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Biomedical subjects

Y Donchin

Publications and source records attributed to Y Donchin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Assessment of physician competence in prehospital trauma care.

In an attempt to develop a model to measure the competence of physicians providing emergency care under difficult field conditions, 75 Israeli army medical corps physicians were evaluated through the use of four instruments: a debriefing interview, peer assessment, self-assessment and written examination. The special on-site assessment model was designed to examine actual events, enabling an assessment of performance in real situations rather than simulated cases. Significant positive correlations were found between the results of the written examination and the peer evaluation on two of four measures (r = 0.36, P = 0.001; r = 0.23, P = 0.05) as well as on the two measures regarding self-evaluation and peer evaluation (r = 0.54, P = 0.001; r = 0.38, P = 0.05). It was found that those physicians who were trained in the army's medical officer course scored significantly higher on the written examination (P = 0.001) and were rated more highly by their senior peers (P = 0.048) than those who did not receive such training. It was concluded that it is advantageous to use a combination of knowledge (written examination) and performance (peer assessment or self-assessment) measures in order to arrive at a more comprehensive assessment of competence. In addition, the written examination format should be expanded and developed to include more clinical vignettes requiring treatment decisions, making this instrument a more clinically oriented measure of physician competence in trauma care.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1995

A look into the nature and causes of human errors in the intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature and causes of human errors in the intensive care unit (ICU), adopting approaches proposed by human factors engineering. The basic assumption was that errors occur and follow a pattern that can be uncovered. DESIGN: Concurrent incident study. SETTING: Medical-surgical ICU of a university hospital. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Two types of data were collected: errors reported by physicians and nurses immediately after an error discovery; and activity profiles based on 24-hr records taken by observers with human engineering experience on a sample of patients. During the 4 months of data collection, a total of 554 human errors were reported by the medical staff. Errors were rated for severity and classified according to the body system and type of medical activity involved. There was an average of 178 activities per patient per day and an estimated number of 1.7 errors per patient per day. For the ICU as a whole, a severe or potentially detrimental error occurred on the average twice a day. Physicians and nurses were about equal contributors to the number of errors, although nurses had many more activities per day. CONCLUSIONS: A significant number of dangerous human errors occur in the ICU. Many of these errors could be attributed to problems of communication between the physicians and nurses. Applying human factor engineering concepts to the study of the weak points of a specific ICU may help to reduce the number of errors. Errors should not be considered as an incurable disease, but rather as preventable phenomena.

Ergonomics↗
PubMed1995

The safety of air transportation of patients with advanced lung disease. Experience with 21 patients requiring lung transplantation or pulmonary thromboendarterectomy.

Air travel can cause severe respiratory decompensation in a patient with advanced lung disease due to high altitude hypoxemia. We report our experience in flying 21 patients with advanced lung disease to a medical center remote from Israel for lung transplantation or pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE). All patients had severe lung disease with marked hypoxemia (PaO2, 40 to 59) and 16 had significant pulmonary hypertension. Nine patients (with emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis) required single lung transplant, four (with cystic fibrosis and emphysema) required double-lung transplant, six (with primary or secondary pulmonary hypertension) required heart-lung transplant, and two (with major vessel pulmonary thrombosis) required PTE. All patients were flown by commercial aircraft to centers located 2,634 to 13,181 km away from Israel. Length of flight was between 4 and 21 h. Patients were given oxygen supplementation during the flight and were monitored by portable oximeters. All but three patients were hemodynamically stable and 19 of them were escorted by physicians. All but one hemodynamically unstable patient who died on board arrived safely at their destinations. We conclude that with careful preparation, sufficient oxygen supply, oximetric monitoring, and medical escort, almost any patient with severe lung disease can travel by air to any necessary destination.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Utility of postmortem computed tomography in trauma victims.

