Articles: emergency-medical-services.
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Emergency medical care at public gatherings is haphazard at best and dangerous at worst. The Arizona chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, through the Chapter Grant Program, studied the level of medical care provided at public gatherings in order to develop guidelines for emergency medical care at mass gatherings. The study consisted of a survey of medical care at 15 facilities providing events for the public. ⋯ Based on this survey and a literature review, guidelines for medical care at mass gatherings in Arizona were determined using an objective-oriented approach. It is our position that event organizers have the responsibility of ensuring the availability of emergency medical services for spectators and participants. We recommend that state chapters or National ACEP evaluate the role of emergency medical care at mass gatherings.
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Comparative Study
Accuracy and relationship of mechanisms of injury, trauma score, and injury severity score in identifying major trauma.
The accuracy of mechanism of injury criteria and trauma scores as triage criteria for identifying major trauma patients has been determined from the experience at one trauma center treating 2,500 patients over a 2 year period. Death of the other occupant of the same vehicle as the patient and patient extrication taking longer than 20 minutes were determined to be sufficiently accurate triage criteria. Trauma scores of 14 or less were more accurate than trauma scores of 12 or less.
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The 1982 US Festival, a three-day outdoor rock music festival, attracted close to 410,000 people. Through a private contractor, a group of physicians participated in the design, administration, and implementation of medical care for this event. Basic ambulatory care was provided by a multitiered approach, using emergency medical technicians, registered nurses, medical health counselors, and physicians. ⋯ Thirty-eight percent (1,014 cases) involved minor surgical trauma. Extreme environmental conditions, including temperatures exceeding 114 F, high winds, and unusually high dust concentrations, were thought to be responsible for 361 (13.6%) cases of reactive airway disease and 184 (7%) cases of heat exhaustion. There were 91 transports, of which 12 were classified as major casualties; there were no deaths.