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A B Sanders

Publications and source records attributed to A B Sanders.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Concerns about mouth-to-mouth contact.

BACKGROUND: Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is performed on only a small percentage of patients who suffer cardiac arrest. We conducted a study to elucidate attitudes toward and potential obstacles to performance of bystander CPR. METHODS: Attitude survey of 975 people on the University Heart Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, mailing list. Participants were asked about their willingness to perform CPR under four conditions, with varying relationships (stranger vs relative or friend) and CPR techniques (chest compressions plus mouth-to-mouth ventilation [CC+V] vs chest compressions alone [CC]). RESULTS: Participants rated willingness to perform CPR and concern about disease transmission. Both relationship and CPR technique affected willingness to respond. Only 15% would "definitely" provide CC+V with strangers compared with 68% who would "definitely" perform CC. Even with relatives or friends, only 74% would "definitely" provide CC+V compared with 88% who would "definitely" provide CC. Eighty-two percent of participants were at least "moderately" concerned about disease transmission. CONCLUSION: Concerns regarding mouth-to-mouth ventilation appear to create substantial barriers to performance of bystander CPR. Intensified educational efforts and investigations of new approaches to bystander CPR are warranted.

Adult

The need for ventilatory support during bystander CPR.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare CPR with chest compressions plus ventilatory support (CC+V) and chest compressions alone (CC). DESIGN: Prospective, randomized study. SETTING: Research laboratory. INTERVENTIONS: After 2 minutes of ventricular fibrillation, 18 domestic swine (20 to 35 kg) were treated first with CC or CC+V for 10 minutes, then with standard advanced cardiac life support. RESULTS: Hemodynamics, survival, and neurologic outcome were determined. All 8 swine subjected to CC+V and all 10 subjected to CC showed return of spontaneous circulation. One animal in each group died within 1 hour. Seven of 8 animals in the CC+V group survived for 24 and 48 hours, compared with 9 of 10 CC animals at 24 hours and 8 of 10 at 48 hours. All 48-hour survivors were neurologically normal. CONCLUSION: In this experimental model of bystander CPR, we could not detect a difference in hemodynamics, 48-hour survival, or neurologic outcome when CPR was applied with and without ventilatory support.

Animals

Bilateral vocal cord paralysis following blunt trauma to the neck.

Blunt trauma to the anterior neck has been known to cause upper-airway obstruction requiring emergency tracheostomy. We report the case of a 26-year-old man who sustained blunt trauma to the anterior neck in whom upper-airway obstruction developed. Although computed tomography of the neck revealed a thyroid cartilage fracture and a retropharyngeal hematoma, fiberoptic examination of the larynx identified vocal cord paralysis as the primary cause of his upper-airway obstruction. Emergency tracheostomy was performed, and the patient recovered uneventfully. A Medline search of the literature for the past 3 years failed to identify any individual case reports of bilateral vocal cord paralysis secondary to blunt anterior neck trauma.

Adult

Chest compression and ventilation rates during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: the effects of audible tone guidance.

OBJECTIVES: To determine: 1) whether chest compressions during CPR are being performed according to American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines during cardiac arrest; and 2) the effect of an audio prompt to guide chest compressions on compliance with AHA guidelines and hemodynamic parameters associated with successful resuscitation. METHODS: An observational clinical report and laboratory study was conducted. A research observer responded to a convenience sample of cardiac arrests within a 300-bed hospital and counted the rate of chest compressions and ventilations during CPR. To evaluate the effect of an audio prompt on CPR, health care providers performed chest compression without guidance using a porcine cardiac arrest model for 1 minute, followed by a second minute in which audio guidance was added. Chest compression rates, arterial and venous blood pressures, end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) levels, and coronary perfusion pressures were measured and compared for the two periods. RESULTS: Twelve in-hospital cardiac arrests were observed in the clinical part of the study. Only two of 12 patients had chest compressions performed within AHA guidelines. No patient had respirations performed within AHA guidelines. In the laboratory, 41 volunteers were tested, with 66% performing chest compressions outside the AHA standards for compression rate without audible tone guidance. With guided chest compressions, the mean (+/- SD) chest compression rate increased from 74 +/- 22 to 100 +/- 3/min (p < 0.01). End-tidal CO2 levels increased from 15 +/- 7 to 17 +/- 7 torr (p < 0.01). Coronary perfusion pressure increased minimally with audible tone-guided chest compressions. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of Basic Cardiac Life Support--certified health care professionals did not perform CPR according to AHA-recommended guidelines. The use of audible tones to guide chest compression resulted in significantly higher chest compression rates and ETCO2 levels.