A possible way to circumvent the continuing decline in the number of autopsies is to perform computed tomography after death. The present study compares the pathologic findings of postmortem CT tomography (PMCT) in trauma fatalities with those disclosed upon conventional forensic autopsy. Within 6 hours of death, the bodies of 25 trauma victims underwent total body CT scanning, all with permission of the relatives, followed by conventional autopsy in 13 cases under court order. The pathologist and roentgenologist were unaware of each other's findings. The pathologic findings of PMCT plus conventional autopsy provided more information than either examination alone. Of the total 127 pathologic findings, 44.9% were diagnosed by both conventional autopsy and PMCT, 29.9% were not revealed by PMCT, whereas conventional autopsy missed 25.2%, and PMCT detected more bone injuries than did autopsy, whereas the latter was superior to PMCT in discovering soft-tissue pathologic states. In all, PMCT revealed 70.5% and autopsy 74.8% of the pathologic states. Although PMCT was not more effective than conventional autopsy in exposing pathologic entities, it increased the yield of findings when combined with conventional autopsy. Where conventional autopsy is unattainable, PMCT may be effective in shedding light on the pathologic state and mechanism of death in trauma fatalities.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Assessment of IDF physicians in in-field trauma].

The system of care delivery of in-field trauma was assessed, leading to suggestions for improving the system and military medical training. This study reports the feasibility and validity of various methods of assessing the performance of Israel Defense Force physicians in administering trauma care. The methods included a standardized medical debriefing with filling in of a report form by a senior traumatologist, his review of the physician's performance, self-assessment by the physician, and a written test. 5 senior traumatologists with extensive experience in military trauma care were trained to assess the physicians' performance within 24-48 hours of incidents involving moderate to severe trauma injuries. 75 physicians who had been involved in the care of the in-field trauma patients during a 1-year period, November 1988 to October 1989, were assessed. Analysis of the results clearly indicated 2 areas for assessment: a) knowledge, mainly levels of comprehension and application in relevant areas of trauma and b) performance, including immediate diagnosis, treatment skills, and triage. The best method for evaluating knowledge was the written test, not peer review nor self-evaluation. However, the traumatologist's evaluation of care performance was highly correlated with the physician's self-assessment. For comprehensive assessment of in-field care it is advisable to integrate the 2 methods: performance review by a traumatologist and a comprehensive written test. Information gained from such assessment could improve the planning of in-service trauma training and the posting of physicians within the military framework.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1992

Cardiac vagal tone predicts outcome in neurosurgical patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between presurgical levels of cardiac vagal tone and outcome in neurosurgical patients. DESIGN: Prospective series. SETTING: Respiratory ICU in a university hospital. PATIENTS: Fifty-one adults admitted to the respiratory ICU between 1982 and 1985. Forty-two patients were scheduled for elective neurosurgery, and nine patients suffered from head trauma. INTERVENTIONS: Ten minutes of electrocardiographic (EKG) data were recorded before medical intervention. Neurosurgical patients scheduled for surgery had EKG data recorded 24 hrs before their operation. Trauma patients had EKG data recorded immediately after arrival in the respiratory ICU. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Cardiac vagal tone was evaluated using a vagal tone index, quantified from the EKG. Cardiac vagal tone monitored before surgical intervention significantly distinguished between the outcome groups only for the elective neurosurgical patients. Age, gender, heart rate, Glasgow Coma Scale scores, and tumor location, size, and malignancy were not related to outcome in the elective neurosurgery group. However, within the trauma group, low Glasgow Coma Scale scores were significantly related to poor outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac vagal tone may offer important predictive value by alerting the physician to the functional consequence of head injury. Information relating to autonomic nervous system functioning, such as the vagal tone index used in this study, may provide additional information that will complement the computed tomography scan results. This study demonstrates that the vagal tone index is a predictive factor that may be efficiently extracted from the heart rate pattern routinely monitored in ICUs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

A novel approach to military combat trauma education.

A heterogeneous group of 77 physicians on compulsory or reserve military service were exposed to a 5-day course in trauma management, specifically designed for military medical personnel. Cognitive knowledge of trauma care delivery of the medical officers was assessed by means of multiple-choice written tests, which were held before and upon completion of the course. The significantly improved (p less than 0.0001) scores of the post-course test demonstrate the value of a condensed trauma educational program. Analysis of the background variants (i.e., medical education, military, and residency training, and time since graduation) revealed that the relatively short but intensive course sufficed to surmount the difficulties inherent in instructing a student body composed of individuals with dissimilar professional experience. We advocate the institution of a compact course in trauma treatment, with the specific aim of enhancing the medical officer's knowledge in this critical field of medical care.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1991

Trauma anesthesia for disasters. Anything, anytime, anywhere.

Field anesthesia can be practiced safely and effectively but requires special training to acquire familiarity with the techniques. Because field anesthesia may be required even in sophisticated countries for entrapment situations, skill should be maintained by practicing the appropriate techniques on a regular basis. Field anesthetic techniques are not second rate methods; they are just different. Although improvisation in the disaster situation has merit, it is not the place for experimenting with new and untried techniques.

