Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
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Why does LEA-D intervention seem to work in some systems but not others? Panelists agreed that some factors that delay rapid access to treatment, such as long travel distances in rural areas, may represent insurmountable barriers. Other factors, however, may be addressed more readily. These include: absence of a medical response culture, discomfort with the role of medical intervention, insecurity with the use of medical devices, a lack of proactive medical direction, infrequent refresher training, and dependence on EMS intervention. ⋯ In most communities, however, LEA-D programs have tremendous lifesaving potential and are well worth the investment of time and resources. Law enforcement agencies considering adoption of AED programs should review the frequency with which police arrive first at medical emergencies and LEA response intervals to determine whether AED programs might help improve survival in their communities. It is time for law enforcement agency defibrillation to become the rule, not the exception.
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Based on its roots in military air evacuation, helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) has always been emphasized as a tool for trauma transportation. Despite much discussion regarding resource allocation for HEMS, a literature search found little recent systematic review of pertinent studies. As HEMS utilization is subject to increased scrutiny in a health care dollar-conscious environment, it was felt that a compendium of available outcomes-related literature could assist those assessing utility of HEMS trauma transport. ⋯ The goal of this review is to provide a useful resource for those interested in pursuing systematic review of the HEMS trauma outcomes literature. The primary purpose of the review is bibliographic, but there is editorial comment after each paper's summary. The initial article in this two-part series focused on HEMS outcomes literature covering noninjured patients as well as papers assessing outcome in mixed trauma-nontrauma HEMS study groups.
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In 1996, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved use of thrombolytic therapy for ischemic stroke, interfacility transport of stroke patients assumed increasing urgency. ⋯ Helicopter EMS transport is playing an increasing role in interfacility transfer of patients with ischemic stroke. Earlier HEMS activation is associated with decreased time lapse between referral and receiving hospital arrival.