American Heart Association

A prospective study of ultrasonography in the ED by emergency physicians.

The objective of this study was to examine the use of limited, goal-directed, two-dimensional ultrasound studies performed by emergency physicians and to assess the frequency, variety, and accuracy of their readings. A 1-year prospective study was performed by using an emergency department (ED) ultrasound machine with a 3.5-mHz mechanical oscillating sector transducer and a 5.0-mHz vaginal transducer. In a series of proctoring sessions, radiologists trained emergency physicians to do limited, goal-directed ultrasonography. Laser print ultrasonograms were collected from all ED ultrasound examinations performed during a 1-year period and were compared with either formal ultrasonograms performed in the radiology department, the patient's hospital record, or both. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV), as well as negative predictive values (NPV), were calculated. The setting was a 104-bed community hospital with an ED volume of 25,000 patients annually, and patients whom the emergency physician believed needed ultrasound studies in the ED were entered. ED ultrasonography was performed in 167 patients by 14 physicians during a 1-year period. For 132 patients who completed formal follow-up, the overall diagnostic accuracy of interpretations of ED ultrasonograms yielded a sensitivity of .95, specificity of .98, PPV of .99, and NPV of .89. Eleven categories of ultrasound use were reported. The three studies most commonly performed were for gallbladder disease (53%), intrauterine pregnancy (28%), and abdominal aortic aneurysms (7%). Accuracy of ED gallbladder ultrasonograms for 65 patients showed a sensitivity of .86, specificity of .97, PPV of .97, and NPV of .85.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

California

The efficacy of an ACLS training program for resuscitation from cardiac arrest in a rural community.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine whether an advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) course in a rural hospital will improve resuscitation success from cardiac arrest. DESIGN: A retrospective case review of all patients in cardiac arrest during a 13-month period before and after the institution of an ACLS training program. SETTING: Emergency department of a 42-bed rural, community hospital in a community with no prehospital advanced life support or early defibrillation. PARTICIPANTS: All patients in cardiac arrest were entered into the data base. Twenty-nine patients were included in the pre-ACLS period and 35 in the post-ACLS period. There were no significant differences in age, gender, initial rhythm, comorbid diseases, witnessed versus unwitnessed arrest, or total arrest time in the patients in the pre-ACLS period compared with those in the post-ACLS period. INTERVENTION: ACLS provider training. MAIN RESULTS: Patients in cardiac arrest who had ventricular fibrillation/tachycardia as their initial rhythm had significant improvement in resuscitation success compared with patients in ventricular fibrillation/tachycardia in the pre-ACLS period (six of 15 versus none of nine, P < .05). Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest resuscitation was more successful in the post-ACLS period than in the pre-ACLS period (five of 30 versus none of 25, P < .05). Overall, seven of 35 patients (20%) were resuscitated successfully in the post-ACLS period, with two patients surviving to hospital discharge. This was not significantly different than the two of 29 patients (7%) resuscitated in the pre-ACLS period, with one patient surviving to discharge. CONCLUSION: The institution of an ACLS-provider course in a rural community hospital was associated with improvement in initial resuscitation for patients with ventricular fibrillation/tachycardia and out-of-hospital arrest.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Characteristics influencing career decisions of academic and nonacademic emergency physicians.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine characteristics motivating physicians to choose careers in academic and nonacademic emergency medicine. DESIGN: A written survey of 1,017 active members of the Society for Academic Emergency medicine and of a random sample of 2,000 members of the American College of Emergency Physicians was performed. Questions were asked regarding medical school, residency, and fellowship training; the importance of specific factors in influencing career decisions; and perceived obstacles to emergency medicine research. Responses from nonfaculty and adjunct, clinical, and research faculty were compared using chi 2 analysis for discrete variables and a four-group analysis of variance for continuous variables. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Responses were obtained from 1,203 physicians (41.3%). Those choosing academic careers were significantly more likely to complete a residency in emergency medicine or internal medicine and fellowship training in research or toxicology compared with nonacademic physicians. Nonfaculty and clinical faculty considered family obligations, leisure time, and personal income to be the most important factors influencing their career decisions; research faculty considered role models and the value of research to be most important. There was no difference in indebtedness among the groups. Finding time and funding, administrative obligations, and pressures to do clinical work were the most important obstacles to research productivity. CONCLUSION: Factors influencing career decisions can be used to plan strategies to meet the future needs of academic emergency medicine.

