Emergency Medicine International
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Acceptance rate9%
Submission to final decision84 days
Acceptance to publication14 days
CiteScore0.890
Journal Citation Indicator0.560
Impact Factor1.2

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 Journal profile

Emergency Medicine International publishes original research articles and review articles related to prehospital care, disaster preparedness and response, acute medical and paediatric emergencies, critical care and wound care

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Emergency Medicine International maintains an Editorial Board of practicing researchers from around the world, to ensure manuscripts are handled by editors who are experts in the field of study.

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Do you think there is an emerging area of research that really needs to be highlighted? Or an existing research area that has been overlooked or would benefit from deeper investigation? Raise the profile of a research area by leading a Special Issue.

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Research Article

Surge Capacity of Taipei’s Regional Emergency Medical System during COVID-19: A System Dynamics Approach

Background. The community transmission of COVID-19 has caused the breakdown of the regional emergency medical system (REMS), impacting the rights and care of regional patients with acute and severe conditions. This study proposes a model for the surge capacity of REMS to plan for readiness and preparedness during challenging events that overload capacity. Methods. The surge capacity of REMS during the COVID-19 pandemic was studied. The data collection included 26 hospitals that received the data. To simulate the dynamics of Taipei’s REMS surge capacity, we observed its ability to treat COVID-19 patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This will involve monitoring the stock of ventilators, physicians, and nurses within the subsystem loops. Results. Healthcare managers and administrators can use the overload model and hypothetical scenarios to develop new scenarios with different demands on surge capacity. The REMS system capacity model can be used as an aid to guide planning and cross-checking for address Prepare to plan. Conclusions. We combined data regarding the availability of ventilators, physicians, nurses, specialized beds, and general acute care beds in our simulations. Thus, our simulations, with support from a well-established regional command and management structure, could help REMS achieve the optimal surge capacity.

Research Article

The Predictive Role of Lactate in the Emergency Department in Patients with Severe Dyspnea

Objective. An accurate identification of patients at the need for prioritized diagnostics and care are crucial in the emergency department (ED). Blood gas (BG) analysis is a widely available laboratory test, which allows to measure vital parameters, including markers of ventilation and perfusion. The aim of our analysis was to assess whether blood gas parameters in patients with dyspnea at an increased risk of respiratory failure admitted to the ED can predict short-term outcomes. Methods. The study group eventually consisted of 108 patients, with available BG analysis. The clinical and laboratory parameters were retrospectively evaluated, and three groups were distinguished—arterial blood gas (ABG), venous blood gas (VBG), and mixed blood gas. The primary endpoint was short-term, all-cause mortality during the follow-up of median (quartile 1–quartile 3) 2 (1–4) months. The independent risk factors for mortality that could be obtained from blood gas sampling were evaluated. Results. The short-term mortality was 35.2% (38/108). Patients who died were more frequently initially assigned to the red triage risk group, more burdened with comorbidities, and the median SpO2 on admission was significantly lower than in patients who survived the follow-up period. In the multivariable analysis, lactate was the strongest independent predictor of death, with 1 mmol/L increasing all-cause mortality by 58% in ABG (95% CI: 1.01–2.47), by 80% in VBG (95% CI: 1.13–2.88), and by 68% in the mixed blood gas analysis (95% CI: 1.22–2.31), what remained significant in VBG and mixed group after correction for base excess. In each group, pH, pO2, and pCO2 did not predict short-term mortality. Conclusions. In patients admitted to the ED due to dyspnea, at risk of respiratory failure, lactate levels in arterial, venous, and mixed blood samples are independent predictors of short-term mortality.

Research Article

Comparison of Clinical Characteristics, Therapy, and Short-Term Prognosis between Blunt and Penetrating Abdominal Trauma: A Multicentric Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective. Large-scale studies on the characteristics and management of abdominal trauma in megacities in China are lacking. The aim of this study was to analyze and present the clinical patterns and treatment status of abdominal trauma in regional medical centers. Methods. Cases of abdominal trauma treated at seven medical centers in Beijing from 2010 to 2021 were collected. Clinical information about age, sex, injury cause, geographic distribution, abbreviated injury scale/injury severity score (AIS/ISS) value, injury-hospital time, preoperative time, surgically identified organ injuries, type of surgery, causes of reoperation and 90-day mortality was included in this study. Clinical characteristics, treatment methods, and short-term prognoses (90-days survival) were compared between blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) and penetrating abdominal trauma (PAT) cases. Non-normally distributed data are described as medians (IQR), and the Mann‒Whitney U test was performed; qualitative data were analyzed using the test. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed by the Cox proportional hazards model. Results. A total of 553 patients (86.98% male) with a median age of 36.50 (27.00–48.00) years were included. The BAT group had a significantly higher proportion of serious injury (), lower initial hemoglobin level (1), and a lower laparoscopy surgery rate () compared to the PAT group. Additionally, more BAT cases were from the area around Beijing () and a longer injury-regional hospital time (10.47 (5.18–22.51) hours vs. 7.00 (3.80–15.38) hours, ). In the hollow viscus injury subgroup, the BAT group had a significantly longer injury-regional hospital time and preoperative time compared to the PAT group (injury-regional hospital time: 10.23 (6.00–21.59) hours vs. 7.07 (3.99–13.85) hours, ; preoperative time: 3.02 (2.01–5.58) hours vs. 2.81 (1.85–3.63) hours, ). The overall 90-day mortality was 11.9%, and longer injury-regional hospital time (HR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00–1.02, ), receipt of ICU treatment (HR: 4.69, 95% CI: 2.54–8.65, ), and severe ISSs (ISS > 25 vs. ISS < 16, HR: 2.78, 95% CI: 1.38–5.601, ) had a worse impact on survival. Conclusion. More patients with BAT were transferred to higher-level hospital, leading to significantly longer prehospital and preoperation time. In the subgroup of hemodynamically stable individuals, more patients with BAT experienced hollow viscus injuries. For those patients, aggressive diagnostic laparoscopic exploration may be beneficial. Patients with longer injury-regional hospital intervals, the need for ICU care, and higher injury severity scores (ISSs) suffered from worse prognoses.

