Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
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The opioid crisis is an ongoing public health concern and EMS agencies are in a critical position to reach at-risk populations. The traditional role of EMS in treating acute opioid overdoses has expanded to include preventative strategies as well as long-term treatment and recovery options. EMS agencies are uniquely positioned to partner with local community resources and hospitals to combine efforts in implementing harm-reduction strategies.
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This is the official position statement of the National Association of EMS Physicians on the role of emergency medical services (EMS) in disaster response.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Intranasal Ketamine as an Adjunct to Fentanyl for the Prehospital Treatment of Acute Traumatic Pain: Design and Rationale of a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Objective: Acute pain management is fundamental in prehospital trauma care. Early pain control may decrease the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain. Fentanyl and ketamine are frequently used off-label, but there is a paucity of comparative data to guide decision-making about treatment of prehospital severe, acute pain. ⋯ The outcomes in the follow-up study are satisfaction with life and development of PTSD or chronic pain at 90 days after injury. An intention-to-treat approach will be used. Conclusion: These studies will test the hypotheses that ketamine plus fentanyl, when compared to fentanyl alone, effectively manages pain, decreases opiate requirements, and decreases PTSD at 90 days.
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Multicenter Study
Multicenter Evaluation of Prehospital Seizure Management in Children.
Seizures are a common reason why emergency medical services (EMS) transports children by ambulance. Timely seizure cessation prevents neurologic morbidity, respiratory compromise, and mortality. Implementing recommendations from an evidence-based pediatric prehospital guideline may enhance timeliness of seizure cessation and optimize medication dosing. ⋯ Implementation of an evidence-based seizure protocol for EMS increased midazolam administration. Patients frequently received an incorrect weight-based dose. Future research should focus on optimizing administration of the correct dose of midazolam to improve seizure cessation.
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Death notification is a difficult task commonly encountered during prehospital care and may lead to burnout among EMS professionals. Lack of training could potentiate the relationship between death notification and burnout. The first objective of this study was to describe EMS professionals' experience with death notification and related training. ⋯ Yet, fewer than half reported training related to death notification during initial EMS education and even fewer reported receiving continuing education. More of those who delivered death notifications experienced burnout, while continuing education was associated with reduced odds of burnout. Future work is needed to develop and evaluate death notification training specifically for EMS professionals.