Adult

Role of emergency medicine residency programs in determining emergency medicine career choice among medical students.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To characterize the role of emergency medicine residency programs in determining emergency medicine career choice among medical students. DESIGN: Observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study. Information on student career choice was obtained through a targeted query of the National Resident Matching Program data base, simultaneously stratified by specialty and school, and adjusted for class size. PARTICIPANTS: All accredited emergency medicine residency programs and four-year allopathic medical schools. RESULTS: Fifty-two schools (42%) had a closely affiliated emergency medicine residency program, ie, one based primarily at the institution's main teaching hospital(s). This configuration was associated with a 70% increase in the median proportion of students choosing emergency medicine as a career when compared to the 73 schools with no closely affiliated emergency medicine residency (5.1% vs 3.0%, P < .0001). When institutions were stratified by overall commitment to emergency medicine, the median proportion of students choosing emergency medicine as a career was 2.9% for institutions with a minimal commitment to emergency medicine (neither an academic department of emergency medicine nor a closely affiliated emergency medicine residency), 4.1% for institutions with a moderate commitment to emergency medicine (either a department of emergency medicine or an emergency medicine residency, but not both), and 5.7% for institutions with a substantial commitment to emergency medicine (a department of emergency medicine and an emergency medicine residency) (P < .0001). When institutional commitment to emergency medicine was examined in a simple multivariate model, only the presence of an emergency medicine residency was associated independently with student career choice (P < .001). CONCLUSION: An emergency medicine residency program that is closely affiliated with a medical school is strongly and independently associated with a quantitatively and statistically significant increase in the proportion of students from that school who choose a career in emergency medicine. These data support the proposition that, if emergency medicine is to meet national manpower shortage needs by attracting students to the specialty, it must establish residency programs within the primary teaching hospital(s) of medical schools. Such a configuration does not currently exist in the majority of schools.

Career Choice

High-dose epinephrine results in greater early mortality after resuscitation from prolonged cardiac arrest in pigs: a prospective, randomized study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether high-dose epinephrine (0.2 mg/kg) during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) results in improved outcome, compared with standard-dose epinephrine (0.02 mg/kg). DESIGN: A prospective, randomized, blinded study. SETTING: Research laboratory of a university medical center. SUBJECTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Thirty domestic swine were randomized to receive standard- or high-dose epinephrine during CPR after 15 mins of fibrillatory cardiac arrest. Three minutes of CPR were provided, followed by advanced cardiac life support per American Heart Association guidelines. Animals that were successfully resuscitated were supported for 2 hrs in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting, and then observed for 24 hrs. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Electrocardiogram, aortic blood pressure, right atrial blood pressure, and end-tidal CO2 were monitored continuously until the intensive care period ended. Survival and neurologic outcome were determined. Return of spontaneous circulation was attained in 14 of 15 animals in each group. Four of 14 high-dose epinephrine pigs died during the ICU period after return of spontaneous circulation vs. zero of the 14 standard-dose pigs (p < .05). Six standard-dose pigs survived 24 hrs vs. four high-dose pigs. Twenty-four-hour survival rate and neurologic outcome were not significantly different. Within 10 mins of defibrillation, severe hypertension (diastolic pressure > 120 mmHg) occurred in 12 of 14 high-dose pigs vs. two of 14 standard-dose pigs (p < .01). Severe tachycardia (heart rate > 250 beats/min) occurred in seven of 14 high-dose pigs vs. zero of 14 standard-dose pigs (p < .01). All four high-dose epinephrine pigs that died during the ICU period experienced both severe hypertension and tachycardia immediately postresuscitation. CONCLUSIONS: High-dose epinephrine did not improve 24-hr survival rate or neurologic outcome. Immediately after return of spontaneous circulation, most animals in the high-dose epinephrine group exhibited a hyperadrenergic state that included severe hypertension and tachycardia. High-dose epinephrine resulted in a greater early mortality rate.

