Implementing Tourniquet Conversion Guidelines for Civilian EMS and Prehospital Organizations : A Case Report and Review.

Since the first documented use of a tourniquet in 1674, the popularity of tourniquets has waxed and waned. During recent wars and more recently in Emergency Medical Services systems, the tourniquet has been proven to be a valuable tool in the treatment of life-threatening hemorrhage. However, tourniquet use is not without risk, and several studies have demonstrated adverse events and morbidity associated with tourniquet use in the prehospital setting, particularly when left in place for more than 2 h. Consequently, the US military's Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care has recommended guidelines for prehospital tourniquet conversion to reduce the risk of adverse events associated with tourniquets once the initial hemorrhage has been controlled. Emergency Medical Services systems that operate in rural, frontier, and austere environments, especially those with transport times to definitive care that routinely exceed 2 h, may consider implementing similar tourniquet conversion guidelines.

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Syndrome in Critical Care Transport: A Case and Critical Review.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy syndrome, or simply takotsubo syndrome (TTS), is a form of stress cardiomyopathy thought to be caused by excess catecholamines in association with physical or emotional stress. Providers should maintain a high index of suspicion for TTS in patients with symptoms of acute coronary syndrome, acute decompensated heart failure, substernal chest pain, or dyspnea. However, TTS is a diagnosis of exclusion, and patients should initially be evaluated and treated for other causes, such as acute myocardial infarction. Critical care transport crews may encounter patients with TTS during their primary presentation, before diagnosis, or after the formal diagnosis is made in the catheterization laboratory. Therefore, crews should be familiar with unique aspects of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of TTS. This article presents a case and provides a critical review of TTS for critical care transport clinicians.

Initiation of Invasive Arterial Pressure Monitoring by Critical Care Transport Crews.

Noninvasive blood pressure monitoring is convenient in the prehospital setting, but its use in the critically ill patient should be carefully considered given documented inaccuracies. Countless therapeutic patient interventions are based on blood pressure parameters, and the prehospital paramedic, nurse, and physician should strongly consider the use of invasive blood pressure monitoring, especially during critical care transport. Radial artery cannulation for arterial blood pressure monitoring is a safe and effective procedure that can reasonably be performed in the prehospital setting by both physicians and nonphysicians. Critical care transport teams should consider clinical guidelines that outline indications and training to safely implement this as a clinical skill.