Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
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Review
Disparities in Emergency Medical Services Care Delivery in the United States: A Scoping Review.
Emergency medical services (EMS) often serve as the first medical contact for ill or injured patients, representing a critical access point to the health care delivery continuum. While a growing body of literature suggests inequities in care within hospitals and emergency departments, limited research has comprehensively explored disparities related to patient demographic characteristics in prehospital care. ⋯ Existing research highlights health disparities in EMS care delivery throughout multiple health outcomes and phases of EMS care. Future research is needed to identify structured mechanisms to eliminate disparities, address clinician bias, and provide high-quality equitable care for all patient populations.
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The objectives of this study were to describe the characteristics, management, and outcomes of patients treated by paramedics for hypoglycemia, and to determine the predictors of hospital admission for these patients within 72 hours of the initial hypoglycemia event. ⋯ There are several patient and prehospital management characteristics which, in combination, could be incorporated into a safe clinical decision tool for patients who present with hypoglycemia.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Are short duration naps better than long duration naps for mitigating sleep inertia? Brief report of a randomized crossover trial of simulated night shift work.
We sought to test the effects of different duration naps on post-nap cognitive performance during simulated night shifts. ⋯ While sleep inertia was detectable immediately following short 30-min and long 2-hr nap opportunities during simulated night shift work, deficits in cognitive performance and subjective ratings quickly dissipated and were not detectable at 10-30 mins post-nap.
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Introduction: Prehospital evidence-based guidelines (EBGs) are developed to optimize clinical outcomes for emergency medical services (EMS) patients. However, widespread implementation of EBGs is often inconsistent. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the baseline knowledge and practices of EMS leaders related to EBG implementation. ⋯ Conclusion: EMS leadership and stakeholder views on EBG implementation identified dominant themes related to the process of implementation and the culture and learning/implementation climate of EMS agencies. Opinions were mixed on the utility of the CFIR as a potential guide for EMS implementation. Further work is required to gain the frontline EMS clinician perspective on implementation and tie key themes to quantitative prehospital implementation outcomes.
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Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) has been demonstrated to have multiple applications in the care of critically ill and injured patients, especially given its portability and ease of use. These characteristics of POCUS make it ideal for use in the prehospital environment as well. We present a case that highlights a novel application of ultrasound in the prehospital management of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).