Community Asset Based Adolescent Suicide Prevention in Uinta County, WY

Abstract Purpose: Create a deliverable with national and local mental health resources to decrease suicide rates in Uinta County adolescents. Background: Since 2018, Wyoming has held the highest suicide rate in the U.S. and Uinta County has the second-highest suicide rate in the state as of 2020. Uinta County has 1.5-fold more deaths by suicide …

Identity-Based Challenges to Mental Health in Medical School

Introduction A major meta-analysis conducted in 2016 found that 1 in 4 medical students internationally met the criteria for depression. Other studies have suggested that students of color face increased prevalence of depression and anxiety, as well as non-male gender students and students with disabilities. However, few studies have assessed student well-being across a multitude …

Enhancing Clinical Decision-Making Through Outdoor Experiential Learning: A Novel Educational Approach for Emergency Medicine Residents

Background Clinical decision-making is influenced by cognitive biases, yet traditional medical education provides limited opportunities to explore these biases in real-time. This study evaluates whether outdoor experiential learning enhances awareness of decision-making processes and bias recognition among emergency medicine (EM) residents. Methods We developed an outdoor experiential workshop where EM residents selected one of three …

Acute Presentation of Dissecting Pseudoaneurysm of the Extracranial Vertebral Artery

Background Vertebral artery pseudoaneurysm dissection is a rare vascular pathology affecting 1–5 per 100,000 individuals yearly. Over 80% of vertebral dPSAs are extracranial and can present with a wide variety of symptoms from headache, neck pain, arm pain due to mass effect, to TIA or stroke due to embolic phenomena or mass effect. While blunt …

Acute Abdominal Pain as the Initial Presentation of Aortic Dissection with Superior Mesenteric Artery Involvement

Background Aortic dissection is a life-threatening vascular emergency that typically presents with chest or back pain, but it can manifest atypically with abdominal symptoms. This case is noteworthy for its unusual presentation—isolated abdominal pain as the initial manifestation of a Stanford type B aortic dissection involving the superior mesenteric artery (SMA). The case highlights a …

Post-Injury Changes to Risk-Taking Behavior in Mountain Bikers

Background Mountain biking (MTB) is an increasingly popular sport with high injury rates. Previous research has focused on inherent risk factors that may influence rate of injury such as age and gender. Risk homeostasis and risk-taking behavior have been previously studied in other extreme sports, but the effect of injury on risk-taking behavior in MTB …

Guided Meditation to Initiate Emotional Processing of Patient Deaths

Background Healthcare providers often experience emotional strain following patient death, yet structured coping mechanisms remain limited. Brief interventions like The Pause show promise. We evaluated the Three-Breath technique—a short guided meditation to honor the deceased and support clinician resilience—for its potential use in emergency medicine. Methods Emergency physicians completed a mixed-methods survey assessing experiences with …

The Burden of Non-Protocolized Patient Transport Outside of Response Area on a Rural Emergency Medical Services System

Objectives Prehospital transport decisions depend on a combination of protocols, judgment, and patient acuity/preference. Non-protocolized out-of-area transport may result in unnecessary delays and resource strain. Methods We retrospectively reviewed one year of scene transports by a rural, hospital-based EMS system, analyzing transport rationale and comparing hospital admission and specialist consultation as surrogates for decision appropriateness. …

Optimizing Dispatch Systems for Stroke Management: A Comprehensive Review

Background/Purpose Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with mortality rates increasing over the past decade. Timely treatment is crucial and hinges on an optimized “stroke chain of survival.” Despite established guidelines, 22–46% of EMS responses to stroke fail to meet recommended time benchmarks. Emergency dispatch systems play a pivotal role in …

GJA1-20K Reduces Levels of Interleukin-6 in Pigs with REBOA-Induced Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Introduction Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is a resuscitation tool for noncompressible hemorrhage, preserving perfusion to the heart and brain while interrupting life-threatening blood losses. However, patients often suffer ischemia-reperfusion injury after balloon deflation. We previously demonstrated that the protein GJA1-20k protects the mitochondria and reduces serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), an inflammatory marker …