Prehospital and disaster medicine
-
Prehosp Disaster Med · Aug 2011
Randomized Controlled TrialEmergency Cricothyrotomy in Confined Space Airway Emergencies: A Comparison.
In confined-space airway emergencies, prehospital personnel may need to perform cricothyrotomy when conventional airway techniques cannot be utilized or have failed. This study is a prospective, cross-over, randomized controlled trial that compares two widely-known techniques using two commercially available kits. ⋯ Use of the Quicktrach™ kit resulted in the fastest time to placement, was placed correctly in the airway, and was preferred by each of the residents. Its small, simple,and sturdy design, with few parts and easy manipulation, allow the Quicktrach™ to be a valuable option in prehospital situations involving confined spaces. The Melker™ kit, with its many parts, and need for greater manipulation, is not as easily utilized or preferred in a confined space scenario.
-
Prehosp Disaster Med · Aug 2011
Impact of wireless electronic medical record system on the quality of patient documentation by emergency field responders during a disaster mass-casualty exercise.
The use of wireless, electronic, medical records and communications in the prehospital and disaster field is increasing. ⋯ In a simulated, mass-casualty field exercise, documentation and tracking of victim status including acuity was significantly improved when using a wireless, field electronic medical record system compared to the use of conventional paper methods.
-
Prehosp Disaster Med · Aug 2011
ReviewFebruary 2009 airplane crash at amsterdam schiphol airport: an overview of injuries and patient distribution.
The objective of this study was to describe the injuries and distribution of casualties resulting from the crash of Turkish Airlines flight TK 1951 near Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands on 25 of February 2009. ⋯ Although the accident was in an urban area, there was a significant delay between the time of the accident and the arrival of the casualties at hospital emergency departments. The Turkish Airlines crash provides extensive information for research into mass-casualty or disaster management, triage, plane crash injuries, and survivability. The "Medical Research Turkish Airlines Crash" (MOTAC) study group currently is investigating several of these issues.
-
Prehosp Disaster Med · Aug 2011
Factors associated with willingness to respond to a disaster: a study of healthcare workers in a tertiary setting.
Due to recent disasters, disaster planners increasingly are focusing on healthcare worker preparedness and response in the event of a disaster. In this study, factors associated with pediatric healthcare workers' willingness to respond are identified. ⋯ Number of dependents and resources were major factors in willingness to respond. Healthcare facilities must clearly communicate their disaster plans as well as any provisions they may make for their employees' families in order to improve willingness among hospital employees.