Confidence and knowledge in emergency management among medical students across Colombia: A role for the WHO basic emergency care course.

INTRODUCTION: Globally, medical students have demonstrated knowledge gaps in emergency care and acute stabilization. In Colombia, new graduates provide care for vulnerable populations. The World Health Organization (WHO) Basic Emergency Care (BEC) course trains frontline providers with limited resources in the management of acute illness and injury. While this course may serve medical students as adjunct to current curriculum, its utility in this learner group has not been investigated. This study performs a baseline assessment of knowledge and confidence in emergency management taught in the BEC amongst medical students in Colombia. METHODS: A validated, cross-sectional survey assessing knowledge and confidence of emergency care congruent with BEC content was electronically administered to graduating medical students across Colombia. Knowledge was evaluated via 15 multiple choice questions and confidence via 13 questions using 100 mm visual analog scales. Mean knowledge and confidence scores were compared across demographics, geography and prior training using Chi-Squared or one-way ANOVA analyses. RESULTS: Data were gathered from 468 graduating medical students at 36 institutions. The mean knowledge score was 59.9% ± 23% (95% CI 57.8-62.0%); the mean confidence score was 59.6 mm ±16.7 mm (95% CI 58.1-61.2). Increasing knowledge and confidence scores were associated with prior completion of emergency management training courses (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Knowledge and confidence levels of emergency care management for graduating medical students across Colombia demonstrated room for additional, specialized training. Higher scores were seen in groups that had completed emergency care courses. Implementation of the BEC as an adjunct to current curriculum may serve a valuable addition.

Evaluating emergency physicians' knowledge, attitudes, and experiences of FARC ex-combatants: A pilot study of Colombia's emergency medicine teaching hospitals.

OBJECTIVES: In the 2016 Peace Accord with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), Colombia promised to reincorporate 14,000 ex-combatants into the healthcare system. However, FARC ex-combatants have faced significant challenges in receiving healthcare, and little is known about physicians' abilities to address this population's healthcare needs. METHODS: An electronic questionnaire sent to the Colombian Emergency Medicine professional society and teaching hospitals assessed physicians' knowledge, attitudes, and experiences with the FARC ex-combatant reincorporation process. RESULTS: Among 53 participants, most were male (60.4%), and ∼25% were affected by the FARC conflict (22.6%). Overall knowledge of FARC reincorporation was low, with nearly two-thirds of participants (61.6%) scoring in the lowest category. Attitudes around ex-combatants showed low bias. Few physicians received training about reincorporation (7.5%), but 83% indicated they would like such training. Twenty-two participants (41.5%) had identified a patient as an ex-combatant in the healthcare setting. Higher knowledge scores were significantly correlated with training about reincorporation (r = 0.354, n = 53, P = 0.015), and experience identifying patients as ex-combatants (r = 0.356, n = 47, P = 0.014). CONCLUSION: Findings suggested high interest in training and low knowledge of the reincorporation process. Most physicians had low bias, frequent experiences with ex-combatants, and cared for these patients when they self-identify. The emergency department (ED) serves as an entrance into healthcare for this population and a potential setting for interventions to improve care delivery, especially those related to mental healthcare. Future studies could evaluate effects of care delivery following training on ex-combatant healthcare reintegration.

Envejecimiento y delirium: un viejo conocido en el Departamento de Urgencias / Aging and delirium: an old known in the Emergency Department

Con el aumento de la expectativa de vida, se está llegando a un incremento marcado de la patología geriátrica en los departamentos de urgencias; en el caso del delirium se ha demostrado en cerca del 14% de los ancianos hospitalizados y llegando a una incidencia variable entre el 10 al 52% en el grupo postquirúrgico de cadera. El delirium en los últimos 30 años ha presentado un interés marcado en la literatura médica como resultado del renacimiento como diagnostico en la unidades de urgencias y cuidados intensivos, seguramente como consecuencia de la aparición de especialidades médicas como la geriatría que han rescatado la patología del anciano; el presente artículo realiza una revisión del delirium en los departamentos de urgencias y su correlación con el envejecimiento de la población (MÉD.UIS. 2014;27(2):85-92).

