Articles: emergency-medical-services.
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A 9-month prospective study was conducted in Salt Lake County to evaluate the efficacy of a field trauma triage system using the CRAMS score. Before the triage system was implemented trauma victims were taken to the nearest appropriate hospital. Post-implementation, trauma victims with field CRAMS scores of 1 through 6 were triaged to the Level I Trauma Center. ⋯ The study patients with CRAMS scores of 4 or less had lower mortality when cared for at the Level I Trauma Center (p = 0.013). We conclude that trauma patients who are severely injured (CRAMS less than or equal to 4) have a significantly higher rate of survival if taken to the Level I Trauma Center. The use of the CRAMS triage system appears to be an effective approach toward improving trauma care in Salt Lake County.
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Comparative Study
Use of the automatic external defibrillator in the management of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
The automatic external defibrillator is a simple device that can be used by nonprofessional rescuers to treat cardiac arrest. In 1287 consecutive patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, we assessed the results of initial treatment with this device by firefighters who arrived first at the scene, as compared with the results of standard defibrillation administered by paramedics who arrived slightly after the firefighters. ⋯ In a multivariate analysis of characteristics that influenced survival after ventricular fibrillation, a better survival rate was related to a witnessed collapse (odds ratio, 3.9; 95 percent confidence interval, 2.0 to 7.6), younger age (odds ratio, 1.2; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.0 to 1.4), the presence of "coarse" (higher-amplitude) fibrillation (odds ratio, 4.2; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.6 to 11.0), a shorter response time for paramedics (odds ratio, 1.4; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.0 to 2.1), and initial treatment by firefighters using an automatic external defibrillator (odds ratio, 1.8; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.1 to 2.9). These findings support the widespread use of the automatic external defibrillator as an important part of the treatment of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, although the overall impact of the use of this device on community survival rates is still uncertain.