Articles: emergency-medical-services.
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At Brooke Army Medical Center the Emergency Services Section has developed an algorith,-directed triage system to be used by "screeners" who may be basic medical corpsmen but sometimes have had no previous medical experience. After 25 hours of classroom and 120 hours of on-the-job training, the screeners use the algorithms to triage patients into one of three treatment areas in the emergency section or to clinics outside the emergency section during the day and evening. The screeners may consult with a triage physician if the algorithm-directed disposition appears inappropriate, Triage dispositions of 78,822 patient visits during the calendar year 1975 are presented.
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The effectiveness of patient triage by a specially trained registered nurse in the emergency department of an urban county hospital, San Francisco General Hospital, was evaluated over a three-month period. Ambulatory patients thought to have nonemergent illnesses were directed to the Walk-In Service for physician evaluation and treatment; the remainder were seen in the Emergency Service. In three months, 11,329 patients registered for care, and 4,150 (37%) were referred to the Walk-In Service. ⋯ There were no deaths. Error in triage was about equally divided between mistaken diagnosis and underestimated severity of illnes. The overall accuracy of triage was 98%.
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A forward evacuation hospital functioned in the southern front in October 1973 Israeli-Arab War as an intermediate unit in the Israeli casualty management logistics. Casualties were characterized by frequent multiple-system injuries and variable combinations of penetrating wounds, blunt trauma, burns, and inhalation injury, with an increased incidence of associated blunt trauma. ⋯ Performance of operations in a forward evacuation hospital did not increase the number or severity of postoperative complications. Morbidity and mortality were related to the nature and magnitude of injury.
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With a nationally standardized emergency medical technician-paramedic training program soon to be adopted, certain factors in the planning of training programs should be emphasized. (1) The facilities should provide an opportunity for the paramedics to gain clinical experience in intensive care units and emergency departments. Teaching must be appropriate to the students' educational background. (2) The course content should include advanced life-support. (3) Full-time and part-time programs must be developed, possibly using a modular format. (4) The operating procedure should conform to local medical and legal practice. (5) Mechanisms for evaluation and recertification must be developed. (6) Continuing education, as important or more important than the original training, should be included in program planning.