Illustrated & Dissected: Professor Richard Sawdon Smith

This Alternative Gallery feature introduces the photographic artist Professor Richard Sawdon Smith. Professor Sawdon Smith's work stems around a fascination with representations of anatomy that have been fuelled by his experience as a hospital patient. The work has allowed him to explore ideas through the use of medical illustrations which include early anatomical drawings, personal medical photography and facial modelling. The work highlights how such imagery can be used in the context of a patient seeking understanding and acceptance of ill health and disease using the body as a canvas on which to translate the experience.     

超声心动图辅助教学系统的研发与应用

根据超声心动图学的教学特点,应用Adobe Flash CS5为开发工具,以权威性专业协会组织最新颁布的指南或建议为蓝本,设计开发集图、文、动画、视频为一体的交互式超声心动图辅助教学系统.经实践表明,该系统能够提高超声心动图教学的质量和效果,具有较高的推广应用价值.     

Pilot Study to Determine the Feasibility of Training Army National Guard Medics to Perform Focused Cardiac Ultrasonography

Abstract

Objective. To assess the ability of Army National Guard combat medics to perform a limited bedside echocardiography (BE) to determine cardiac activity after a brief training module. Methods. Twelve Army National Guard health care specialists trained to the level of emergency medical technician–basic (EMT-B) underwent an educational session consisting of a 5-minute lecture on BE followed by hands-on practical training. After the training session, each medic performed BEs, in either the subxiphoid (SX) or parasternal (PS) location at his or her discretion, on four healthy volunteers. The time required to complete the BE and the anatomic location of the examination (SX vs. PS) was documented. A 3-second video clip representing the best image was recorded for each BE. These clips were subsequently reviewed independently by two of the investigators with experience performing and interpreting BE; each BE was graded on a six-point scale designed for the study, the Cardiac Ultrasound Structural Assessment Scale (CUSAS). A score of 3 or greater was considered to be adequate to assess for the presence of cardiac activity. Where there was disagreement on the CUSAS score, the reviewers viewed the clip together and agreed on a consensus CUSAS score. We calculated the median time to completion and interquartile range (IQR) for each BE, the median CUSAS scores and IQR for examinations performed in the SX and PS locations, and kappa for agreement between the two reviewers on the CUSAS. Results. A total of 48 BEs were recorded and reviewed. Thirty-seven of 48 (77%) were obtained in the SX location, and 11 of 48 (23%) were obtained in the PS location. Forty-four of 48 (92%) were scored as a 3 or higher on the CUSAS. Median time to completion of a BE was 5.5 seconds (IQR: 3.7–10.9 seconds). The median CUSAS score in the SX location was 4 (IQR: 4–5), and the median CUSAS score in the PS location was 4 (IQR: 4–4). Weighted kappa for the CUSAS was 0.6. Conclusion. With minimal training, the vast majority of the medics in our study were able to rapidly perform a focused BE on live models that was adequate to assess for the presence of cardiac activity.     

Establishing biennial paramedic experience benchmarks

Objective. Since stroke symptoms are often vague, and acute therapies for stroke are more recently available, it has been hypothesized that stroke patients may not be treated with the same urgency as myocardial infarction (MI) patients by emergency medical services (EMS). To examine this hypothesis, EMS transport times were examined for both stroke and MI patients who used a paramedic-level, county-based EMS system for transportation to a single hospital during 1999. Methods. Patients were first identified by their hospital discharge diagnosis as stroke (ICD-9 430–436, n = 50) or MI (ICD-9 410, n = 55). Trip sheets with corresponding transport times were retrospectively obtained from the 911 center. A separate analysis was performed on patients identified by dispatchers with a chief complaint of stroke (n = 85) or MI (n = 372). Results. Comparing stroke and MI patients identified by ICD-9 codes, mean EMS transport times in minutes did not meaningfully differ with respect to dispatch to scene arrival time (8.3 vs 8.9, p = 0.61), scene time (19.5 vs 21.4, p = 0.23), and transport time (13.7 vs 16.2, p = 0.10). Mean total call times in minutes from dispatch to hospital arrival were similar between stroke and MI patients (41.5 vs 46.4, p = 0.22). Results were similar when comparing patients identified by dispatchers with a chief complaint indicative of stroke or MI. Conclusion. In this single county, EMS response times were not different between stroke and MI patients. Replication in other EMS settings is needed to confirm these findings.     

