Articles: emergency-medical-services.
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A mock disaster at Orange County's John Wayne Airport provided a basis for examining correct triage of patients and their arrival time for definitive care. The ability to triage critically injured patients in a timely fashion was found to be only slightly better than chance routing. ⋯ These problems are presently being addressed. In future disaster exercises, the present type of evaluation could be used to judge improvement in possible patient triage and survival.
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Growth and maturation in the delivery of prehospital emergency medical care has been dramatic in the past 15 years. The increased availability and use of emergency medical services (EMS) has led to more frequent interactions between providers of prehospital care and the medical practitioner. ⋯ Also presented are the basics of emergency scene and victim stabilization. Physicians can help improve prehospital care by becoming familiar with local EMS capabilities and personnel.
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Many vital indices and scores have been proposed and used, particularly in relation to trauma. Most were primarily designed for and, within limits, are successful in hospital application. Attempts to use all or part of these in the prehospital context are misguided. ⋯ The value of the MVI lies in its adaptability to emergency medical care systems at all stages of development. The necessity for the MVI is outlined, as is the detailed working of the system. The hope is expressed that through adaptation of the MVI in different areas a consolidated prehospital scoring system may be achieved.