Prehospital and disaster medicine
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Dec 2017
Assessing and Improving Hospital Mass-Casualty Preparedness: A No-Notice Exercise.
In recent years, mass-casualty incidents (MCIs) have become more frequent and deadly, while emergency department (ED) crowding has grown steadily worse and widespread. The ability of hospitals to implement an effective mass-casualty surge plan, immediately and expertly, has therefore never been more important. Yet, mass-casualty exercises tend to be highly choreographed, pre-scheduled events that provide limited insight into hospitals' true capacity to respond to a no-notice event under real-world conditions. ⋯ Waxman DA , Chan EW , Pillemer F , Smith TWJ , Abir M , Nelson C. Assessing and improving hospital mass-casualty preparedness: a no-notice exercise. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(6):662-666.
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Dec 2017
Evaluation of Skin Damage from Accidental Removal of a Hemostatic Wound Clamp (The iTClamp).
Controlling bleeding early in the prehospital and military setting is an extremely important and life-saving skill. Wound clamping is a newly introduced technique that may augment both the effectiveness and logistics of wound packing with any gauze product. As these devices may be inadvertently removed, the potential consequences of such were examined in a simulated, extreme, inadvertent disengagement. ⋯ Inadvertent, forcible removal of the iTClamp created essentially no skin damage seen when the wound clamp was forcibly removed from either cadaver or swine models in a variety of positions and directions. Thus, the risks of deployment in operational environments do not seem to be increased. Mckee JL , Lakshminarasimhan P , Atkinson I , LaPorta AJ , Kirkpatrick AW . Evaluation of skin damage from accidental removal of a hemostatic wound clamp (the iTClamp). Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(6):651-656.
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Oct 2017
Multicenter StudyAre Dutch Hospitals Prepared for Chemical, Biological, or Radionuclear Incidents? A Survey Study.
Introduction Being one of Europe's most densely populated countries, and having multiple nuclear installations, a heavy petrochemical industry, and terrorist targets, the Netherlands is at-risk for chemical, biological, or radionuclear (CBRN) incidents. Recent world and continental events show that this threat is real and that authorities may be underprepared. Hypothesis The hypothesis of this study is that Dutch hospitals are underprepared to deal with these incidents.
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Oct 2017
Utilization Criteria for Prehospital Ultrasound in a Canadian Critical Care Helicopter Emergency Medical Service: Determining Who Might Benefit.
Introduction Prehospital ultrasound (PHUS) assessments by physicians and non-physicians are performed on medical and trauma patients with increasing frequency. Prehospital ultrasound has been shown to be of benefit by supporting interventions. Problem Which patients may benefit from PHUS has not been clearly identified.
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Oct 2017
Basic Disaster Life Support (BDLS) Training Improves First Responder Confidence to Face Mass-Casualty Incidents in Thailand.
Medical response to mass-casualty incidents (MCIs) requires specialized training and preparation. Basic Disaster Life Support (BDLS) is a course designed to prepare health care workers for a MCI. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the confidence of health care professionals in Thailand to face a MCI after participating in a BDLS course. ⋯ Basic Disaster Life Support significantly improves confidence to respond to MCI situations, but nurses and active duty military benefit the most from the course. Future courses should focus on these groups to prepare for MCIs. Kuhls DA , Chestovich PJ , Coule P , Carrison DM , Chua CM , Wora-Urai N , Kanchanarin T . Basic Disaster Life Support (BDLS) training improves first responder confidence to face mass-casualty incidents in Thailand. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(5):492-500 .