Rapidly growing research mission with the improvement of patient care
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Welcome to Penn State Hershey Emergency Medicine

Penn State Hershey Emergency Medicine has developed a rapidly growing research mission with the improvement of patient care and the betterment of the specialty of Emergency Medicine in mind.  Several areas of focus include:

 

  • Clinically-based research innovations
  • Basic sciences research applied to the clinical care environment
  • Research in information management and information technology
  • Research in educational advancement and research in community-based programs for preparedness represent the spectrum of ongoing work.

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Rapid Anticonvulsant Medications Prior to Arrival Trial

THIS STUDY IS COMPLETE AND ENROLLMENT HAS CEASED EFFECTIVE 01/18/11

Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine is participating in the RAMPART clinical research national trial being conducted at many major hospitals, including our partner Temple University (to view an introduction by Temple University, click here).

RAMPART is a research study to determine whether giving anti-seizure medicine works better and more quickly when given through an IV (a tiny straw or tube in the vein) or when given IM (as a shot in the muscle). Two similar medicines - midazolam and lorazepam - will be used. Lorazepam is commonly given IV, and midazolam is commonly given IM. Both are already used by paramedics in the field and by doctors in the hospital to stop seizures.

This is an exception from informed consent study, meaning that patients who do not want to participate in this study must notify the medical center prior to needing EMS services.  For more information regarding this, please click here.

Randomized Controlled Study of a Rapid Rule out Strategy Using CT Coronary Angiogram versus Traditional Care for Low-to Intermediate Risk ED Patients with Potential Acute Coronary Syndromes

Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, in collaboration with the Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute and Penn State Department of Radiology will begin participation in ACRIN 4005 Randomized Controlled Study of a Rapid Rule out Strategy Using CT Coronary Angiogram versus Traditional Care for Low-to Intermediate Risk ED Patients with Potential Acute Coronary Syndromes.

In this study, eligible participants with potential ACS will be randomized to traditional rule out care (Group A) or a rapid rule out strategy comprising CT coronary angiography (Group B).  Patients, 30-80 years of age who present in the Emergency Department with a chief complaint consistent with potential ACS may be eligible for participation in this trial.  Participants must have initial ECG result without acute ischemia and a TIMI Risk Score of 0 to 2.

The potential benefits may include the ability for treating doctors to determine faster and accurately whether or not patients symptoms are related to heart. This may decrease both time and cost improving flow through the Emergency Department for low risk chest pain patients.

For more information regarding this clinical treatment trial please click here.

Protocol - Care for Early Septic Shock

Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine is participating in the ProCESS Clinical Trial.  Severe sepsis is the syndrome of acute organ dysfunction secondary to infection. The number of Americans dying with sepsis is similar to that of acute myocardial infarction. Sepsis affects 750,000 Americans each year with a mortality of 30%. Despite considerable understanding of the pathophysiology of sepsis, current efforts to improve care are hampered by limited empiric data regarding the amount and timing of sepsis therapies. This stands in stark contrast to other acute conditions, such as acute coronary syndromes, where standardized, prompt, rigorous care has led to a large improvement in outcome and paved the way for better clinical and translational research.

This project may generate new, important, and comprehensive data on the clinical, biologic, and pragmatic aspects of standard, prompt, rigorous resuscitation for septic shock. Our findings will aid scientists, clinicians, families and policymakers and will immediately affect care of the critically ill.

For more information regarding this clinical treatment trial please click here.

Progesterone for Traumatic Brain Injury: Experimental Clinical Treatment: Phase III Clinical Trial

This trial is currently active.  It is lead by the Department of Emergency Medicine, a team of doctors at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is working together to participate in a nationwide study called ProTECT-Progesterone for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury.

Traumatic brain injury is sudden damage to the brain caused by an outside force, such as an automobile accident or a fall. Those who suffer a head injury are most likely to be treated at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, the region’s only Level I trauma center. Because the patients eligible for this study are unable to provide informed consent before receiving the study medication, this study will be conducted under federal regulations that allow for clinical research in emergency settings using an exception from the requirement for informed consent (21 CFR 50.24).

Progesterone for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury, or ProTECT, is studying the use of progesterone, a steroidal hormone found naturally in the body, to limit the damage caused during brain injury. There is currently no drug treatment for traumatic brain injury; instead doctors attempt to control blood pressure and oxygen levels to minimize damage.

This is an exception from informed consent study. For information about the study or on the exception from informed consent, click here.

PREPARE (Pennsylvania Radiological Emergency Preparedness And Response Effort)
 
Penn State Hershey Medical Center, College of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine has been funded to identify the special emergency preparedness challenges and to develop systems to better meet the needs of Pennsylvania's most vulnerable citizens and the emergency management personnel who serve them.  This project began in 2008 and is currently funded through 2011 by the Department of Homeland Security, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the PA Emergency  Management Agency.
 
PREPARE is a three phased project through which the project team will be: examining the regulatory emergency preparedness requirements affecting dependent care facilities (DCFs) in the Emergency Planning Zones of Pennsylvania's 5 nuclear power plants; identifying key all hazards planning requirements for these facilities in cooperation with County EMA Officials; developing data collection instruments and processes to gather, analyze, manage, and distribute emergency preparedness data to authorized agencies; provide guidance to DCFs to enhance their ability to address preparedness challenges, and; enhance real-time access to critical emergency preparedness information about the needs of patients, clients, guests, or children during times of widespread hazard events.
 
At the conclusion of PREPARE and the work in the Emergency Planning Zones (EPZs), the lessons learned are proposed to be applied to every dependent care facility in the Commonwealth in a staged approach (2011 - 2013).  Subject facilities can be divided into 3 categories (all numbers rounded):  1.  DCFs in Nuclear EPZs n = 1,100;  2.  DCFs in EPZ Adjacent Support Counties n = 12,000, and; DCFs in all other Pennsylvania Counties n = 11,000.