients presenting to the emergency department with headaches do not have a significantly higher risk of CVT; however, puerperium patients have a significantly higher risk of CVT compared to the general population.

Sonographic evaluation of intravascular volume status in the surgical intensive care unit: a prospective comparison of subclavian vein and inferior vena cava collapsibility index.

BACKGROUND: Traditional methods for intravascular volume status assessment are invasive and are associated significant complications. While focused bedside sonography of the inferior vena cava (IVC) has been shown to be useful in estimating intravascular volume status, it may be technically difficult and limited by patient factors such as obesity, bowel gas, or postoperative surgical dressings. The goal of this investigation is to determine the feasibility of subclavian vein (SCV) collapsibility as an adjunct to IVC collapsibility in intravascular volume status assessment. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on a convenience sample of surgical intensive care unit patients to evaluate interchangeability of IVC collapsibility index (IVC-CI) and SCV-CI. After demographic and acuity of illness information was collected, all patients underwent serial, paired assessments of IVC-CI and SCV-CI using portable ultrasound device (M-Turbo; Sonosite, Bothell, WA). Vein collapsibility was calculated using the formula [collapsibility (%) = (max diameter - min diameter)/max diameter × 100%]. Paired measurements from each method were compared using correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman measurement bias analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients (mean age 56 y, 38% female) underwent a total of 94 paired SCV-CI and IVC-CI sonographic measurements. Mean acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score was 12. Paired SCV- and IVC-CI showed acceptable correlation (R(2) = 0.61, P < 0.01) with acceptable overall measurement bias [Bland-Altman mean collapsibility difference (IVC-CI minus SCV-CI) of -3.2%]. In addition, time needed to acquire and measure venous diameters was shorter for the SCV-CI (70 s) when compared to IVC-CI (99 s, P < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: SCV collapsibility assessment appears to be a reasonable adjunct to IVC-CI in the surgical intensive care unit patient population. The correlation between the two techniques is acceptable and the overall measurement bias is low. In addition, SCV-CI measurements took less time to acquire than IVC-CI measurements, although the clinical relevance of the measured time difference is unclear.

Removing Barriers to Emergency Medicine Point-of-Care Ultrasound: Illustrated by a Roadmap for Emergency Medicine Point-of-Care Ultrasound Expansion in India.

Point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) has a potentially vital role to play in emergency medicine (EM), whether it be in high-, medium-, or low-resourced settings. However, numerous barriers are present which impede EM PoCUS implementation nationally and globally: (i) lack of a national practice guideline or scope of practice for EM PoCUS, (ii) resistance from non-PoCUS users of ultrasound imaging (USI) and lack of awareness from those who undertake parallel or post-EM patient care, and (iii) heterogeneous pattern of resources available in different institutes and settings. When combined with the Indian Preconception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, this has led to the majority of India's 1.4 billion citizens being unable to access EM PoCUS. In order to address these barriers (globally as well as with specific application to India), this article outlines the three core principles of EM PoCUS: (i) the remit of the EM PoCUS USI must be well defined a priori, (ii) the standard of EM PoCUS USI must be the same as that of non-PoCUS users of USI, and (iii) the imaging performed should align with subsequent clinical decision-making and resource availability. These principles are contextualized using an integrated PoCUS framework approach which is designed to provide a robust foundation for consolidation and expansion across different PoCUS specialisms and health-care settings. Thus, a range of mechanisms (from optimization of clinical practice through to PoCUS educational reform) are presented to address such barriers. For India, these are combined with specific mechanisms to address the PCPNDT Act, to provide the basis for influencing national legislation and instigating an addendum to the Act. By mapping to the recent Lancet Commission publication on transforming access to diagnostics, this provides a global and cross-discipline perspective for the recommendations.

Early Trends to Show the Efficacy of Cordyceps militaris in Mild to Moderate COVID Inflammation.

