Arterial Line Placement Pitfalls Can Be Demonstrated and Visualized With an Inexpensive, Wearable Trainer.

BACKGROUND: Radial arterial line placement is commonly performed in various clinical settings, including the emergency department. However, learners are successful on the first attempt only half of the time. Simulation can provide learners with procedure practice opportunities outside of clinical practice to increase confidence and chances of success. OBJECTIVES: We set out to build an arterial line trainer that would be inexpensive and reusable, wearable, anatomically realistic, and echogenic to allow for ultrasound use. We also hoped to devise a clear option that would allow for demonstration of procedure pitfalls. DISCUSSION: The arterial line trainer requires 4 hours of assembly time and costs $160. This includes enough material to make 48 tissue pads. The ballistics gel pad is echogenic; it can be customized with clear gel for direct anatomic visualization or dyed gel for more realism. The trainer also has a pulsatile artery for practice using anatomic landmarks. Visualization of the following important arterial line placement pitfalls is possible: suboptimal angle of approach, inadequate advancement of the catheter, and through-and-through vessel puncture. CONCLUSIONS: Our inexpensive trainer can help physicians and physicians in training conceptualize, practice, and troubleshoot the pitfalls of arterial line placement. Training programs looking to help learners understand the mechanics of arterial line placement may find it a useful tool.

Emergency department management of eating disorder complications in pediatric patients

Although eating disorders are on the psychiatric spectrum, they can have serious associated medical complications. Patients with eating disorders may present with complaints common to the emergency department such as abdominal pain, chest pain, syncope, or palpitations, but management of these conditions in eating disordered patients can pose a challenge. This issue provides a systems-based approach to the history, physical examination, evaluation, and treatment of acute complications of eating disorders, with a specific focus on the pathophysiology and management differences between an otherwise healthy patient and a patient with an eating disorder.

Case Report of Traumatic Uterine Rupture in a Multigravida Woman with Emergency Department Cesarean Section.

INTRODUCTION: Uterine ruptures in blunt trauma are an extremely rare complication. Furthermore, while perimortem cesarean sections in cardiac arrest patients are a well-established practice in emergency medicine, cesarean sections in the emergency department are rarely performed on non-arresting patients. CASE REPORT: A multigravida woman at approximately 24 weeks gestation presented as a transfer from an outside hospital after a motor vehicle collision. Upon arriving to our facility, she underwent an emergency cesarean section in the trauma bay and was found to have a uterine rupture with the fetus free floating in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. CONCLUSION: Uterine rupture is a rare but important complication of blunt abdominal trauma in pregnant patients. Resuscitative cesarean sections may be necessary for favorable outcomes. A well prepared and diversified team was essential to maternal survival.