Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Taking the Blood Bank to the Field: The Design and Rationale of the Prehospital Air Medical Plasma (PAMPer) Trial.
Hemorrhage and trauma induced coagulopathy remain major drivers of early preventable mortality in military and civilian trauma. Interest in the use of prehospital plasma in hemorrhaging patients as a primary resuscitation agent has grown recently. Trauma center-based damage control resuscitation using early and aggressive plasma transfusion has consistently demonstrated improved outcomes in hemorrhaging patients. ⋯ S. Food and Drug Administration utilizing a multipronged community consultation process. It is one of three ongoing Department of Defense-funded trials aimed at expanding our understanding of the optimal therapeutic approaches to coagulopathy in the hemorrhaging trauma patient.
-
Lack of longitudinal patient outcome data is an important barrier in emergency medical services (EMS) research. We aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of linking prehospital data from the California EMS Information Systems (CEMSIS) database to outcomes data from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) database for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). ⋯ Probabilistic linkage of CEMSIS prehospital data with OSHPD outcomes data was severely limited by the completeness of the EMS data. States and EMS agencies should aim to overcome data limitations so that more effective linkages are possible.
-
Observational Study
Use of a Novel Abdominal Aortic and Junctional Tourniquet to Reduce or Eliminate Flow in the Brachial and Popliteal Arteries in Human Subjects.
Penetrating injuries of the proximal large arteries are a common cause of death on the battlefield due to rapid exsanguination. Applying an effective tourniquet to stop bleeding at the axillary and proximal femoral arteries (junctional sites) is difficult. Prior studies have shown that the Abdominal Aortic and Junctional Tourniquet (AAJT) effectively reduced blood flow in the common femoral artery with application of the device around the lower abdomen. Our objective was to determine the effectiveness of the AAJT to stop blood flow in the proximal femoral artery (PFA), and the axillary artery (AA). ⋯ This was a prospective observational trial using human volunteers. The AAJT consists of a wedge-shaped bladder and integrated strap. The bladder has an integrated manometer, which is used to measure the pressure in the bladder. For the AA, the AAJT was placed over the axillary junction at the anterior axillary line with the strap placed across the contralateral shoulder. For the PFA, the AAJT bladder was placed over the right groin with the strap positioned across both femoral trochanters. Spectral Doppler measurements were taken of the PFA and AA at baseline and as the bladder was inflated. Collected data included pressure of the AAJT.
-
The primary study objective was to delineate the procedural aspects of intraosseous (IO) infusions responsible for fat intravasation by testing the hypothesis that the fat content of effluent blood increases during IO infusions. ⋯ Results suggest that in swine the intravasation of bone marrow fat is a common consequence of IO infusion procedures and that its magnitude is influenced by the site of cannulation and infusion forces. Although the efficacy and benefits of IO infusions for emergent care are well established, emergency care providers also should be cognizant that infusion procedures affect bone marrow fat intravasation.
-
Review Case Reports
Prehospital Breech Delivery with Fetal Head Entrapment -A Case Report and Review.
We present a case in which an emergency medical services (EMS) crew was called for a precipitous breech delivery with fetal head entrapment that was unrelieved following standard prehospital interventions and eventually resulted in neonatal cardiac arrest and death. Although this is a rare occurrence, EMS responders must have adequate training and guidelines on how to assist with vaginal delivery of breech presentation and how to appropriately manage fetal head entrapment in the field. There is little literature to provide guidance but it appears that standard EMS teaching does not represent current best obstetrical practice. We review the available literature, make expert recommendations, and provide a sample new treatment guideline for basic life support, advanced life support, and EMS physician response.