Ultrasound scanning by general practitioners: is it worthwhile?

[Tracheostomy in the ICU: is it worthwhile?].

OBJECTIVE To determine the feasibility of performing tracheostomy in the intensive care unit (ICU) environment and to assess procedure-related complications and mortality. METHODS The medical records of the 73 patients submitted to tracheostomy in the ICU of the Federal University of São Paulo Hospital São Paulo between January and November of 2003 were evaluated retrospectively. All operatio...

In-water resuscitation--is it worthwhile?

OBJECTIVES At present, there is no reliable information indicating the best option of rescuing a non-breathing drowning victim in the water. Our objectives were to compare the outcomes of performing immediate in-water resuscitation (IWR) or delaying resuscitation until the victim is brought to shore. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective data analysis was conducted of non-breathing drowning vi...

Community Water Fluoridation: is it Still Worthwhile?

Automatic tube compensation: is it worthwhile?

The influence of the endotracheal tube (ETT) during weaning has been questioned. Concerns about the work of breathing (WOB) imposed by the ETT have led to the use of various corrective methods and ventilatory modes to overcome ETT resistance. Despite the theoretical advantages of different approaches, such as pressure support (PSV) and/or automatic tube compensation (ATC), no methods appear to ...

‘Validation of ultrasound examinations performed by general practitioners’

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic agreement when a general practitioner and subsequently a specialist (radiologist/gynecologist) performed point-of-care ultrasound examinations for certain abdominal and gynecological conditions of low to moderate complexity. DESIGN A prospective study of inter-rater reliability and agreement. SETTING Patients were recruited and ...