EMTs' Attitudes' toward Death before andafter a Death Education Program

Objective. To test the hypothesis that emergency medical technicians' (EMTs') attitudes toward death will change after exposure to a death education program. Methods. A convenience sample of 83 rural EMTs participated in this pretest–posttest study after exposure to an educational program related to death. Intact groups of EMTs were randomly assigned to one of three conditions. The short-intervention group received a two-hour class solely on making death notifications. The long-intervention group received a 16-hour, two-day workshop based on the Emergency Death Education andCrisis Training (EDECT^SM) program. The control group received a program about toxicology. Each participant completed a questionnaire with items structured in a Likert five-point format with “strongly agree” and“strongly disagree” as the anchors. Results. Before the training programs, most (77%) participants reported that an EMT's actions impact the family's grief. Less than half (43%) reported that an EMT's role should include making a death notification. The majority (84%) reported that their training was inadequate to make a death notification or to help the family with their grief. Most (84%) felt uncomfortable making a death notification. Those EMTs in the long-intervention group were significantly more likely (92%) to feel that their training was adequate after the intervention when compared with those EMTs in the short-intervention group (43%) or those in the control group (21%). Conclusion. The data showed that EMTs' attitudes toward death changed after exposure to a training program about death.     

I NTRODUCTION TO F IRE P REVENTION,F IFTH E DITION

Objectives: To determine whether members of a ski patrol, most of whom have no off-season medical responsibilities, can successfully complete an automated external defibrillator (AED) training program prior to the ski season, and retain AED skills at the end of the season and at the beginning of the following season. Methods: A prospective educational study was conducted with 61 ski patrol personnel: 51 (84%) had no other medical training, 44 (72%) had no off-season medical duties, and 57 (93%) had no prior exposure to AEDs. Prior to the ski season (December 1, 1998), all members were trained and tested using the standard American Heart Association (AHA) AED training package and a Life-Pak 500 AED and AED Trainer donated by the Medtronic Physio-Control Corporation. Both after the ski season (April 1, 1999) and prior to the following season (October 30, 1999), with no refresher training, participants were retested with the same written and practical exams. Cochrane's linear trend test was used to compare scores on the practical and written tests over time. Results: For the three testing sessions, practical test pass rates were 95%, 92%, and 97%, and written test pass rates were 100%, 98%, and 98%. There was no change in individuals' scores on either the written test (p = 0.914) or the practical test (p = 0.413) over time. Conclusions: A heterogeneous group of ski patrollers can successfully complete an AED training course, with good skill retention both after the ski season and at the beginning of the following season.     

佛山120急救调度模式下的院内反应时间状况分析及策略

目的对佛山120急救调度模式下的院内反应时间进行分析，提出缩短院内反应时间的策略。方法使用SPSS统计软件对2011年11～12月8点至18点我院急诊科确认并接受的由通讯指挥中心发出的院前急救指令进行随机抽查，对其院内反应时间【A组（急诊医师组）、B组（急诊护士组）、C组（担架员组）和D组（救护车司机组）】进行分析。结果2011年11～12月8点至18点，对佛山市中医院急诊科调度护士接收到的526例院前急救指令进行随机抽查并进行统计。A组院内反应时间（51．58±16．63）S，B组院内反应时间（51．09±16．47）s，C组院内反应时间（59．40±17．06）s．D组院内反应时间（59．30±17．12）s。A、B、C和D组院内反应时间比较，差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。A组和B组较C组和D组的院内反应时间较短，A组和B组间无统计学意义（P〉0．0083），C组和D组间无统计学意义（P〉0．05）．A组和B组与C组和D组间的差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。我院急诊科综合院内平均反应时间（59．69±16．78）s．2min内出车率100％。比广州市120急救网络医院的院内反应时间短，差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。结论因地制宜，制定相关策略缩短院内反应时间。