Background/objective Cordyceps enhances animal survival against influenza by boosting the immune system. In animal studies, it also had anti-inflammatory and preventive properties. Cordyceps stimulates the immune system by increasing the activity and production of various immune cells. Some studies have shown the role of Cordyceps in the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to other respiratory diseases caused by the Picorna viruses, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and Influenza viruses. However, it remains unknown whether this food supplement is safe and has anti-inflammatory effects in patients with COVID-19. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the use and efficacy of Cordyceps capsules as an adjunct to standard treatment in patients with mild (symptomatic) to moderate COVID-19 infection. Methods A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Cordyceps capsules (a food supplement) 500 mg as adjuvant therapy in patients with COVID-19. The rationale for dose selection was as per the existing evidence from toxicity studies. The inclusion criteria were patients with either a mild or moderate COVID-19 infection. Clinical features suggestive of dyspnoea or hypoxia, fever, and cough, including SpO2 <94% (range 90-94%) on room air and a respiratory rate ≥24 per minute, were also included. Results Sixty-five patients were recruited for the study, with 33 in the Cordyceps group and 32 in the placebo group. Out of 58 evaluable patients, 33 recovered on day 5, 49 on day 10, and 58 on days 16 and 30. The recovery of patients steadily increased from 56.9% on day 5 to 100% on day 30. The time to clinical recovery was shorter in the Cordyceps group than in the placebo group (mean 6.6 vs. 7.3 days; p > 0.05) overall and for mild disease. However, there was no difference in the time to recovery (time from day 1 to the resolution of all symptoms) for moderate disease. A lower frequency of normal chest X-rays on day 1 and a higher number on day 16 in the treatment group than in the placebo group suggest an improvement in the number of normal chest X-rays with Cordyceps. Significant changes were seen in biomarkers MCPIP, CxCL10, and IL-1ß for overall (both mild and moderate patients) on days 5 and 10 as compared to baseline, and in biomarkers CRP and CxCL10 in moderate category patients on days 5 and 10, respectively. There were no statistically significant changes in IL-6, ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP), or D-dimer levels between baseline and day 5/10 in patients taking Cordyceps capsules and also between the treatment and placebo groups. Conclusion Cordyceps capsules administered at a dose of 500 mg three times a day along with supportive treatment showed effectiveness in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 infection, as evidenced by the proportionately higher number of recoveries on day 5, the relatively shorter time for improvement of clinical symptoms, and the proportionately higher number of patients showing negative RT-PCR tests on day 10. Thus, Cordyceps appears to be a safe immunological adjuvant for the treatment of patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. Future studies with a larger sample size would shed more light on the evidence, as there are limitations in the generalizability of the results from the present study due to the small sample size.

Ultrasound Killed the Pelvic Examination: Over-reliance on Ultrasound Resulted in Delayed Diagnosis of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome and Potential Loss of Fertility in a Young Female Patient.

We describe a case of multiple missed opportunities to diagnose Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome in a sexually active 26-year-old woman in the emergency department (ED). Repeat ultrasound scans showed a hemorrhagic ovarian cyst. Multiple ED providers relied exclusively on these ultrasound findings as the presumed cause of her pelvic pain, to the detriment of their physical examination. A manual pelvic examination was not performed until her fourth ED return visit, which showed mucopurulent discharge. On the basis of our findings, obstetrics and gynecology team was consulted and the patient underwent diagnostic laparoscopy, which revealed extensive adhesions suggestive of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome. With the advent of ultrasound, we have noticed providers rely on technology to the detriment of their physical examination skills. Many ED providers are hesitant to perform a pelvic examination when a transvaginal ultrasound has already suggested a cause of the patient's pain. Ultrasound will not and cannot diagnose PID.

