Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
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Studies from Australia, Sweden, the United States, and elsewhere have found that paramedics experience violence in the emergency medical services (EMS) workplace. The objective of this study was to describe and explore violence experienced by paramedics in the ground ambulance setting, including types of violence experienced, by whom the violence was perpetrated, actions taken by paramedics, and effects of these episodes. ⋯ The majority of Canadian paramedics surveyed experience violence in the workplace, which can lead to serious personal and professional sequellae. Strategies should be devised and studied to reduce violent events toward paramedics and to mitigate the impact such events have on the wellbeing of paramedics.
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Comparative Study
A Comparative Assessment of Adverse Event Classification in the Out-of-hospital Setting.
We sought to test reliability of two approaches to classify adverse events (AEs) associated with helicopter EMS (HEMS) transport. ⋯ We identified a higher level of agreement/reliability in AE decisions utilizing a consensus-based approach for review rather than independent reviews.
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Observational Study
Paramedics Accurately Apply the Pediatric Assessment Triangle to Drive Management.
To provide an evaluation of the Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT) as an assessment tool for use by paramedic providers in the prehospital care of pediatric patients. ⋯ The PAT is a rapid assessment tool that can be readily and reliably used by paramedics in the prehospital setting. The PAT should be used in conjunction with other assessments but can safely drive initial field management.
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Pain management is an important aspect of emergency care for children suffering traumatic injuries. ⋯ Few pediatric patients had pain scores documented and fewer received analgesics during air medical transport for injuries. Racial differences in analgesia seen in unadjusted analyses did not persist after controlling for confounders. Resources, training, and appropriate pain management protocols should be made available to facilitate pain assessment in children as a strategy for increasing appropriate analgesic use during transport.