Surge capacity concepts for health care facilities: the CO-S-TR model for initial incident assessment.

Facility-based health care personnel often lack emergency management training and experience, making it a challenge to efficiently assess evolving incidents and rapidly mobilize appropriate resources. We propose the CO-S-TR model, a simple conceptual tool for hospital incident command personnel to prioritize initial incident actions to adequately address key components of surge capacity. There are 3 major categories in the tool, each with 4 subelements. "CO" stands for command, control, communications, and coordination and ensures that an incident management structure is implemented. "S" considers the logistical requirements for staff, stuff, space, and special (event-specific) considerations. "TR" comprises tracking, triage, treatment, and transportation: basic patient care and patient movement functions. This comprehensive yet simple approach is designed to be implemented in the immediate aftermath of an incident, and complements the incident command system by aiding effective incident assessment and surge capacity responses at the health care facility level.

The current state of hospital-based emergency medicine in Germany.

Germany has a long tradition of having physicians, often anesthesiologists with additional training in emergency medicine, deliver prehospital emergency care. Hospital-based emergency medicine in Germany also differs significantly from the Anglo-American model, and until recently having separate emergency rooms for different departments was the norm. In the past decade, many hospitals have created "centralized emergency departments" [Zentrale Notaufnahme (ZNAs)]. There is ongoing debate about the training and certification of physicians working in the ZNAs and whether Germany will adopt a specialty board certification for emergency medicine.

The critical airway, rescue ventilation, and the combitube: Part 1.

Emergency and unexpected difficult airway management can rapidly deteriorate into a critical airway event such as "cannot ventilate, cannot intubate" (CVCI). A critical airway event (i.e., inadequate mask ventilation, failed intubation, and CVCI) can be resolved by rescue ventilation, thus avoiding potential neurological disability or death. Recommended options include use of the larygeal mask airway, the esophageal-tracheal Combitube (ETC; Tyco-Healthcare-Nellcor, Pleasanton, Calif), transtracheal jet ventilation, or a surgical airway. This article reviews proper use of the ETC in combination with the self-inflating bulb (SIB) and/or portable carbon dioxide detector to resolve critical airway situations. The combined use of these 3 devices provides on ideal integrated system for airway control and ventilation. In addition, critical airway events and rescue ventilation options; ETC design, technical aspects, training, insertion, and ventilation; determining ETC location (i.e., esophagus vs trachea); and monitoring ETC lung ventilation are reviewed. The SIB primarily assesses ETC location within the esophagus or the trachea; the carbon dioxide detector also permits monitoring lung ventilation. Use of the ETC in prehospital, emergency medicine, and anesthesia settings, including ETC advantages, contraindications, and reported complications will be reviewed in Part 2. How to safely exchange the ETC for a definitive airway also will be reviewed.

The critical airway, rescue ventilation, and the combitube: Part 2.

Emergency and unexpected difficult airway management can rapidly deteriorate into a critical airway event (e.g., inadequate mask ventilation, failed tracheal intubation, or cannot ventilate-cannot intubate). Recommended options to resolve a critical airway event include the laryngeal mask airway, the esophageal tracheal Combitube (ETC; Tyco-Healthcare-Nellcor, Pleasanton, Calif), transtracheal jet ventilation, or a surgical airway to avoid potential neurological disability or death. Part 1, which was published in the February 2004 AANA Journal, reviewed use of the ETC in combination with the self-inflating bulb and/or portable carbon dioxide detector as an effective rescue airway system. Important aspects of rescue ventilation, ETC training methods, how to use the ETC, and determining ETC location also were reviewed. Part 2 reviews ETC advantages, contraindications, and reported complications in prehospital, emergency medicine, and anesthesia settings. Safe methods to exchange the ETC for a definitive airway also are described. Major ETC advantages include the following: (1) easy to learn, (2) can be inserted rapidly, (3) effectively secures the airway, (4) provides adequate lung ventilation, (5) minimizes aspiration risks, (6) facilitates application of high ventilatory pressures, and (7) can be exchanged safely for a definitive airway without compromising airway control or protection.

Use of a gum elastic bougie (GEB) in a zone II penetrating neck trauma: a case report.

A 54-year-old man presented with a deep zone II neck injury accompanied by profuse bleeding secondary to attempting suicide by slashing his anterior neck with a knife. Blind passage of the endotracheal tube (ETT) into the glottis through the open anterior neck was unsuccessful. In a second attempt a gum elastic bougie (GEB) was inserted directly through the vocal cord, and "tracheal clicking" and a "hold up" were appreciated. The ETT was then easily fed over the GEB and was successfully passed into the trachea. The patient underwent operative repair and tracheostomy, and he left the hospital 2 days later with his baseline mental status. The use and the benefits of the GEB are reviewed.

Survival after ethylene glycol poisoning in a patient with an arterial pH of 6.58.

This ethylene glycol poisoning case had a blood pH of 6.58 and severe hypothermia (30.9 C). The patient received supportive care with dialysis and ethanol therapy. He survived in his premorbid state after 23 days in the hospital. A similar case survived ethylene glycol poisoning neurologicaly intact with an initial pH of 6.46. Although severe acidosis in the presence of serious illness is usually associated with a poor prognosis, our case emphasized the importance of aggressive supportive care and antidotal therapy for ethylene glycol poisoning even when there is a low pH.