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Reliability analysis and stone columns techniques are widely used, with an increasing trend, in different geotechnical engineering problems. Design methods of stone columns is still based on deterministic approach, in spite some degree of uncertainties is associated with soil and stone column parameters. In the present work, reliability analysis of bearing capacity of stone columns is examined; using three methods of reliability analysis, First Order Second Moment FOSM, Point Estimate Method PEM, and Monte Carlo simulations MCs. Parametric analysis using all variables involved in stone columns design has been conducted. Distributions of random variables involved in stone columns design are considered either as normal or lognormal. The random variables correlation effect is examined. The study has allowed to evaluate parameter uncertainty effect on reliability index of stone columns, and has permitted to figure out reduced set of parameters that must be considered as random in reliability analysis of stone columns beside sensitivity analysis.

Patients in emergency situations or life distress most often need a intravenous line (IV) to give them the medications they need. The IV route is the preferred route to treat most of the patients in emergency situations out of hospital or in the emergency room but can be very tricky to obtain. Various alternatives have been developed, such as the intraosseous route, particularly useful in cases of venous collapse (shock, cardiorespiratory arrest), the intramuscular route (anaphylaxis, sedation) or the intranasal route (status epilepticus, analgesia). This article reviews the indications, contraindications and pharmacology of these different routes., Competing Interests: Les auteurs n’ont déclaré aucun conflit d’intérêts en relation avec cet article

Background: Super-absorbent polymers (SAPs) possess the ability to absorb large amounts of water and are widely used in medical settings. Commonly used in vomit bags to contain fluids, reduce spillage, and enhance bedside hygiene, SAPs are generally regarded as safe and non-toxic. However, we report a tragic incident where the accidental ingestion of SAPs led to fatal asphyxiation, highlighting a critical safety concern., Case Presentation: A 76-year-old female suffering from advanced Alzheimer's dementia was brought to the emergency department following a fall with cervical trauma. Following a complaint of nausea, she was given a vomit bag containing a sachet of approximately 9 g of SAP. Thirty minutes later, she was found deceased in the waiting area, with a grayish, half-hardened gel blocking her oropharynx and remnants of a chewed SAP sachet. Pathological analysis confirmed death by asphyxiation caused by the SAP expanding in her oropharynx upon contact with saliva., Conclusions: This case emphasizes the potential dangers of SAPs when accidentally ingested and it is imperative that such products are kept out of reach of vulnerable populations. In cases of airway obstruction, there are no specific treatments available. Laryngoscopy may be impossible, necessitating the prompt consideration of an emergency tracheotomy. Experimental data suggest the use of an aerosol of warm alkaline hydrogen peroxide solution to dissolve these obstructive foreign bodies, but further studies are needed to validate its use in emergency situations., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

A 50-year-old individual identified as a 'frequent user' of emergency services due to chronic abdominal pain was transported to the emergency department by ambulance during a new episode of abdominal pain. Despite being initially deemed stable by paramedics, the patient was not reassessed by the triage nurse upon arrival. Subsequently, the patient presented with severe pain, arterial hypotension, and tachycardia. Following a multidisciplinary protocol for pain management, analgesic treatment was initiated. Despite several hours of management and repeated assessments, an abdominal CT-scan was eventually conducted, revealing a perforated small intestine. The application of the 'frequent user' label may have contributed to a delay in the provision of timely care for this patient.