Animals

Diagnostic and treatment guidelines on elder abuse and neglect.

It is estimated that between 1.5 and 2 million older adults experience abuse or neglect each year in the United States. Elder mistreatment may be physical, psychological, or financial, and it may be perpetrated by family members or by other informal or formal caregivers. Physicians are encouraged to play an active role in assessment, intervention, and prevention.

Aged

Beliefs and practices of emergency medicine faculty and residents regarding professional interactions with the biomedical industry.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To examine emergency medicine resident training and understanding of general bioethics and resident and faculty attitudes and behavior regarding professional interactions with the biomedical industry. DESIGN: Two companion questionnaire surveys. SETTING: Annual resident in-service examination and written director survey with telephone follow-up. PARTICIPANTS: Emergency medicine residents and program directors. INTERVENTIONS: chi 2 analysis was used for questions involving relationships among variables with dichotomous or categorical response. An analysis of variance or Pearson Product Moment Correlation was calculated for questions with continuous variables. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The surveys were completed by 1,385 of 1,836 (75%) residents and 80 of 81 (99%) residency directors. On average, residents receive eight hours of bioethical instruction per year but believe that they need 12 hours per year. Seventy-five percent of residents believe that company representatives sometimes cross ethical boundaries. The amount of resident understanding of bioethical concepts correlated with the number of hours of bioethics training they received. A sensitivity to bioethical conflicts index was correlated with the residents' behavior. CONCLUSION: There is wide variation in beliefs and practices regarding the interaction between emergency medicine residents and directors and the biomedical industry. Our results suggest that residents need training regarding conflicts of interest, accepted standards of practice, and dealing with potential conflicts with the biomedical industry.

Bioethical Issues

Effects of graded doses of epinephrine on both noninvasive and invasive measures of myocardial perfusion and blood flow during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

OBJECTIVES: Epinephrine administered during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is known to increase aortic diastolic and myocardial perfusion pressures, while enhancing myocardial blood flow. Optimal dosing of epinephrine during CPR is less certain. Interest in high-dose epinephrine use under such circumstances is increasing. The effect of different doses of epinephrine on simultaneously measured perfusion pressures, myocardial blood flow, cardiac output, and end-tidal CO2 (PCO2) (used as an indirect measure of cardiac output during CPR) is unknown. DESIGN: Prospective, sequential evaluation of no epinephrine, standard dose epinephrine, and high-dose epinephrine. SETTING: An experimental resuscitation laboratory. SUBJECTS: Twelve domestic swine. INTERVENTIONS: Myocardial perfusion pressure, myocardial blood flow, cardiac output, and end-tidal PCO2 were studied after various doses of epinephrine were administered during prolonged CPR. After 3 mins of untreated ventricular fibrillation, each animal received 5 mins of CPR without epinephrine, 5 mins of CPR after standard dose epinephrine (0.02 mg/kg), and 5 mins of CPR after high-dose epinephrine (0.2 mg/kg). Cardiac output and regional myocardial blood flow values were measured with nonradioactive, colored microspheres. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Myocardial perfusion pressure (aortic diastolic minus right atrial diastolic) was significantly (p < .05) increased over baseline with high-dose epinephrine (35 +/- 8 vs. 14 +/- 4 mm Hg), but not with standard dose epinephrine (20 +/- 5 vs. 14 +/- 4 mm Hg). Epinephrine's effect on myocardial blood flow was similar, increasing after the high dose (71 +/- 21 vs. 20 +/- 5 mL/min/100 g; p > .05), but not with the standard dose (23 +/- 6 vs. 20 +/- 5 mL/min/100 g). Cardiac output decreased significantly (p < .05) after high-dose epinephrine (7 +/- 1 vs. 13 +/- 1 mL/min/kg). Mean end-tidal PCO2 levels were lower after high-dose epinephrine (15 +/- 2 vs. 20 +/- 2 mm Hg; p < .05) but not after standard dose epinephrine (19 +/- 2 vs. 20 +/- 2 mm Hg). CONCLUSIONS: Standard dose epinephrine had minimal effect on myocardial perfusion pressure, myocardial blood flow, cardiac output, or end-tidal PCO2. High-dose epinephrine enhanced myocardial perfusion pressure and myocardial blood flow despite significantly decreasing cardiac output.

