Emergency Manual vs VentRef
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Emergency Manual
This free medical app provides cognitive aids and checklists for 25 critical perioperative events. It serves as a drug dosing reference and includes crisis management tips for clinicians. Designed for self-study and real-time use during emergencies.
- Cognitive aids for 25 critical perioperative events
- Checklists for emergencies
- Drug dosing and concentration reference
- Crisis resource management tips
- Suitable for self-study
- Real-time cognitive aid during crises
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Despite best intentions, well-trained clinicians often miss known key steps during crises. This free perioperative Emergency Manual by the Stanford Anesthesia Cognitive Aid Program (SACAP) includes a set of cognitive aids and checklists for 25 critical perioperative events including cardiac arrest, bronchospasm, LAST, malignant hyperthermia, unanticipated difficult airway, and the rest of the key perioperative chief complaints. It includes crisis resource management tips, and serves as a drug dosing and concentration reference for relevant medications. The app can be used for self-study, and most importantly, as a cognitive aid during perioperative crises. The Emergency Manual has been used by thousands of anesthesiologists around the world, and is now available on the iPhone! Disclaimers: The material in this app is not intended to be a substitute for sound medical knowledge and training. Clinicians should always use their clinical judgment and decision making for patient management. Departure from the information presented here is encouraged as appropriate, since situations can vary widely.
VentRef
A clinical reference tool for healthcare professionals managing mechanical ventilation and oxygen therapy. It provides information grounded in respiratory physiology and evidence-based critical care.
- Mechanical ventilation reference
- Oxygen therapy reference
- Respiratory physiology
- Evidence-based critical care
- Clinical decision support
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VentRef is a focused clinical reference for clinicians managing invasive and noninvasive mechanical ventilation and oxygen therapy, grounded in core respiratory physiology and evidence-based critical care practice. This application is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Calculations and reference values are derived from published peer-reviewed medical literature and textbooks cited in the Sources section of the app. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional with any questions regarding medical conditions or clinical decisions, and do not disregard or delay seeking professional advice because of information provided by this app. About Rishi Kumar, MD, FACC ("RK.MD") I'm an adult cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and cardiovascular ICU intensivist practicing in academic medicine. I'm passionate about teaching with free, open-access medical education. Learn more on my site: https://rk.md
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: VentRef at 42 against Emergency Manual's 12. Emergency Manual's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Emergency Manual against 5.0 for VentRef. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 42 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
| Parameter | Emergency Manual | VentRef |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (12 ratings) | 5.0 (42 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 12 | 42 — better |
| Update frequency | — | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 27 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Robert Arrigo | Rishi Kumar |
Customer experience
Emergency Manual
VentRef
In-app purchases
Emergency Manual
No in-app purchases
VentRef
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Emergency Manual free?
Is VentRef free?
Which has better reviews, Emergency Manual or VentRef?
Do Emergency Manual or VentRef have ads?
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