Prehospital and disaster medicine
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Jun 2017
Evacuation Preparedness in the Event of Fire in Intensive Care Units in Sweden: More is Needed.
Introduction Hospitals, including intensive care units (ICUs), can be subject to threat from fire and require urgent evacuation. Hypothesis The hypothesis was that the current preparedness for ICU evacuation for fire in the national public hospital system in a wealthy country was very good, using Sweden as model.
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Jun 2017
High School Cardiac Emergency Response Plans and Sudden Cardiac Death in the Young.
Introduction Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is responsible for 5%-10% of all deaths among children 5-19 years-of-age. The incidence of SCD in youth in Michigan (USA) and nationwide is higher in racial/ethnic minorities and in certain geographic areas. ⋯ Studying population-level factors associated with school cardiac emergency preparedness and incidence of SCD in the young may improve understanding of disparities in the incidence of SCD. Hypothesis/Problem The objective of this pilot study was to determine the association of elements of high school cardiac emergency preparedness, including Automated External Defibrillator (AED) distribution and the presence of CERPs with county sociodemographic characteristics and county incidence of SCD in the young.
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Mass gatherings attract large crowds and can strain the planning and health resources of the community, city, or nation hosting an event. Mass-Gatherings Health (MGH) is an evolving niche of prehospital care rooted in emergency medicine, emergency management, public health, and disaster medicine. To explore front-line issues related to data quality in the context of mass gatherings, the authors draw on five years of management experience with an online, mass-gathering event and patient registry, as well as clinical and operational experience amassed over several decades. ⋯ Guy A , Prager R , Turris S , Lund A. Improving data quality in mass-gatherings health research. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(3):329-332.
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Apr 2017
ReviewThe Use of Emergency Lights and Sirens by Ambulances and Their Effect on Patient Outcomes and Public Safety: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature.
The benefits of emergency lights and sirens (L&S) use as warning devices by ambulances continue to be a debated topic in Emergency Medical Services (EMS). While the most widely studied aspect of L&S use has been related to their effect on ambulance response and transport times, the literature suggests minimal time savings with more questionable impact on actual patient outcomes. As L&S use has been shown to increase the risk for vehicle crashes, the secondary concern of ambulance design and safety also becomes an important aspect on potential design recommendations that could mitigate the effects of a crash on patients, EMS providers, and the general public. ⋯ Murray B , Kue R. The use of emergency lights and sirens by ambulances and their effect on patient outcomes and public safety: a comprehensive review of the literature. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(2):209-216.