Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
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Although the proximal tibia is a common site for intraosseous (IO) line placement in pediatric patients, previously published data indicate high malposition rates in infants and children at this location. Although distal femur IO lines generally demonstrate higher flow rates than those at the proximal tibia, to date, there have been no published studies assessing distal femur IO access in pediatric patients. Thus, we aimed to compare the success rates of pediatric IO line insertion attempts between the proximal tibia and the distal femur in a prehospital setting. ⋯ This retrospective analysis of pediatric patients in a prehospital setting suggests that IO line placement at the distal femur might offer a marginally higher success rate compared to the proximal tibia. Despite not reaching statistical significance, these findings support the consideration of distal femur as a viable option for IO placement in the pediatric population.
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ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is an Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) with the greatest risk of death and disability. Getting diagnosed patients rapid definitive treatment at the correct facility is crucial in improving their outcome. Using a Question-and-Answer algorithm (Mobile Priority Dispatch System (MPDS®)), trained Emergency Medical Dispatchers (EMDs) can help identifying STEMI at the time of dispatch. This can assist Emergency Medical Services (EMS) pre-planning transport to potential STEMI-receiving hospitals. The study aimed to determine whether hospital-confirmed STEMI cases transported by ambulance are associated with certain dispatch determinant codes and identify the treatments performed. ⋯ Qatar's STEMI patients are more likely to be male and to receive adequate acute care irrespective of any demographic factor and despite potential language issues. This study highlights that the chief complaint may be described or interpreted differently when the questioning language is not their mother tongue, or when there is a language barrier between the caller, call taker, or when using the MPDS® protocols language or when self-translating questions instantly in another language. Therefore, EMDs should be made aware of the language differences and be encouraged to further clarify the chief complaint when appropriate. There may be a need for potential refinements of the MPDS® questioning algorithm and EMD training with AMI symptoms reinforcement. This could help improve their early identification of STEMI cases with non-classic chest pain symptoms.
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Transcutaneous cardiac pacing (TCP) is a potentially lifesaving therapy for patients who present in the prehospital setting with bradycardia that is causing hemodynamic compromise. Our objective was to examine the outcomes of patients who received prehospital TCP and identify predictors of TCP failure. ⋯ Patients who undergo prehospital TCP are at high risk of mortality. Progression to cardiac arrest is common and associated with factors including increased weight, a non-bradycardic initial heart rate and pre-TCP hypoxia.
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The National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) provides a robust set of data to evaluate prehospital care. However, a major limitation is that the vast majority of the records lack a definitive outcome. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of a recently proposed method ("MLB" method) to impute missing end-of-EMS-event outcomes ("dead" or "alive") for patient care reports in the NEMSIS public research dataset. ⋯ This study found that the recently published MLB method produced reasonably good "dead" or "alive" indicators. We recommend reporting of True Positive Rate ("dead" prediction accuracy) and True Negative Rate ("alive" prediction accuracy) when applying the imputation method for analyses of NEMSIS data. More attention by EMS clinicians to complete documentation of target NEMSIS elements can further improve the method's performance.
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Implementing prehospital blood products for treating hemorrhagic shock has been utilized globally in military and civilian settings. This review aims to compare various guidelines for using blood products, including the types of blood products, injuries, biomarkers (hemodynamic measurement) to indicate use, associated treatments and risks, and the logistical concerns of storage and wastage in the prehospital setting. Furthermore, it explores whether prehospital blood transfusions are beneficial and a safe treatment option. ⋯ Prehospital blood was used in medical, trauma, and maternity-related hemorrhage. Many types of blood products are in use, ranging from component therapy to whole blood, with each protocol having different indications of use and treatment guidelines aimed at improving hemodynamic stability.