Obesity as a predictor of outcome following traumatic brain injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity adversely affects the outcome in trauma patients. However, the impact of obesity on the severity of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and outcomes is not well known. This study aimed to explore the impact of obesity/body mass index on the severity and outcomes following TBI. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was conducted using PRISMA guidelines to answer three questions: Q1: Is obesity/increased BMI associated with less risk of head injury? Q2: Whether obesity is associated with less severity of head injury? Q3: What is the impact of obesity/BMI on outcomes following head injury? A comprehensive search using keywords and MeSH terms was conducted in PUBMED, Cochrane database, Google Scholar, SCOPUS, WEB of Science Core Collection, and ScIELO index (Last day of search 06.06.2021). We used the Newcastle-Ottawa assessment scale (NOS) to evaluate the quality of studies and the Cochrane ROBANS tool to evaluate the risk of bias. Data extraction was done using piloted forms, and meta-analysis was done using the Mantel-Haenszel method. RESULTS: A total of 1088 citations were obtained with the search strategy. Eighteen studies matched inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. The median quality of studies was 7/9 in NOS. There were fewer occurrences of head injury in obese individuals with an odd's ratio of 0.80% and 95% CI (0.69-0.93) with p = 0.004. More patients with BMI ≥ 30 had GCS ≤ 8 than patients with BMI < 30 with OR 1.08 (95%CI: 1.02-1.14). Obese patients had a more severe head injury (as per AIS) (58.9% vs 44.2%) and OR 1.83 (95%CI: 1.72-1.94), I2 = 87% and p < 0.00001. Length of ICU stay was more in obese individuals with a standard mean difference of 0.29 (95% CI: 0.03-0.55), I2 = 87%, p = 0.03. Similarly, obese individuals had a more extended hospital stay. There was no difference in mortality or ventilator days between obese and non-obese TBI patients. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity was associated with lower incidence and higher severity of head injury. However, there was no conclusive evidence that obesity confers protection from sustaining a head injury. Though the length of hospital and ICU stay were longer in obese individuals, the impact of obesity on mortality was not significant. There was no conclusive evidence for association of obesity with long term functional outcome or mortality following TBI.

Opioid-Related Overdose Fatality Cases in Two Florida Counties.

Introduction: This study evaluates trends in drug-related death cases within both Pasco and Pinellas County, Florida, from the calendar years 2011 to 2016. Specifically, it focuses on opioids and the role of fentanyl in overdose-related mortality in rural versus suburban populations. Methods: Two sets of data from each calendar year were obtained from a Medical Examiner's Office. These data were compared by year to assess differences using the nonparametric ANOVA test with the statistical software SAS, University Edition. Binary logistic regression was performed to assess which drugs occurred most frequently in the presence or absence of fentanyl. Results: There was not a significant difference in the month of the year or the day of the week that drug-related fatalities occurred. More drug-related mortalities occurred during daylight hours (e.g., 8:00 AM-4:00 PM) and more fentanyl-related mortalities occurred in Pinellas County compared to Pasco County. Fentanyl and heroin tended to co-occur in mortalities, while ethanol, hydrocodone, morphine, oxycodone, and methadone were negatively associated with fentanyl-related overdose cases. Conclusion: The characteristics of drug-related mortalities identified here may be used to better target interventions against drug abuse and overdose.

BRAVE: A Point of Care Adaptive Leadership Approach to Providing Patient-Centric Care in the Emergency Department.

The practice of emergency medicine has reached its cross roads. Emergency physicians (EPs) are managing many more time-dependent conditions, initiating complex treatments in the emergency department (ED), handling ethical and end of life care discussions upfront, and even performing procedures which used to be done only in critical care settings, in the resuscitation room. EPs manage a wide spectrum of patients, 24 h a day, which reflects the community and society they practice in. Besides the medical and "technical" issues to handle, they have to learn how to resolve confounding elements which their patients can present with. These may include social, financial, cultural, ethical, relationship, and even employment matters. EPs cannot overlook these, in order to provide holistic care. More and more emphasis is also now given to the social determinants of health. We, from the emergency medicine fraternity, are proposing a unique "BRAVE model," as a mnemonic to assist in the provision of point of care, adaptive leadership at the bedside in the ED. This represents another useful tool for use in the current climate of the ED, where patients have higher expectations, need more patient-centric resolution and handling of their issues, looming against the background of a more complex society and world.