Background: Fascia iliaca block (FIB) is an effective technique for analgesia. While FIB using ultrasound is preferred, there is no current standardised training technique or assessment scale. We aimed to create a valid and reliable tool to assess ultrasound-guided FIB., Method: This prospective observational study was conducted in the ABS-Lab simulation centre, University of Poitiers, France between 26-29 October and 14-17 December 2021. Psychometric testing included validity analysis and reliability between two independent observers. Content validity was established using the Delphi method. Three rounds of feedback were required to reach consensus. To validate the scale, 26 residents and 24 emergency physicians performed a simulated FIB on SIMLIFE, a simulator using a pulsated, revascularised and reventilated cadaver. Validity was tested using Cronbach's α coefficient for internal consistency. Comparative and Spearman's correlation analysis was performed to determine whether the scale discriminated by learner experience with FIB and professional status. Reliability was analysed using the intraclass correlation (ICC) coefficient and a correlation score using linear regression (R 2 )., Results: The final 30-item scale had 8 parts scoring 30 points: patient positioning, preparation of aseptic and tools, anatomical and ultrasound identification, local anaesthesia, needle insertion, injection, final ultrasound control and signs of local anaesthetic systemic toxicity. Psychometric characteristics were as follows: Cronbach's α was 0.83, ICC was 0.96 and R 2 was 0.91. The performance score was significantly higher for learners with FIB experience compared with those without experience: 26.5 (22.0; 29.0) vs 22.5 (16.0; 26.0), respectively (p=0.02). There was a significant difference between emergency residents' and emergency physicians' scores: 20.5 (17.0; 25.0) vs 27.0 (26.0; 29.0), respectively (p=0.0001). The performance was correlated with clinical experience (Rho=0.858, p<0.0001)., Conclusion: This assessment scale was found to be valid, reliable and able to identify different levels of experience with ultrasound-guided FIB., Competing Interests: Competing interests: J-PF, DO, CB and DAG are co-inventors of patent no. 1000318748. SIMEDYS company has exclusive rights to exploit patent no. 1000318748. J-PF, J-PR, DO and CB are shareholders in SIMEDYS. P4P device which allows the revascularisation and reventilation of the cadaver is a trademark of SIMEDYS. All others authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Chronic hiccups, lasting more than 48 hours, are a medical condition that remains challenging in both diagnosis and treatment. They can be the sole symptom of a serious underlying disorder, and should therefore not be overlooked, although gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) constitutes their most prevalent cause. Chronic hiccups mandate a comprehensive etiological assessment. Treatment strategy may include physical, pharmacological and interventional approaches, as described in literature, particularly when direct causal treatment is unattainable., Competing Interests: Les auteurs n’ont déclaré aucun conflit d’intérêts en relation avec cet article.

Switzerland, after having been a nation of emigration for a long time, has seen its situation reversed with the industrial revolution and a succession of international crises responsible for several waves of migration. Some of these immigrants have health needs that vary according to their country of origin and their migratory route. Due to communication difficulties or legal issues, they do not always have access to appropriate health care. Although Switzerland tries to provide a framework and coordinate the care pathway, inequalities persist. Good information for professionals and patients, the use of trained interpreters and knowledge of local structures to which these patients can be referred might improve the situation., Competing Interests: Les auteurs n’ont déclaré aucun conflit d’intérêts en relation avec cet article.

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly important in our healthcare systems and in patient care. Several programs are now able to detect and localize fractures on conventional X-rays. Studies show that coupled with human interpretation, these software programs improve diagnostic performance and reduce healthcare costs. However, they are not infallible (variable specificity and sensitivity according to studies). This article shows through a clinical case the challenges and analytical biases of AI in the diagnostic process.

