Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
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Comparative Study
Estimating core temperature with external devices after exertional heat stress in thermal protective clothing.
Temperature measurement is important for emergency medical services (EMS) providers when identifying and treating heat illness or infection. Direct measures of body core temperature (T(c)) are often expensive (ingestible capsules) or impractical (rectal probes) in the field. Multiple devices for estimating T(c) have been adopted by EMS providers, with little understanding of the agreement between these devices and T(c). ⋯ External measuring devices failed to accurately predict T(c) in hyperthermic individuals following exertion. Confidence intervals around the bias were too large to allow for reasonable estimation of T(c). EMS providers should exercise caution when using any of these temperature estimation techniques.
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To assess the relationship of emergency medical services (EMS) intervals and internal hospital intervals to the rapid reperfusion of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). ⋯ In our study, hospital process intervals (EMS activation, door to page, page to laboratory, and laboratory to reperfusion) are key covariates of rapid reperfusion for EMS STEMI patients and should be used when assessing STEMI care.
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Comparative Study
EMS Provider assessment of vehicle damage compared with assessment by a professional crash reconstructionist.
To determine the accuracy of emergency medical services (EMS) provider assessments of motor vehicle damage when compared with measurements made by a professional crash reconstructionist. ⋯ This study found that EMS providers are good at estimating rollover. Vehicle intrusion, deformity, and seat belt use appear to be more difficult for EMS to estimate, with only fair agreement with the crash reconstructionist. As expected, the EMS provider -estimated speed prior to the crash does not appear to be a reasonable proxy for change in velocity.
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The National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) believes that emergency medical services (EMS) providers should be able to utilize evidence-guided methodology for the termination of resuscitation in nontraumatic cardiopulmonary arrest. This is the official position of the NAEMSP. Key words: termination of resuscitation; cardiopulmonary arrest; nontraumatic; EMS; position statement; NAEMSP.