Articles: emergency-medical-services.
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Apr 1992
An analysis of invasive airway management in a suburban emergency medical services system.
Airway management is the most critical and potentially life-saving intervention performed by emergency medical service (EMS) providers. Invasive airway management often is required in non-cardiac-arrest patients who are combative or otherwise uncooperative. The success of prehospital invasive airway management in this patient population was evaluated. ⋯ Prehospital providers can intubate a high but improvable proportion of non-cardiac-arrested patients by both the orotracheal and nasotracheal routes. The use of pharmacologic adjuncts to facilitate the prehospital intubation of selected, non-cardiac-arrested patients is a promising adjunct that needs further evaluation.
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Comprehensive therapy · Apr 1992
ReviewPriorities and diagnostic studies in the management of the injured patient.
The traumatized patient is best served by an orderly and sequential resuscitation and evaluation. Primary priorities include the establishment of a secure airway, adequate ventilation and hemodynamic status. These considerations should be followed by a brief history, systemic physical examination and radiographic studies. ⋯ In penetrating trauma, traversing missiles mandate surgical exploration. Stab wounds may be managed by several alternative methods. Emergency thoracotomy has a limited role in the blunt trauma patient but may be life saving in those suffering penetrating trauma.
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The purpose of this study was to determine the number of eligible prehospital thrombolytic candidates and to estimate the potential time saved if field thrombolysis had been initiated in a series of prehospital chest pain patients. ⋯ Prehospital 12-lead ECGs provide an ECG diagnosis 40 to 50 minutes earlier than ED ECGs. However, with current exclusion criteria, the number of prehospital r-TPA candidates is limited.