Anesthesia↗
PubMed1990

Military medicine: trauma anesthesia and critical care on the battlefield.

This article presents a few of the basic guidelines that must be considered once a decision is made to provide anesthesia and advanced surgical care in the battlefield--or in civilian catastrophes (for example, terrorist incidents, and man-made or natural disasters) that resemble the battlefield. However, it must be stressed that the most central consideration in battlefield anesthesia is the selection, training, and experience of the battlefield anesthesiologist. There are strict guidelines for providing safe anesthesia under the dire circumstances of war or similar civilian circumstances; the properly trained and experienced TA/CCS, however, will be best able to deliver battlefield anesthesia and to improvise equipment and agents for its safest delivery in those circumstances.

Anesthesia↗
PubMed1988

Pulmonary barotrauma including orbital emphysema following inhalation of toxic gas.

Severe pulmonary barotrauma occurred following smoke and toxic gas inhalation in a 20-year-old male. He developed pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, and extensive facial subcutaneous emphysema which intensified during treatment with positive pressure ventilation. Following the appearance of diplopia and exotropia, orbital emphysema was demonstrated radiologically. The diplopia and exotropia were manifestations of mechanical interference in extra-ocular muscle function by the intra-orbital air, an unusual expression of pulmonary barotrauma.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia during recovery from isoflurane-nitrous oxide anesthesia.

Heart rate and respiratory patterns were monitored in ten ambulatory female patients undergoing elective laparoscopy. The patients were anesthetized with isoflurane-nitrous oxide. An index of cardiac vagal tone determined from the heart rate pattern by quantifying the amplitude of respiratory sinus arrhythmia was elevated over four 10-min periods: before induction of anesthesia; during maintenance of anesthesia; upon arrival in the recovery room; and 20-30 min later when the patient was fully conscious. All ten patients' vagal tones were lowest during maintenance of anesthesia. During the recovery periods vagal tone increased and approached the conscious level. On-line analysis of respiratory sinus arrhythmia may provide a physiological index of the level of anesthesia and the rate of recovery.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Spectral analysis of fetal heart rate in sheep: the occurrence of respiratory sinus arrhythmia.

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia is a pattern of rhythmic variation in the heart rate that occurs at the frequency of respiration and is mediated principally by the vagus nerve. Spectral analysis can decompose the variance of a series of sequential measures into constituent frequencies to measure and verify whether there is respiratory sinus arrhythmia in utero in the fetal lamb. Recordings of heart period were obtained from electrodes implanted under fetal skin in six chronic preparations. Respiratory rate and heart period were recorded immediately after delivery and daily for the next 5 days. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia was clearly demonstrated in the neonatal lambs, and the same frequency of respiratory sinus arrhythmia was observed in the fetus and in the newborn lamb (0.8 to 0.1 Hz). There was a reproducible pattern of change in respiratory sinus arrhythmia from 27 days before delivery until term, with a decline in the amplitude of respiratory sinus arrhythmia 4 to 8 days before delivery. We conclude that respiratory sinus arrhythmia was demonstrated in fetal sheep and may serve as an indicator of the integrity of the central nervous system in the fetus and the neonate.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Metkephamid-induced Flehmen in lambs.

When metkephamid, a systemically active analog of methionine enkephalin, was administered intracisternally to male or female prepubescent lambs as early as the first week of life, we observed a behavioral pattern akin to Flehmen, which is a well-characterized grimace displayed by mature ungulates during mating. This metkephamid-induced Flehmen was preceded by transient bradycardia and apnea followed by somnolence for approximately 1 hour, during which Flehmen was observed intermittently. Pretreatment with the specific opiate antagonist, naloxone, blocked this behavioral response. These observations indicate that endogenous opioid peptides may be involved in Flehmen.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Epidural morphine does not affect the duration of action of epidural 2-chloroprocaine following Caesarean section.

The effect of epidural morphine on the duration of action of epidural 2-chloroprocaine was studied in a double-blind fashion in 30 patients following elective Caesarean section. When compared to epidural saline controls (n = 15), patients (n = 15) who received epidural morphine (4.0-5.0 mg) did not experience a prolongation or reduction in the duration of the somatic or sympathetic nervous system blockades produced by epidural 2-chloroprocaine.

Anesthesia, Epidural↗