Background: Overcrowding in the emergency department (ED) is a global problem and a source of morbidity and mortality and exhaustion for the teams. Despite multiple strategies proposed to overcome overcrowding, the accumulation of patients lying in bed awaiting treatment or hospitalisation is often inevitable and a major obstacle to quality of care. We initiated a quality improvement project with the objective of zero patients lying in bed awaiting care/referral outside a care area., Methods: Several plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles were tested and implemented to achieve and especially maintain the goal of having zero patients waiting for care outside the ED care area. The project team introduced and adapted five rules during these cycles: (1) no patients lying down outside of a care unit; (2) forward movement; (3) examination room always available; (4) team huddle and (5) an organisation overcrowding plan., Results: Adaptation of ED organisation in the form of PDSA cycles allowed to obtain a collective team dimension to patient flow management. Since December 2021, despite an increase in activity, no patient is placed in a lying-in waiting area outside a care zone, irrespective of their care level. Vital distress and fragile patients who need to be kept in a supine position are treated immediately. In 2022, waiting time before medical contact was <2 hours for 90% of all patients combined., Conclusions: The PDSA strategy based on these five measures allowed to remove in-house obstacles to the internal flow of patients and to fight against their installation outside the care area. These measures are easily replicable by other management teams. Quality indicators of EDs are often heterogeneous, but we propose that the absence of patients lying on a stretcher outside a care area could be part of these indicators, and thus contribute to the improvement and safety of care provided to all patients., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: In the emergency department (ED), medical procedures, such as arterial blood gas (ABG) testing, can cause pain and high stress levels. However, ABG testing is a routine procedure assessing the severity of the patient's condition. To reduce the pain of ABG, several methods have been investigated without significant difference in pain perception. Communication, a key element of care, has shown a significant effect on pain perception. A positive communication strategy, including positive, kind, or reassuring words, can reduce pain perception, while negative words can raise this perception, causing discomfort, known as the "nocebo effect." Although some studies have compared the impact of verbal attitudes, particularly in anesthesia and mainly with staff already trained in hypnosis, to the best of our knowledge, none have investigated the effect of communication in the emergency setting, where patients may be more suggestible to the words used., Objective: In this study, we will investigate the effect of positive therapeutic communication on pain, anxiety, discomfort, and global satisfaction in patients requiring ABG compared to nocebo and neutral communication., Methods: A single-center, double-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 3 parallel arms will be conducted with 249 patients requiring ABG during their ED visit. Patients will be randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups before receiving ABG: positive communication group, negative communication (nocebo) group, or neutral communication (neutral) group. The communication and the words used by the physicians during hygiene preparation, artery location, and puncture will be imposed in each group. The study will be proposed to each patient corresponding to the inclusion criteria. The physicians will not be trained in hypnosis or in positive therapeutic communication. The procedure will be recorded with audio recorders to test its quality. Intention-to-treat analysis will be performed. The primary endpoint is the onset of pain. The secondary outcomes are patient comfort, patient anxiety, and global satisfaction of the patient with the communication strategy used., Results: On average, 2000 ABG procedures are performed each year in the EDs of hospitals. In this study, 249 patients are expected to be included. With a projected positive response rate of 80%, we intend to include 25 (10%) patients per month. The inclusion period began in April 2023 and will run until July 2024. We hope to publish the results of the study during the fall of 2024., Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first RCT assessing the use of positive communication on pain and anxiety in patients undergoing the ABG procedure in the ED. A reduction in pain, discomfort, and anxiety is expected when using positive communication. If the results are positive, this could be useful to the medical community and encourage clinicians to monitor their communication during care., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05434169; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05434169., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): PRR1-10.2196/42043., (©Thomas Schmutz, Christophe Le Terrier, Vincent Ribordy, Katia Iglesias, Youcef Guechi. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 13.06.2023.)

Oral anticoagulants (antivitamin K, direct oral anticoagulants) are routinely prescribed for the prevention or treatment of thromboembolic events, and many patients are now on long-term anticoagulant therapy. However, this complicates the management of urgent surgical conditions or major bleeding. Various strategies have been developed to reverse the anticoagulant effect and this narrative review provides an overview of the wide range of therapies currently available.

Internal ventricular shunts are systems for draining excess cerebrospinal fluid to another body cavity in patients with hydrocephalus. They are subject to complications that are sometimes difficult to identify and can lead to diagnostic errors if practitioners are not enough aware. The most frequent complications are mechanical (drainage dysfunction) and infectious. Interruption of the drainage may causeneurological signs of intracranial hypertension; the diagnosis is usually easy. However, the clinical signs can sometimes be less obvious, and a dysfunction of the shunt should be evoked. A multidisciplinary management with the neurosurgery team is necessary to evaluate the appropriate investigation and the emergency management., Competing Interests: Les auteurs n’ont déclaré aucun conflit d’intérêts en relation avec cet article.