A quick scoping review of the first year of vaccination against the COVID-19 pandemic: Do we need more shots or time?

BACKGROUND: The emergence of new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 variants, along with the waning of vaccine-induced immunity, has increased breakthrough infections and urged booster jabs and debates. In the short term, the administration of booster doses has been reported to be safe and enhance severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-specific neutralizing antibody levels. However, the effects of these doses on the pandemic trajectory and herd immunity are unclear. There is insufficient evidence that a third booster shot of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine maintains longer immunity and covers new viral variants. The lack of sufficient evidence, combined with the fact that millions of people have not yet received 1 or 2 jabs of the COVID-19 vaccine, has raised concerns regarding the call for booster vaccinations. METHODS: We conducted a quick scoping review to explore the literature on the need for a booster COVID-19 vaccination from January 1, 2021, to April 30, 2022. RESULTS: Sixty-one relevant publications were identified, of which 17 were related to waning immunity after 2 doses of the vaccine among the general population or healthcare workers, 19 were related to the third or booster dose of vaccination after the second dose among the general population or healthcare workers, and 25 were related to booster dose among immunocompromised patient. CONCLUSIONS: Initially, the need for a booster dose was equivocal; however, several studies demonstrated the benefit of the booster dose over time. Adequate scientific information is required regarding the administration of booster doses to the general population as well as the high-risk individuals.

Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of outcome following traumatic brain injury: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a simple and routinely performed hematological parameter; however, studies on NLR as a prognostic tool in traumatic brain injury (TBI) have yielded contradictory results. Materials and Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items in the Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines 2020. Electronic databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched. The population consisted of TBI patients in the absence of moderate and severe extracranial injury. Day 1 NLR was taken for the analysis. The outcomes evaluated were mortality and the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). No restrictions were placed on the language, year and country of publication, and duration of follow-up. Animal studies were excluded from the study. Studies, where inadequate data were reported for the outcomes, were included in the qualitative synthesis but excluded from the quantitative synthesis. Study quality was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS). The risk of bias was estimated using the Cochrane RoBANS risk of bias tool. Results: We retrieved 7213 citations using the search strategy and 2097 citations were excluded based on the screening of the title and abstract. Full text was retrieved for 40 articles and subjected to the eligibility criteria, of which 28 were excluded from the study. Twelve studies were eligible for the synthesis of the systematic review while seven studies qualified for the meta-analysis. The median score of the articles was 8/9 as per NOS. The risk of selection bias was low in all the studies while the risk of detection bias was high in all except one study. Ten studies were conducted on adult patients, while two studies reported pediatric TBI. A meta-analysis for GOS showed that high NLR predicted unfavorable outcomes at ≥6 months with a mean difference of -5.18 (95% confidence interval: -10.04, -0.32); P = 0.04; heterogeneity (I2), being 98%. The effect estimates for NLR and mortality were a mean difference of -3.22 (95% confidence interval: -7.12, 0.68), P = 0.11, and an I2 of 85%. Meta-analysis for Area under the curve (AUC) receiver operating characteristic of the included studies showed good predictive power of NLR in predicting outcomes following TBI with AUC 0.706 (95% CI: 0.582-0.829). Conclusion: A higher admission NLR predicts an increased mortality risk and unfavorable outcomes following TBI. However, future research will likely address the existing gaps.

Body-mass index COVID-19 severity: A systematic review of systematic reviews.

