Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
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In disasters, paramedics often triage victims, including children. Little is known about obstacles paramedics face when performing pediatric disaster triage. ⋯ Paramedics report particular difficulty triaging multiple child disaster victims due to emotional obstacles, unfamiliarity with pediatric physiology, and struggles with triage rationale and efficiency.
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High-risk neighborhoods can be identified as census tracts in which cardiac arrest incidence is high and bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) prevalence is low. However, little is known about how best to tailor community CPR training to high-risk neighborhood residents. The objective of this study was to identify factors integral to the design and implementation of community-based CPR intervention programs targeted to these areas. ⋯ Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is a particular risk for minority and low-income communities. By working together with the community key factors integral to designing community-based CPR within these high-risk communities can be identified and implemented.
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Although the epidemiology of civilian trauma is distinct from that encountered in combat, in both settings, extremity hemorrhage remains a major preventable cause of potential mortality. The current paper describes the largest case series in the literature in which police officers arriving prior to emergency medical services applied commercially available field tourniquets to civilian victims of violent trauma. ⋯ No patient had a tourniquet-related complication. This case series suggests that law enforcement officers can effectively identify indications for tourniquets and rapidly apply such life-saving interventions.