Hospital-based emergency services are frequently criticized worldwide for their management, which can lead to a decrease in staff motivation, with a potential impact on patient safety. This article describes how harnessing the power of social networks can facilitate the management of emergency department teams. Beyond teaching, promoting emergency medicine and recruiting health professionals, these tools can unite employees around a virtual leader and help develop a true service culture. The concept of management through social networks is a novel manner to reach out to staff and should be further explored for use in the health care context.

This paper describes how the profession of paramedics has evolved in Switzerland and takes the perspective of public health. Ambulance drivers play an important role in the health system, not only as a response to emergencies, but also by working in an interprofessional and interdisciplinary manner in response to other public health needs, such as home care, triage, telemedicine and interhospital transfers. This pre-hospital system is rapidly evolving and relies on the work of paramedics.

Blood transfusions have been the cornerstone of life support since the introduction of the ABO classification in the 20th century. The physiologic goal is to restore adequate tissue oxygenation when the demand exceeds the offer. Although it can be a life-saving therapy, blood transfusions can lead to serious adverse effects, and it is essential that physicians remain up to date with the current literature and are aware of the pathophysiology, initial management and risks of each type of transfusion reaction. We aim to provide a structured overview of the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic approach and management of acute transfusion reactions based on the literature available in 2022. The numbers of blood transfusions, transfusion reactions and the reporting rate of transfusion reactions differ between countries in Europe. The most frequent transfusion reactions in 2020 were alloimmunizations, febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reactions and allergic transfusion reactions. Transfusion-related acute lung injury, transfusion-associated circulatory overload and septic transfusion reactions were less frequent. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the healthcare system with decreasing blood donations and blood supplies, as well as rising concerns within the medical community but also in patients about blood safety and transfusion reactions in COVID-19 patients. The best way to prevent transfusion reactions is to avoid unnecessary blood transfusions and maintain a transfusion-restrictive strategy. Any symptom occurring within 24 h of a blood transfusion should be considered a transfusion reaction and referred to the hemovigilance reporting system. The initial management of blood transfusion reactions requires early identification, immediate interruption of the transfusion, early consultation of the hematologic and ICU departments and fluid resuscitation.

Intraosseous infusion provides a safe and effective access to the vascular system that allows for administration of urgent therapies in both adults and children. It has few contraindications and complications are rare. The needle is most commonly inserted in the proximal tibia or anterior humerus. Different devices are available but those with a traditional drill are the most widespread. The intraosseous infusion procedure is easy and the learning curve is short, making it the best alternative when traditional intravenous access is not possible or delayed., Competing Interests: Les auteurs n’ont déclaré aucun conflit d’intérêts en relation avec cet article.

Status epilepticus is a feared complication in patients with epilepsy with a mortality rate of almost 10%. It is important to recognize this clinical entity quickly. A delay in diagnosis or treatment has significant consequences on mortality and morbidity. This article is a review of the current literature and aims to provide management of status epilepticus in the emergency department by adults., Competing Interests: Les auteurs n’ont déclaré aucun conflit d’intérêts en relation avec cet article.

The Swiss rescue system is based on a collaboration of two trades (ambulance and emergency physician). Paramedic provide independent support for most urgent medical situations under the cover of three years of training and a medical delegation. For more complex situations, the prehospital physician retains his place (triage, severe trauma, airway management, respiratory distress, medico-legal emergencies, specialized procedures or exceptional situations). This collaboration is the foundation of the Swiss prehospital system. One does not go without the other., Competing Interests: Les auteurs n’ont déclaré aucun conflit d’intérêts en relation

While some sexual traumas are anecdotal, others are more serious and require specific and urgent medical care. This article reviews the main problems that can arise during sexual acts and reminds the importance of detecting and treating sexually transmitted diseases., Competing Interests: Les auteurs n’ont déclaré aucun conflit d’intérêts en relation avec cet article.

Importance of bedside ultrasonography (BU) is growing in the emergency medicine. Many reasons support the use of the focused ultrasounds in the emergencies services such as : helping in diagnosis, improving invasive gestures and other treatments strategies. The implementation of a focused ultrasonography has a low financial impact but a high educational value. In despite of the existent education and training programs, the focused ultrasonography only has a low diffusion/practice in the emergency departments in Suisse romande. Here we describe the implementation on a focused ultrasonography program for our institution (HFR : Hôpital fribourgeois)., Competing Interests: Les auteurs n’ont déclaré aucun conflit d’intérêts en relation avec cet article.

