Prehospital and disaster medicine
-
Prehosp Disaster Med · Oct 2016
The Impact of Age upon Contingency Planning for Multiple-casualty Incidents Based on a Single Center's Experience.
Introduction Trauma patients in the extremes of age may require a specialized approach during a multiple-casualty incident (MCI). Problem The aim of this study was to examine the type of injuries encountered in children and elderly patients and the implications of these injuries for treatment and organization. ⋯ Injury at an older age confers an increased risk of complications and death in victims of MCIs. Ashkenazi I , Einav S , Olsha O , Turegano-Fuentes F , Krausz MM , Alfici R . The impact of age upon contingency planning for multiple-casualty incidents based on a single center's experience. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(5):492-497.
-
Prehosp Disaster Med · Oct 2016
Development and Verification of a Mobile Shelter Assessment System "Rapid Assessment System of Evacuation Center Condition Featuring Gonryo and Miyagi (RASECC-GM)" for Major Disasters.
Introduction There were 5,385 deceased and 710 missing in the Ishinomaki medical zone following the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred in Japan on March 11, 2011. The Ishinomaki Zone Joint Relief Team (IZJRT) was formed to unify the relief teams of all organizations joining in support of the Ishinomaki area. The IZJRT expanded relief activity as they continued to manually collect and analyze assessments of essential information for maintaining health in all 328 shelters using a paper-type survey. However, the IZJRT spent an enormous amount of time and effort entering and analyzing these data because the work was vastly complex. Therefore, an assessment system must be developed that can tabulate shelter assessment data correctly and efficiently. The objective of this report was to describe the development and verification of a system to rapidly assess evacuation centers in preparation for the next major disaster. Report Based on experiences with the complex work during the disaster, software called the "Rapid Assessment System of Evacuation Center Condition featuring Gonryo and Miyagi" (RASECC-GM) was developed to enter, tabulate, and manage the shelter assessment data. Further, a verification test was conducted during a large-scale Self-Defense Force (SDF) training exercise to confirm its feasibility, usability, and accuracy. The RASECC-GM comprises three screens: (1) the "Data Entry screen," allowing for quick entry on tablet devices of 19 assessment items, including shelter administrator, living and sanitary conditions, and a tally of the injured and sick; (2) the "Relief Team/Shelter Management screen," for registering information on relief teams and shelters; and (3) the "Data Tabulation screen," which allows tabulation of the data entered for each shelter, as well as viewing and sorting from a disaster headquarters' computer. During the verification test, data of mock shelters entered online were tabulated quickly and accurately on a mock disaster headquarters' computer. Likewise, data entered offline also were tabulated quickly on the mock disaster headquarters' computer when the tablet device was moved into an online environment. ⋯ The RASECC-GM, a system for rapidly assessing the condition of evacuation centers, was developed. Tests verify that users of the system would be able to easily, quickly, and accurately assess vast quantities of data from multiple shelters in a major disaster and immediately manage the inputted data at the disaster headquarters. Ishii T , Nakayama M , Abe M , Takayama S , Kamei T , Abe Y , Yamadera J , Amito K , Morino K . Development and verification of a mobile shelter assessment system "Rapid Assessment System of Evacuation Center Condition featuring Gonryo and Miyagi (RASECC-GM)" for major disasters. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(5):539-546.
-
Prehosp Disaster Med · Oct 2016
Work-related Injuries Among Emergency Medical Technicians in Western Turkey.
Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics are at serious risk for work-related injuries (WRIs) during work hours. Both EMTs and paramedics have higher WRI rates, according to the literature data. This study was designed to investigate causes and characteristics of WRIs involving EMTs and paramedics staffed in Western Turkey. ⋯ Paramedic personnel and EMTs are under high risk of WRI. Motor vehicle accidents and needlestick injuries were the most common causes of WRI. Strict measures need to be taken to restructure the interior design to protect personnel from all kinds of WRIs. Yilmaz A , Serinken M , Dal O , Yaylacı S , Karcioglu O . Work-related injuries among emergency medical technicians in Western Turkey. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(5):505-508.
-
Prehosp Disaster Med · Oct 2016
Case ReportsPrehospital Ketamine is a Safe and Effective Treatment for Excited Delirium in a Community Hospital Based EMS System.
Excited delirium syndrome (ExDS) is defined by marked agitation and confusion with sympathomimetic surge and incessant physical struggle, despite futility, which may lead to profound pathophysiologic changes and sudden death. Severe metabolic derangements, including lactic acidosis, rhabdomyolysis, and hyperthermia, occur. The pathophysiology of excited delirium is a subject of ongoing basic science and clinical research. ⋯ Scaggs TR , Glass DM , Hutchcraft MG , Weir WB. Prehospital ketamine is a safe and effective treatment for excited delirium in a community hospital based EMS system. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(5):563-569.