Prehospital and disaster medicine
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Aug 2013
Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization prevalence among Emergency Medical Services personnel.
The prevalence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal colonization among Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel is not well studied. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization can be a health hazard for both EMS personnel and patients. The aim of this study was to quantify the prevalence of MRSA colonization among EMS personnel. This study will help the scientific community understand the extent of this condition so that further protocols and policies can be developed to support the health and wellbeing of EMS personnel. Hypothesis/ Problem The hypothesis of this study was that the prevalence of MRSA colonization among EMS personnel is significantly higher than among the general population. ⋯ There is evidence that EMS personnel have a higher prevalence of MRSA colonization than the general population. This can be a risk to patients and can be recognized as an occupational hazard.
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Aug 2013
Competency in chaos: lifesaving performance of care providers utilizing a competency-based, multi-actor emergency preparedness training curriculum.
Providing comprehensive emergency preparedness training (EPT) to care providers is important to the future success of disaster operations in the US. Few EPT programs possess both competency-driven goals and metrics to measure performance during a multi-patient simulated disaster. ⋯ The 1-day EPT course for novice and experienced care providers recreated a multi-actor clinical disaster and enhanced provider knowledge, comfort level, and EPT skill. A larger-scale study, or multi-center trial, is needed to further study the impact of this curriculum and its potential to protect provider and patient lives.
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Aug 2013
Crew and patient safety in ambulances: results of a personnel survey and experimental side impact crash test.
Ambulance drivers often travel under stressful conditions at high speed while using vehicles with poor high-speed maneuverability. The occupant safety of ambulance vehicles has not yet been addressed by the automotive safety paradigm; particularly for the rear patient compartment. This study had two objectives: (1) to assess by survey the French Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to determine the layout of the vehicle most often used and the EMS personnel's behavior during transport; and (2) to conduct a crash test to analyze the injuries which may affect EMS personnel and patients in the rear patient compartment. ⋯ The crash test demonstrated a lack of safety for EMS personnel and patients in the rear compartment. It would be preferable if each piece of medical equipment were provided with a quick release system resistant to three-dimensional 10G forces. The kinetic changes undergone by the "patient" substitute on the stretcher would probably have an effect of causing injury pathology. This study highlights the need for more research and development in this area.
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Portable suction units used by EMS personnel are utilized infrequently and often are powered by batteries. Lack of use and inspection often results in failure of the device when it is needed. The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence of portable suction unit failure in a rural EMS system and to identify the reasons for failures. ⋯ Only a relatively small percentage of inspections of suction units revealed failures (4.6% Advanced Life Support, 8.6% Basic Life Support) using the above-stated criteria. However, given the importance of airway management and potential complications associated with airway compromise, including aspiration pneumonia, hypoxia, and hemodynamic instability, this is of concern relative to the morbidity and mortality that could be related to airway failure. Due to the relative infrequency of use and the nature of portable suction units, the potential for lack of maintenance and deficiencies in routine inspection may impact the functional status of these devices in EMS agencies. Clearly, improved documentation of battery installation date, charging in accordance with manufacturer recommendations, and thorough inspection of the portable suction unit in its entirety will ensure readiness of these devices. Additionally, more rigorous documentation and analysis of inspections should be a focus of EMS agencies.
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Aug 2013
Injuries and fatalities among emergency medical technicians and paramedics in the United States.
Emergency medical services personnel treat 22 million patients a year, yet little is known of their risk of injury and fatality. ⋯ Data from the DOL show that EMTs and paramedics have a rate of injury that is about three times the national average for all occupations. The vast majority of fatalities are secondary to transportation related-incidents. Assaults are also identified as a significant cause of fatality. The findings also indicate that females in this occupational group may have a disproportionately larger number of injuries. Support is recommended for further research related to causal factors and for the development, evaluation and promulgation of evidence-based interventions to mitigate this problem.