Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
-
Comparative Study
Validation of using EMS dispatch codes to identify low-acuity patients.
To validate the predictive ability of previously derived emergency medical services (EMS) dispatch codes to identify patients with low-acuity illnesses. ⋯ This study prospectively validates 11 EMS dispatch codes as being associated with low-acuity patients. These codes could be used to triage EMS patients based on dispatch information.
-
Comparative Study
Prehospital pain management in children suffering traumatic injury.
Prehospital pain management has become an important emergency medical services (EMS) patient care issue. ⋯ Few pediatric patients receive prehospital analgesia, although most ultimately received ED analgesia. Few factors were identified that could be associated with EMS oligoanalgesia. No difference was found between children and adults in the rates of EMS analgesia.
-
To obtain a better understanding of how stroke events are communicated to 9-1-1 telecommunicators, and how telecommunicators and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel respond to such calls. ⋯ Although typical stroke symptoms are commonly described, calls are often not classified as "strokes" by telecommunicators. Nevertheless, because of the symptoms reported during the calls, the majority of cases are treated as high priority by telecommunicators.
-
Comparative Study
Errors of omission in the treatment of prehospital chest pain patients.
Despite the widespread use of standard treatment protocols, there are few published data regarding paramedic protocol adherence. In this descriptive study, the authors sought to assess the frequency and nature of deviations from a standardized treatment protocol for the chief complaint of chest pain. They also sought to quantify any time delays in treatment of potential ischemic cardiac chest pain. ⋯ Paramedics may delay transport of patients with potential cardiac ischemia. Deviations from protocol occur frequently and the care documented for prehospital patients with chest pain is variable. The expected care described by written protocols does not correlate with the treatment documented.
-
Comparative Study
Discontinuation of droperidol for the control of acutely agitated out-of-hospital patients.
To identify the effects of the removal of droperidol as a treatment option for sedation of agitated out-of-hospital patients. ⋯ Since the removal of droperidol as a treatment option for out-of-hospital agitated patients, the authors have observed an increased frequency of continuous pulse oximetry monitoring, intubation, ED critical care management, and intensive care unit admission in patients requiring chemical sedation for control of agitation in the out-of-hospital setting.