Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
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To study the incidence and nature of injuries sustained by emergency medicine (EM) residents during EMS rotations, and steps taken at EM residency programs to increase resident safety during field activities. ⋯ Injuries sustained by EM residents during EMS rotations are uncommon but nontrivial, with several serious injuries and one fatality reported. The majority of EM residency programs have no formal safety training programs for EMS rotations.
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Rates of resuscitation from cardiac arrest are directly tied to time to defibrillation. To maximize results, the first arriving care provider should be equipped and trained to defibrillate. This would include police in those systems where they serve this function; to date, no training program has been examined for effectiveness in this group. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a training program designed to train police first responders in the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). ⋯ Police first responders trained in the use of AEDs performed at a level equivalent or superior to that in other reported studies. Future training strategies should stress proper integration of airway and CPR skills.
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To describe the EMS response to a large-scale shooting incident involving military-style weapons. ⋯ Incidents involving military-style weapons pose a unique challenge for prehospital care providers who must care for injured civilians and law enforcement personnel while maintaining their own safety. Use of the Incident Command System, establishment of a liaison with law enforcement, and the provision of protective gear for EMS personnel are vital to effectively and safely manage these types of incidents.
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The safe operation of ambulances using warning lights and siren requires both the public and emergency medical technician (EMT) drivers to understand and obey relevant traffic laws. However, EMTs may be unfamiliar with these laws. The purpose of this study was to evaluate EMTs' knowledge of traffic laws related to the operation of ambulances with warning lights and sirens. ⋯ In this sample, EMT knowledge of basic traffic laws pertaining to ambulance operation is poor. Emergency driver's education courses and increased experience appear to be related to increased knowledge scores. Increased training for EMTs about traffic laws may improve the safe operation of ambulances.