Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2006

Mentor: Dr. Raymond L. Fowler
Department: Department of Surgery/Division of Emergency Medicine
Room number: E6.110
Mail Code: 8890
Phone number: 214-648-3022
E-mail: snerd@earthlink.net

Three projects

Project I title: The Establishing of a Municipal, Multi-City Emergency Medical Services Electronic Database for Quality Assurance and Research Purposes

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):
1) 102005054
Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): N/A

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects):
1) patient-based research

Brief Description of Project:

This project will provide the establishment, operation, monitoring, and description of a large, urban and suburban, municipal EMS electronic data-gathering system. This system begins in EMS vehicles, where electronic patient care reporting software is operated on laptop computers in the ambulances. Further, the computers gather the entire electronic monitor-defibrillator file from the Lifepak 12 and Zoll devices operating in the ambulances. These data are transmitted wirelessly to a "Staging Server", operated by agents of the EMS Medical Director, ultimately transmitting the data to a master National EMS Information System-compliant database.

This study begins with the design and initiation of this data transfer system, and it will monitor its completion and functionality. Various data analyses will be conducted, such as the monitoring of patient demographics as well as paramedic behaviors.

The report from this study will discuss the structure of the system, various report-generating capabilities produced by the system, and will introduce the functioning of the system in support of the two National Institutes of Health projects currently underway.

Project II title: The Establishing of a Database and Protocol for the Management of Hemorrhagic Shock Due to Trauma and Traumatic Brain Injury in an Urban EMS System

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):
1) 102005054
Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): N/A

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects):
1) patient-based research

Brief Description of Project:
This project will provide for the establishing of a database for the tracking of patients involved in a National Institutes of Health protocol for the management of hemorrhagic shock. The study involves the administration of hypertonic saline vs. placebo to adult patients in deep shock or with traumatic brain injury.

This study will begin with the initiation of a database for the tracking of patients enrolled in this study. Further work will continue with the monitoring of patients enrolled in the study, including the assessment of hospital outcome.

The report will include the description of the studies, the design of the data-tracking system, and a study perspective on the future treatments for hemorrhagic shock due to trauma and traumatic brain injury.


Project III title: An Observation of Ventilation Practices for Cardiac Arrest and Trauma Victims in the Out of Hospital Area

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):
1) 102005054

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): N/A

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects)
1) patient-based research

Brief Description of Project:

1) An analysis on ventilation practices in the out of hospital setting: This project will assess the relationship between rates of ventilation and levels of exhaled carbon dioxide in cardiac arrest and critically traumatized patients. Evidence is substantial that rescuers tend to overventilate patients during resuscitation from cardiac arrest and other conditions of deep circulatory collapse. Through the use of electronic data capture techniques from the pre-hospital setting, this study will quantify the rates of ventilation and their effects on exhaled carbon dioxide during resuscitation by rescuers employing the use of positive pressure ventilation.
2) This work will also attempt to utilize the data flow from the monitor defibrillators to establish "XML" formatted files to permit easier analysis.


Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students: Summer of 2005, Mr. Stefan Buca, analyzing data from the Stroke Network System of Dallas.



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