Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
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Inadequate staffing of agencies, increasing attrition rates, and frequent turnover of personnel make employee retention an ongoing concern for Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Faced with increasing demand for EMS, understanding the causes underlying turnover is critical. The objectives of this study were to describe the proportion of individuals that left EMS, likelihood of returning to the profession, and key factors contributing to the decision to leave EMS. ⋯ This cross-sectional study found an attrition rate of approximately 4% among nationally certified EMS professionals; however, the majority reported that they intended to return to the EMS profession. Intention to return to EMS decreased as years of experience and months away from the profession increased. Important factors in the decision to leave EMS included a desire for better pay and benefits and the decision to pursue further education. Targeting the factors identified as important in this study should be a priority for key stakeholders in improving recruitment and retention of EMS professionals.
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Older adults, those aged 65 and older, frequently require emergency care. However, only limited national data describe the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) care provided to older adults. We sought to determine the characteristics of EMS care provided to older adults in the United States. ⋯ One of every three U.S. EMS emergency responses involves older adults. EMS personnel must be prepared to care for the older patient.
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Feedback to EMS professionals is a critical component for optimizing patient care and outcomes in the prehospital setting. There is a paucity of data concerning the feedback received by prehospital providers. ⋯ Feedback to EMS providers is critical to improving prehospital care. In this study, nearly a third of providers did not receive any feedback in a 30-day period, and nearly half reported not receiving medical care feedback. Disparities in the frequency of feedback exist between different provider levels and service settings, while reported feedback decreased with years of experience in the profession. Future work is needed to assess the content of feedback and role in improving patient care and safety.
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Unlike adult refusal of medical assistance (RMA), pediatric refusal is not initiated by the patient. This lack of autonomy may permit neglect by the guardian through denial of necessary treatment. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether pediatric RMA was associated with suspected abuse or neglect (SAN). ⋯ Pediatric SAN patients are not uncommon users of EMS in our service area. Neither RMA nor recidivist RMA was associated with the presence of SAN within our patient population.
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Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an uncommon disease. We report the case of a 50 year-old woman with a past medical history of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, presenting with acute chest pain and diffuse ST segment elevation on ECG. ⋯ The association between cerebral aneurysms and SCAD should trigger providers concern for fibromuscular dysplasia. We hereby report on a rare and atypical case involving the relationship between fibromuscular dysplasia and SCAD.