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Medical students present research at conference in Italy |
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Chelsea-Lynn Carey |
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Nov 8, 2007 |
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UT medical students Zach Adams, Austin Wellock and Derek Klaus presented two abstracts during the Fourth Mediterranean Emergency Medicine Congress held recently in Sorrento, Italy.
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| UT medical students Zach Adams, left, and Austin Wellock presented their abstract at the Mediterranean Emergency Medicine Congress. |
Both abstracts were ranked in the top 50 out of 1,000 submissions. In recognition of their efforts, their research will be published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine and the European Journal of Emergency Medicine.
Klaus presented an abstract titled “The Implementation and Evaluation of an Inspiratory Impedance Threshold Device (ResQPOD®) in a County-Wide Emergency Medical System for Non-Traumatic Cardiac Resuscitations.”
The main objective of his research was to determine if the use of the ResQPOD® along with standard CPR was effective at resuscitating patients presenting with non-traumatic cardiac arrest, Klaus said. He compared resuscitation rates prior to the use of the ResQPOD® with the resuscitation rates after its implementation.
“Presenting my research at an international conference was an amazing and unforgettable experience,” Klaus said. “I feel incredibly lucky to have been given the opportunity to work with such a great physician and mentor in Dr. [Kristopher] Brickman [associate professor of medical surgery and director of the Emergency Department]. I am also very thankful to attend an excellent medical school that supports and fosters student research.”
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| UT medical student Derek Klaus presented his research during the Mediterranean Emergency Medicine Congress. |
Wellock’s and Adams’ abstract is titled “The Use of Iontophoresis in the Pain Management of Soft Tissue Injuries in the Emergency Department: A Pilot Study.”
“This was a procedure where we used a small iontophoresis device connected to two pads that were placed on the patient on the site of the soft tissue injury for 10 minutes in the Emergency Department. Then a medication, Lidocaine, was delivered via electrical current,” Wellock said. “Then the patients were sent home with a small disposable iontophoresis device that they wore for three hours that also had a medication.”
Both Adams and Wellock conducted research in the Emergency Department with Brickman over the summer and have spent time analyzing the data collected.
The patient’s level of pain was assessed before the treatment, as well as 10 minutes, four to six hours, 24 hours and 72 hours after the treatment, Wellock said.
“We were the only medical students presenting at this enormous conference, as the rest of the presenters were either residents or attending physicians,” Wellock said.
Adams and Wellock are both third-year medical students; Klaus is a second-year medical student.
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| Posing for a photo while sightseeing in Italy were, from left, Zach Adams, Dr. Kristopher Brickman, Derek Klaus and Austin Wellock. |
“Our school is definitely headed in the right direction, and it’s really exciting to be here under the guidance of some amazing physicians and concerned faculty and staff,” Adams said. “I cannot express how thankful I am to the school for opening up doors for students and supporting them along the way.”
“We were able to delve into international medicine, speak with physicians from all over Eastern Europe, and had some amazing conversations about medicine and how it should be delivered,” Adams said. “The take home message: Medicine is a universal concept. It’s a basic need that should be granted to everyone, and we, as upcoming physicians, have an amazing opportunity to make a tremendous impact on people’s lives.”
Brickman suggested the medical students submit their respective abstracts. Without his guidance and expertise, this experience would not have been possible, according to Klaus.
The abstracts were ranked on the basis of quality of research, methodology, originality and other attributes. These abstracts were reviewed by an international panel.
The Mediterranean Emergency Medicine Congress is a biennial event through the European Society for Emergency Medicine and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. This conference is designed to promote the specialty of emergency medicine and offers an opportunity for worldwide academic and scientific exchange, Klaus said.
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