With increasing life expectancy, it is coming to a marked increase of the geriatric diseases in emergency departments; multifactorial disease and increasingly of interest in the clinical setting. example of this reality is the delirium, which in the past 30 years has produced a marked interest in the medical literature as a result of the Renaissance as a diagnosis in the emergency units and intensive care, probably as a result of the emergence of medical specialties as geriatrics who have rescued the old man's disease, this article presents a review of delirium in emergency departments and their correlation with the aging population (MÉD.UIS. 2014;27(2):85-92).

Gastric Perforation and Phlegmon Formation by Foreign BodyIngestion.

This is a case report of foreign body ingestion in a suicide attempt resulting in gastric perforation and phlegmon formation during a subsequent 6 month period that eventually required surgical intervention. The patient had a prolonged course because she did not report a history of foreign body ingestion and the initial evaluating physicians had no suspicion about possible foreign body ingestion and may have missed important findings on physical examination. Gastric perforation by a foreign object may have a slow course rather than presenting acute abdomen. The realization of a proper physical examination in the emergency department is key to an accurate diagnosis.

Accidente lonómico / Lonomiasis

Se trata de un caso clínico de un adolescente masculino de 15 años de edad remitido del municipio de Arauca, Arauca Colombia por un cuadro clínico de hematuria macroscópica, equimosis y gingivorragia con antecedente de contacto previo con orugas de la familia Saturniidae. Presentaba prolongación de los tiempos de coagulación y disminución del fibrinógeno. El diagnóstico fue establecido por la anamnesis, las manifestaciones clínicas y los reportes de laboratorio. Las medidas terapéuticas tuvieron éxito. Las características fisiopatológicas y clínicas del accidente lonómico serán revisadas.

This is a case report of a 15 years old male teenager referred from the municipality of Arauca, Arauca Colombia by a clinical picture of macroscopic hematuria, bruising and gingivorrhagia with a history of previous contact with caterpillars of the family saturniidae. clotting times were prolonged and fibrinogen was decreased. The diagnosis was established by history, clinical manifestations and laboratory reports. Therapeutic measures were successful. Pathophysiological and clinical characteristics of the lonimia accident have been reviewed.

Cambio en el paradigma del manejo operatorio y no operatorio en trauma hepático, estrategias clave para urgencias en el 2012 / Paradigm change in the management operative and nonoperative management of hepatic trauma, key strategies for emergency in the year

La experiencia en el manejo del trauma hepático adquirida durante la segunda guerra mundial, así como una mejor compresión de los mecanismos y grados de lesión hepática, llevaron a que en los últimos 25 años se presentara un descenso importante en la mortalidad por este tipo de lesiones; no solo se presentó un cambio radical en el abordaje terapéutico que viró de cirugía indispensable a manejo no operatorio, incluso para lesiones complejas y graves, sino que se implementaron nuevas estrategias terapéuticas no quirúrgicas y quirúrgicas, entre las que se destaca el control de daños. La presente revisión considera un consenso actual sobre las estrategias diagnósticas y terapéuticas más apropiadas para el manejo de estas frecuentes lesiones.

The experience with the management of hepatic trauma acquired during World War II, as well as a better understanding of the mechanisms and degrees of severity of liver injury, has resulted in a marked decrease in mortality associated with this type of lesions. There has been not only a radical change in the approach that has varied from indispensable surgery to non-operative management, even for severe and complex injuries, and the implementation of novel nonsurgical strategies, standing out damage control, radiological embolization, and surgical packing. This review considers the current consensus on the most appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for the management of these frequent lesions.

Intoxicación por plomo: diagnósticodiferencial de dolor abdominal crónico. Reporte de caso y revisión de tema / Lead Poisoning: differential diagnosis of chronic abdominal pain. Case report and review

En este artículo se presenta el caso de un paciente con intoxicación crónica por plomo, cuya principal manifestación clínica fue dolor abdominal. Esta es una intoxicación quegeneralmente se presenta en pacientes que están en contacto laboral con este metal. En este artículo se revisan las manifestaciones clínicas más frecuentes y el manejo de estapatología, ya que de no identificarse y tratarse de forma oportuna, cursa con una alta morbimortalidad...

This article presents a case of chronic lead poisoning, which principal manifestation was abdominal pain. This usually occurs in patient who works with the metal. We reviewed the most frequent clinical manifestation and management. If is untreated thispoisoning has a high morbidity and mortality...