Objectives: Conflicting studies have resulted in several systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the relationship between COVID-19 and body mass index (BMI). Methods: This systematic review of systematic reviews followed an umbrella review design, and preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines; Medical literature analysis and retrieval system online (MEDLINE) and SCOPUS databases were searched for systematic reviews on the topic. A predefined screening and selection procedure was done for the retrieved results based on the population, intervention/interest, comparator, outcome, study (PICOS) framework. Results: The search strategy yielded 6334 citations. With the predefined selection and screening process, 23 systematic reviews were retrieved for inclusion in the present study. Twenty-three (n = 23) systematic reviews met the inclusion criteria. As expected, there was overlap across the reviews in the included primary studies. Available evidence suggests that Class III obesity (morbid obesity) is strongly associated with increased mortality risk in patients with Covid-19. It is difficult to draw a firm conclusion about Class I and Class II obesity due to conflicting outcomes of metanalyses. Increased obesity was consistently associated with increased risk of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) in all the reviews with low to moderate heterogeneity. Conclusions: Available evidence suggests that Class III obesity (morbid obesity) is strongly associated with increased mortality risk in patients with Covid-19. Increased BMI is positively associated with the risk of IMV and the severity of COVID- care.

The Art of Sim-Making: What to Learn from Film-Making.

The components of each stage have similarities as well as differences, which make each unique in its own right. As the film-making and the movie industry may have much we can learn from, some of these will be covered under the different sections of the paper, for example, "Writing Powerful Narratives," depiction of emotional elements, specific industry-driven developments as well as the "cultural considerations" in both. For medical simulation and simulation-based education, the corresponding stages are as follows: DevelopmentPreproductionProductionPostproduction andDistribution. The art of sim-making has many similarities to that of film-making. In fact, there is potentially much to be learnt from the film-making process in cinematography and storytelling. Both film-making and sim-making can be seen from the artistic perspective as starting with a large piece of blank, white sheet of paper, which will need to be colored by the "artists" and personnel involved; in the former, to come up with the film and for the latter, to engage learners and ensure learning takes place, which is then translated into action for patients in the actual clinical care areas. Both entities have to go through a series of systematic stages. For film-making, the stages are as follows: Identification of problems and needs analysisSetting objectives, based on educational strategiesImplementation of the simulation activityDebriefing and evaluation, as well asFine-tuning for future use and archiving of scenarios/cases.

The Emergency Medicine Education and Research by Global Experts (EMERGE) Network: Challenges and Lessons Learned.

INTRODUCTION: The Emergency Medicine Education and Research by Global Experts (EMERGE) network was formed to generate and translate evidence to improve global emergency care. We share the challenges faced and lessons learned in establishing a global research network. METHODS: We describe the challenges encountered when EMERGE proposed the development of a global emergency department (ED) visit registry. The proposed registry was to be a six-month, retrospective, deidentified, minimal dataset of routinely collected variables, such as patient demographics, diagnosis, and disposition. RESULTS: Obtaining reliable, accurate, and pertinent data from participating EDs is challenging in a global context. Barriers experienced ranged from variable taxonomies, need for language translation, varying site processes for curation and transfer of deidentified data, navigating institution- and country-specific data protection regulations, and substantial variation in each participating institution's research infrastructure including training in research-related activities. We have overcome many of these challenges by creating detailed data-sharing agreements with bilateral regulatory oversight agreements between EMERGE and participating EDs, developing relationships with and training health informaticians at each site to ensure secure transfer of deidentified data, and formalizing an electronic transfer process ensuring data privacy. CONCLUSION: We believe that networks like EMERGE are integral to providing the necessary platforms for education, training, and research collaborations for emergency care. We identified substantial challenges in data sharing and variation in local sites' research infrastructure and propose potential approaches to address these challenges.

Approach to Suspected Physeal Fractures in the Emergency Department.

