Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
-
Review Meta Analysis
A meta-analysis of prehospital care times for trauma.
Time to definitive care is a major determinant of trauma patient outcomes yet little is empirically known about prehospital times at the national level. We sought to determine national averages for prehospital times based on a systematic review of published literature. ⋯ Despite the emphasis on time in the prehospital and trauma literature there has been no national effort to empirically define average prehospital time intervals for trauma patients. We provide points of reference for prehospital intervals so that policymakers can compare individual emergency medical systems to national norms.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
A simulation trial of traditional dispatcher-assisted CPR versus compressions--only dispatcher-assisted CPR.
Growing evidence indicates that it may not be essential to deliver ventilations in the first few minutes of CPR. We compared time to delivery of first compression in traditional CPR with ventilations and compressions to compression-only CPR performed by untrained laypersons assisted by a mock 911 dispatcher. ⋯ We have identified the potential timesavings that may occur during compressions-only CPR. Bystander resuscitation may be more efficient when ventilations are excluded from the CPR sequence.
-
In a time of emergency department overcrowding and increased utilization of emergency medical services, a highly functional prehospital system will balance the needs of the individual patient with the global needs of the community. Our community addressed these issues through the development of a multitiered prehospital care system that incorporated EMS initiated non-transport of pediatric patients. ⋯ Our EMS system provides an alternative to traditional protocols, allowing EMS initiated non-transport of pediatric patients, resulting in effective resource utilization with a high level of patient safety and family satisfaction.
-
Program accreditation is used to ensure the delivery of quality education and training for allied health providers. However, accreditation is not mandated for paramedic education programs. This study examined if there is a relationship between completion of an accredited paramedic education program and achieving a passing score on the National Registry Paramedic Certification Examination. ⋯ Students who attended an accredited paramedic program were more likely to achieve a passing score on a national paramedic credentialing examination. Additional studies are needed to identify the aspects of program accreditation that lead to improved examination success.