Animals

Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Is ventilation necessary?

BACKGROUND: Prompt initiation of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) improves survival. Basic life support with mouth-to-mouth ventilation and chest compressions is intimidating, difficult to remember, and difficult to perform. Chest compressions alone can be easily taught, easily remembered, easily performed, adequately taught by dispatcher-delivered telephone instruction, and more readily accepted by the public. The principal objective of this study was to evaluate the need for ventilation during CPR in a clinically relevant swine model of prehospital witnessed cardiac arrest. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty seconds after ventricular fibrillation, swine were randomly assigned to 12 minutes of chest compressions plus mechanical ventilation (group A), chest compressions only (group B), or no CPR (group C). Standard advanced cardiac life support was then provided. Animals successfully resuscitated were supported for 2 hours in an intensive care setting, and then observed for 24 hours. All 16 swine in groups A and B were successfully resuscitated and neurologically normal at 24 hours, whereas only 2 of 8 group C animals survived for 24 hours (P < .001, Fisher's exact test). One of the 2 group C survivors was comatose and unresponsive. CONCLUSIONS: In this swine model of witnessed prehospital cardiac arrest, the survival and neurological outcome data establish that prompt initiation of chest compressions alone appears to be as effective as chest compressions plus ventilation and that both techniques of bystander CPR markedly improve outcome compared with no bystander CPR.

Animals

Geriatric emergency medicine: a survey of practicing emergency physicians.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the current status of clinical, educational, social, ethical, and resource issues related to the care of the elderly among practitioners of emergency medicine. DESIGN: A mailed survey instrument. SETTING: None. TYPE OF PARTICIPANTS: Practicing emergency physicians randomly drawn from the membership list of the American College of Emergency Physicians. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 971 surveys were mailed, with 433 usable surveys among the 485 (50%) respondents. The surveyed emergency physicians anticipated a major impact on emergency department patient flow and bed availability in the hospital and ICU as the population ages. For each of seven clinical presentations (abdominal pain, altered mental status, chest pain, dizziness/vertigo, fever without a source, headache, multisystem trauma), 45% or more of the emergency physicians have more difficulty in the management of older compared with younger patients. Most respondents reported that each of these presentations required more time and resources for older patients. The majority believed research, the availability of continuing medical education, and time spent during residency training regarding geriatric emergency medicine was inadequate. CONCLUSION: Practicing emergency physicians are uncomfortable with elderly patients, and this may reflect the inadequacies of training, research, and continuing education in geriatric emergency medicine.

Aged

Geriatric patient emergency visits. Part I: Comparison of visits by geriatric and younger patients.

OBJECTIVES: To describe emergency department use by the elderly, to define problems associated with emergency care of the elderly, and to compare these results with those for younger adult patients. DESIGN: Retrospective, controlled chart review. SETTING: Six geographically distinct US hospital EDs. PARTICIPANTS: From each site, a stratified sample (approximately 7:3) of elderly (65 years or older) and nonelderly (21 to 64 years old) control patients treated during the same time period was used. METHODS: Standardized review of ED records and billing charges. Comparisons of elderly and control patient groups using chi 2 analysis and Mann-Whitney U test (alpha = 0.05). RESULTS: Four hundred eighteen elderly patients and 175 nonelderly controls were entered into the study. The elderly were more likely to arrive by ambulance (35% versus 11%; P less than .00001). More elderly than controls presented with conditions of either high or intermediate urgency (78% versus 61%; P less than .0003). The elderly more frequently presented with comorbid diseases (94% versus 63%; P less than .00001). Other findings for the elderly included a longer mean stay in the ED (185 versus 155 minutes; P less than .003), higher laboratory (78% versus 53%; P less than .00001) and radiology (77% versus 52%; P less than .00001) test rates, higher mean overall care charges ($471 versus $344; P less than .00001), and an admission rate (47% versus 19%; P less than .00001) twice that of younger adults. CONCLUSION: Resource use and charges associated with emergency care are higher for the elderly than for younger patients. Increases in emergency resources and personnel or improvement in efficiency will be needed to maintain emergency care at present levels as the US population continues to grow and age.

Adult