Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
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Current guidelines for parameters of the delivery of chest compressions (CC) for infants and children are largely consensus based. Of the two recommended depth targets - 1.5 inches and 1/3 anterior-posterior chest diameter (APD) - it is unclear whether these have equal potential for injury. In previous experiments, our group showed in an animal model of pediatric asphyxial out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA; modeling ∼ 7 year-old children) that 1/3 APD resulted in significantly deeper CC and a higher likelihood of life-threatening injury. We sought to examine and compare injury characteristics of CC delivered at 1.5 inches or 1/3 APD in an infant model of asphyxial OHCA. ⋯ In an swine model of infant asphyxial OHCA and resuscitation considering 1/3 APD or 1.5 inches, neither CC depth strategy was associated with increased injury.
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Physician staffed Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (P-HEMS) care in the Netherlands has transitioned from predominantly trauma management to handling a variety of medical conditions. Relevant outcome parameters for Dutch P-HEMS research have not been previously defined. National consensus was sought to identify relevant long term patient outcome parameters, process outcome parameters and performance outcome parameters for Dutch P-HEMS care. ⋯ In conclusion, this study identified 25 outcome parameters relevant for Dutch physician staffed HEMS care. These parameters should be considered when designing future studies and should be routinely collected for each dispatch if possible.
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Exposure to prehospital rearrest has previously been associated with mortality following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Our objective was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the association between prehospital rearrest and survival in adults following OHCA resuscitation. ⋯ Rearrest is common and associated with decreased survival following OHCA. The pooled result of this meta-analysis suggests that preventing rearrest in five patients would be necessary to save one life.
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Previous investigations comparing intraosseous (IO) and intravenous (IV) epinephrine delivery in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) suggest that epinephrine is oftentimes more expeditiously administered via the IO route, but this temporal benefit doesn't always translate to clinical benefit. However, very few studies adequately controlled for indication and resuscitation time biases, making the influence of first epinephrine route on OHCA outcomes unclear. To determine the association between first epinephrine route and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) while controlling for resuscitation time bias and other potential confounders. ⋯ This retrospective analysis of a national EMS database revealed that IO epinephrine was negatively associated with ROSC. Additionally, there appears to be a finite time window during which intravenous epinephrine remains superior to the intraosseous route even if there are brief initial delays in IV drug delivery.
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To determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of workplace violence (WPV) experienced by emergency medical services (EMS) clinicians across a large, multistate ground/air EMS agency. ⋯ Verbal and/or physical violence is recognized in nearly 1% of EMS runs. We recommend prioritizing WPV prevention and mitigation strategies around identified risk factors and simplifying the WPV reporting process in order to reduce staff administrative burden and encourage optimal capturing of violent events.