Headaches in a pregnant woman imply a specific management for this population. However this article aims to show that the adaptations both from a diagnostic and therapeutic standpoint are modest compared to the classical management of the headache in the emergency department. Indeed, few etiologies are specific to headaches in pregnancy, however they have to be known and excluded. The same applies to treatment, which also needs some small but crucial adjustments, given the possible consequences on the mother and fetus., Competing Interests: Les auteurs n’ont déclaré aucun conflit d’intérêts en relation avec cet article.

Background: Human error and system failures continue to play a substantial role in adverse outcomes in healthcare. Simulation improves management of patients in critical condition, especially if it is undertaken by a multidisciplinary team. It covers technical skills (technical and therapeutic procedures) and non-technical skills, known as Crisis Resource Management. The relationship between stress and performance is theoretically described by the Yerkes-Dodson law as an inverted U-shaped curve. Performance is very low for a low level of stress and increases with an increased level of stress, up to a point, after which performance decreases and becomes severely impaired. The objectives of this randomized trial are to study the effect of stress on performance and the effect of repeated simulation sessions on performance and stress., Methods: This study is a single-center, investigator-initiated randomized controlled trial including 48 participants distributed in 12 multidisciplinary teams. Each team is made up of 4 persons: an emergency physician, a resident, a nurse, and an ambulance driver who usually constitute a French Emergency Medical Service team. Six multidisciplinary teams are planning to undergo 9 simulation sessions over 1 year (experimental group), and 6 multidisciplinary teams are planning to undergo 3 simulation sessions over 1 year (control group). Evidence of the existence of stress will be assessed according to 3 criteria: biological, electrophysiological, and psychological stress. The impact of stress on overall team performance, technical procedure and teamwork will be evaluated. Participant self-assessment of the perceived impact of simulations on clinical practice will be collected. Detection of post-traumatic stress disorder will be performed by self-assessment questionnaire on the 7(th) day and after 1 month., Discussion: We will concomitantly evaluate technical and non-technical performance, and the impact of stress on both. This is the first randomized trial studying repetition of simulation sessions and its impact on both clinical performance and stress, which is explored by objective and subjective assessments. We expect that stress decreases team performance and that repeated simulation will increase it. We expect no variation of stress parameters regardless of the level of performance., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov registration number NCT02424890.

To compare respiration rate measurement by an acoustic method and thoracic impedance to capnometry as the reference method, in patients at the Emergency Department after drug or alcoholic poisoning. In this observational study, 30 patients aged 18 or older, hospitalized at the Emergency Department for drug or alcoholic poisoning, without any contraindication to a face mask and/or a cervical acoustic sensor, were included in the study. They benefited from a simultaneous recording of their respiration rate by the acoustic method (RRa(®), Masimo Corp., Irvine, CA, USA), by thoracic impedance (Philips Intellivue(®) MP2, Suresnes, France) and by capnometry (Capnostream(®) 20, Oridion, Jerusalem, Israël) through a face mask (Capnomask(®), Mediplus Ltd, Raleigh, NC, USA) for 40-60 min. Of the 86,578 triplets collected, 77,155 (89.1%) were exploitable. Median (range) respiration rate measured by capnometry was 18 (7-29) bpm. Compared to capnometry, bias and limits of agreement were 0.1 ± 3.8 bpm for the acoustic method and 0.3 ± 5.5 bpm for thoracic impedance. The proportions of RR values collected by acoustic method or by thoracic impedance which differed over 10 or 20% during more than 15 s, compared to capnometry, were 8.3 versus 14.3, and 1.5 versus 3.8%, respectively (p < 0.0001). The acoustic sensor had to be repositioned on three patients. For 11 patients, the Capnomask(®) was removed several times. In patients with drug or alcoholic poisoning, the acoustic method seems more accurate than thoracic impedance and better tolerated than face mask capnometry.