Articles: emergency-services.
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In response to the escalating overdose crisis there is an urgent need for innovative strategies to reduce overdose death. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is uniquely poised to reduce mortality and other harms associated with opioid use through prevention, harm reduction, and treatment, yet there is a paucity of nationally recognized best practices or quality measures to guide prehospital quality improvement (QI) efforts related to opioid use disorder (OUD). ⋯ Grounded in evidence-based practices and informed by collaborative expertise, this framework represents a pivotal step toward enhancing the effectiveness and responsiveness of EMS in combating the multifaceted challenges posed by OUD.
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Emergency Medical Services (EMS) patient care reports (PCRs) are an important component for the transfer of patient care from EMS systems to hospitals and a foundational element of EMS quality improvement (QI). The PCR may serve as the only objective source of information for EMS patient presentation. Surprisingly little data, either objective or anecdotal, exists regarding the reliability of this process. Our objective is to describe the frequency of missing PCRs and the time of their receipt following EMS transport to hospital emergency departments (EDs). ⋯ Many PCRs are missing after EMS transport, with marked variation in submission rates and time to upload by agency and hospital. Many PCRs were infrequently available for use in a timely manner. Further assessment is needed to quantify the degree to which the lack of transfer of documentation of EMS patient care exists across emergency care systems.
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Pediatric emergency care · Dec 2024
Firearm Injury Risk Prediction Among Children Transported by 9-1-1 Emergency Medical Services: A Machine Learning Analysis.
Among children transported by ambulance across the United States, we used machine learning models to develop a risk prediction tool for firearm injury using basic demographic information and home ZIP code matched to publicly available data sources. ⋯ Among pediatric patients transported by ambulance, basic demographic information and neighborhood measures can identify children and adolescents at elevated risk of firearm injuries, which may guide focused injury prevention resources and interventions.
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To evaluate the quantity and quality of medical care provided by the Western NSW Local Health District Virtual Rural Generalist Service (VRGS). ⋯ In the current environment of rural medical workforce shortages, the VRGS achieved similar outcomes on routinely collected measures of quality of care. It is demonstrably an option for complementing and enhancing the delivery of medical care in rural and remote communities with limited or no local medical services.
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Observational Study
The Impact of Point-of-Care Ultrasound on the Diagnosis and Management of Small Bowel Obstruction in the Emergency Department: A Retrospective Observational Single-Center Study.
Background and Objectives: Small bowel obstruction (SBO) requires prompt diagnosis and management. Due to its advantages, POCUS can be beneficial when assessing SBO. However, it is still doubtful whether POCUS performed by an emergency doctor can prolong the time of patients with SBO in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ Five non-POCUS patients died during hospitalization; none died in the POCUS group, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.063). Conclusions: POCUS significantly reduced time to diagnosis and ED LOS. Further exploration is needed to assess long-term outcomes and the cost-effectiveness of integrating POCUS into ED practice.