Growth plate (physeal) fractures are defined as a disruption in the cartilaginous physis of bone with or without the involvement of epiphysis or metaphysis. These represent around 15-18% of all pediatric fractures. It is important to diagnose physeal injury as early as possible, as misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosis may result in long term complications. Physeal injuries may not be initially obvious in children who present with periarticular trauma, and a high index of suspicion is important for diagnosis. Differential diagnosis for a Salter-Harris fracture includes a ligamentous sprain, acute osteomyelitis, or an extraphyseal fracture such as a Torus fracture. Salter-Harris I & Salter-Harris II growth plate fractures commonly are commonly managed by closed manipulation, reduction & immobilization. These are relatively stable injuries and can be retained by adequate plaster. Salter-Harris III & Salter-Harris IV fractures require anatomical reduction with the maintenance of congruity of joint. Physeal fractures can have many complications such as malunion, bar formation, acceleration of growth of physis, posttraumatic arthritis, ligament laxity and shortening of the bone. The key to well-healing fractures is successful anatomic reduction and patients must have regular follow-up for these injuries.

Estrogen as a Safe Therapeutic Adjunct in Reducing the Inflammatory Storm in Trauma Hemorrhagic Shock Patients.

ABSTRACT: Trauma is a major cause of death and disability throughout the world. It is a leading cause of death with or without sepsis in about 50% of patients. Limited therapeutic options are available besides definitive care with a mortality benefit. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the mortality benefit of estrogen in trauma hemorrhagic shock (THS). Based on encouraging results from preclinical studies, we hypothesized that early administration of estrogen in male THS patients may reduce the inflammatory storm, prevent sepsis-associated problems, and subsequently reduce mortality. The authors studied the safety of early administration of estrogen as a therapeutic adjunct in the emergency department (ED) and its effects on the inflammatory storm, prevention of sepsis, and mortality during the intensive care unit stay. Forty THS patients were recruited. THS patients were divided into experimental and placebo control groups based on the estrogen administration in the ED. Serum levels of cytokines and immune cells were measured at different time points on days 0, 3, 7, and 14 in both groups of THS patients. The experimental group received intravenous estrogen (25 mg) at a single time point in the ED beside standard of care as per advanced trauma life support guidelines. Patients did not develop any major or minor adverse events and showed favorable clinical outcomes in the experimental group. The levels of T regulatory cells, monocytes, and systemic cytokines significantly reduced and showed a balanced inflammatory response in THS patients who received estrogen.In conclusion, this preliminary study showed that intravenous estrogen therapy is safe and reduced the inflammatory insult due to trauma hemorrhagic shock. It may protect THS patients from sepsis-associated complications. Future clinical trials are required to study the efficacy and mechanistic pathway.

Diagnostic utility of point of care ultrasound in identifying cervical spine injury in emergency settings.

INTRODUCTION: The evaluation of cervical-spine in a major trauma patient needs a bedside efficient tool to rule out cervical spine injury as the role of X-ray and Computed Tomography (CT) in this setting is limited. Point of care ultrasonography (POCUS) is being used as an adjunct during trauma resuscitation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of POCUS for identifying cervical spine injuries. METHODS: We recruited 84 cases with cervical spine injury based on CT scan after taking consent. POCUS was used as per the operational definition of study methods while maintaining manual in-line stabilisation. Statistical analysis was done by using STATA version 14. RESULTS: Normal cervical anatomy was visible through anterior approach in POCUS except for the 1st and 2nd cervical vertebrae. The sensitivity and specificity of POCUS vs CT scan for vertebral body listhesis were 84.52% (95% CI of 0.65-0.95) and 89.66% (95% CI 0.78-0.96) with p-value <0.0001. Sensitivity and specificity of POCUS vs CT for vertebral body fracture were 40.91% (95% CI of 0.20-0.63) and 96.77% (95% CI of 0.88-0.99) with p-value <0.0001. The overall sensitivity and specificity of POCUS were 45.83% and 83.33% (p = 0.06) and excluding isolated posterior column injuries, sensitivity and specificity were 70.21% and 83.33% (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: POCUS identified injuries such as fracture and listhesis. Because of high rate of missed injuries, ultrasound at present cannot be used as a screening or diagnostic tool for decision-making in cervical spine injury.