Articles: emergency-medical-services.
-
We aim to explore and target factors contributing to disparities in trauma-care outcomes between urban vs rural trauma centers including EMS protocols, trauma centers' (TC) distribution, infrastructure, and hospital resources. ⋯ Rural trauma patients often experience worse outcomes than their urban counterparts, possibly due to longer prehospital times, reduced TC access, and less specialized care. The designation of targeted Level III TCs in rural areas has been associated with improved outcomes. In contrast, unregulated TC expansion has not necessarily enhanced access or outcomes for rural patients.
-
Dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DACPR) significantly improves the survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients. However, the effectiveness of DACPR may vary depending on the location of the cardiac arrest. This study compares DACPR outcomes in private homes versus public places. ⋯ This study demonstrated reduced DACPR effectiveness in public places compared to private homes, potentially influenced by caller factors, environmental conditions, and the caller-patient relationship. Developing location-specific strategies is essential to enhance DACPR effectiveness.
-
The impact of personal protective equipment (PPE) on resuscitation quality is largely unknown. We sought to examine the effect of PPE requirements on CPR quality and resuscitation interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria, Australia. ⋯ Several CPR quality metrics declined during the COVID-19 period and some remain below pre-pandemic levels. Further research is needed to understand these impacts on OHCA outcomes.
-
Observational Study
Survival in relation to number of defibrillation attempts in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) with shockable pulseless ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation not responding to defibrillation is a medical challenge. Novel treatment strategies have emerged for so-called refractory ventricular fibrillation not responding to three or more defibrillations but the evidence for optimal timing for these strategies is sparse. The primary aim of this observational study was to assess survival in relation to total numbers of defibrillations in OHCA. ⋯ In this registry-based retrospective cohort study, additional defibrillations were associated with a lower survival. This association persisted after adjustments for patient and resuscitation characteristics.
-
To date, family satisfaction with emergency medical technicians (EMTs) has only been reported through narrative statements in subjective evaluations. Although a quantitative assessment of healthcare professional satisfaction is desirable, no specific measures have been devised to assess family satisfaction with the healthcare and care provided by EMTs. ⋯ The family satisfaction scale developed in this study was constructed and validated to highlight the role of EMTs and needs of the families in the prehospital care settings. Moreover, this scale can be applied in the evaluation and consideration of interventions to improve family satisfaction with EMTs.