Review Article

Strategies for Oxygen Ecosystems in Middle-Income Countries: A Review and Case Study from Lebanon

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge of critically ill patients and a sudden increase in the need for oxygen treatment worldwide. Pre-existing gaps in oxygen systems became apparent, and governments, multilateral agencies, and other partners scrambled to increase the production, supply, and use of oxygen to meet this need. The importance of an oxygen ecosystem that is appropriate for the local context became clear. This review describes strategies for oxygen ecosystems in middle-income countries, with specific experiences from Lebanon, following the authors’ extensive assessment of the country’s oxygen ecosystem, on behalf of the government and UNICEF. In the assessment, fifteen governmental hospitals were visited and evaluated using the UNICEF Oxygen System Planning Tool, discussions were held with key stakeholders, and documents were reviewed. An optimal oxygen ecosystem needs to take into consideration the production of oxygen and delivery to facilities, the maintenance system within facilities, and the clinical use of oxygen. Lebanon, a lower-middle income country in the Middle East, is contending with an extensive economic crisis affecting the health system. Eighteen recommendations for strengthening the oxygen ecosystem in Lebanon that are relevant for other middle-income countries include the establishment of a National Oxygen Committee, installation of additional oxygen plants, strengthened systems for maintenance and electricity supply, increased production, procurement and supply chain resilience, improved training and human resources, the use of data collection and regular information to guide the ecosystem, and integration of oxygen into the rest of the health system.

Research Article

Our Surgical Results in Popliteal and Infrapopliteal Artery Injuries: 21 Cases without Amputation

Objectives. Popliteal and infrapopliteal artery injuries have significant morbidity and mortality rates, especially in terms of amputation. In our study, we aimed to evaluate patients who operated due to popliteal and infrapopliteal vascular injuries in our clinic. Patients and Methods. Between 2016 and 2023; 21 patients who were operated in our clinic due to popliteal and infrapopliteal artery injuries were retrospectively evaluated. Results. 2 of the patients were female (9.5%) and 19 were male (90.5%). Age ranges were 21–78. The causes of injury were gunshot wounds in 9 patients (42.86%), blunt trauma in 7 patients (33.33%), and sharp object injuries in 5 patients (23.80%). Reversed saphenous vein interposition in 7 patients (33.33%), primary repair in 6 patients (28.57%), 6 mm polytetrafluoroethylene graft (PTFE) interposition in 3 patients (14.28%), end-to-end anastomosis in 2 patients (9.52%), saphenous-PTFE composite graft interposition in 2 patients (9.52%), and embolectomy in 1 patient (4.76%) were performed. Arterial ligation was not performed. Simultaneous orthopedic intervention was performed in 8 patients. Fasciotomy was performed in 3 patients. Venous repair was performed in 5 patients with venous injuries. Vein ligation was not performed. Mortality was observed postoperatively in 1 patient. No patient developed amputation. Foot drop developed with nerve damage in 2 patients. Conclusion. Mortality and morbidity rates may increase in popliteal and infrapopliteal artery injuries in cases of hemodynamic disorder, simultaneous bone fracture, multivessel injury, and nerve transection. These rates can be reduced by appropriate surgical repair and ensuring hemodynamic stability.

Review Article

Point-of-Care Cardiac Ultrasound Training Programme: Experience from the University Hospital Hradec Králové

Point-of-care ultrasound examinations performed by physicians of different specialties are a rapidly growing phenomenon, which has led to a worldwide effort to create a standardised approach to ultrasound examination training. The implementation of emergency echocardiography by noncardiologists is mainly aimed at the standardisation of the procedure, a structured training system, and an agreement on competencies. This article summarises the current training programmes for nonechocardiographers at the University Hospital in Hradec Králové. In cooperation with cardiologists specialised in cardiac ultrasound (ECHO), an extended acute echo protocol dedicated to emergency department physicians was developed and validated in daily practice. According to our retrospective evaluation, after one year of clinical practice, we can confirm that point-of-care ultrasound examinations performed using the standardised limited echo protocol are safe and accurate. The observed concordance with comprehensive ECHO was 78%. This trial is registered with NCT05306730.

Emergency Medicine International
 Journal metrics
See full report
Acceptance rate9%
Submission to final decision84 days
Acceptance to publication14 days
CiteScore0.890
Journal Citation Indicator0.560
Impact Factor1.2
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