Emergency medical services
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Your patient assessment, including a history and, more important, in the trauma patient, the physical exam, and the mechanism of injury will determine treatment and transport priorities. The No. 1 consideration in managing the trauma patient is to establish and maintain an effective airway, ventilation, oxygenation and circulation. ⋯ If it is not a critical procedure, it should be performed en route to the trauma center. Due to the extent of injuries, some trauma patients will die regardless of your most proficient assessment and emergency care.
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More research is needed to improve our understanding of what constitutes the most effective method of cardiopulmonary resuscitation; however, we know more now than ever in the history of medicine. We know that CPR is more than simply pushing on the chest and defibrillating the heart. ⋯ There are many questions yet to be answered, such as how long defibrillation should be delayed following CPR, which devices or techniques provide the most effective CPR, and what are the most effective ratios of compression and ventilation? The answer may lie within a combination of approaches using multiple devices and techniques simultaneously in an attempt to meet the goals for performing the most effective CPR. What is clear is that the science of cardiac arrest is maturing, and what began in the early ages as an act of faith and desperation has now become grounded in logical reason and understanding of the physiology of cardiac arrest and the hemodynamics of CPR.
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Mass casualty response is one of the most difficult aspects of emergency medical services. The medical incident command system is designed to treat and stabilize patients in a safe and effective manner. At the center of this is the treatment area. A well-thought-out, adequately staffed treatment area will greatly enhance any system's ability to meet and exceed the demands of almost any multicasualty event.