A Survey on the Current Situation of Prehospital First Aid about Knowledge, Belief and Behavior among University Students in Jingzhou

Objective: To understand the current situation of prehospital first aid knowledge, attitude and behavior of university students in Jingzhou City. Methods: A prehospital first aid knowledge questionnaire and the convenience sampling method were used to survey 307 university students in Jingzhou City. Results: The mean score of prehospital first aid knowledge of university students in Jingzhou City was 12.85 ± 2.643, the mean score of attitude was 50.73 ± 4.114, and the mean score of behavior was 39.05 ± 8.898;There was a statistically significant difference in the scores of prehospital first aid knowledge, attitude, and behavior of university students depending on whether or not they had received prehospital first aid training (P P Conclusion: Jingzhou University students have a positive attitude toward pre-hospital first aid, but the knowledge level and behavior are low, which suggests that the government, society and the school should create good conditions to promote the improvement of pre-hospital first aid knowledge and ability.

Factors influencing prehospital delay for patients with acute myocardial infarction

Objective To investigate the influencing factors for prehospital delay in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods A total of 807 consecutive patients with AMI who presented to the emergency department of Beijing Anzhen Hospital were analyzed. The influence of several potential risk factors on the prehospital delay time (PDT) was evaluated by comparing patients admitted more than 2 hours after onset of chese pain with those admitted within 2 hours after onset. Results Among 807 patients, 402 came to the hospital within 2 hours while the others arrived at the hospital after 2 hours. The median PDT was 130 min. Among the potential variables, advanced age, history of diabetes mellitus, occurrence of symptom at night and use of emergency medical service significantly affected PDT by multivariate analysis. Conclusion Interventions aimed at reducing the prehospital delay in AMI should primarily focus on the awareness of the risk and help-seeking behavior of patients.

German critical incident reporting system database of prehospital emergency medicine: Analysis of reported communication and medication errors between 2005–2015

BACKGROUND: Communication failure in prehospital emergency medicine can affect patient safety as it does in other areas of medicine as well. We analyzed the database of the critical incident reporting system for prehospital emergency medicine in Germany retrospectively regarding communication errors.METHODS: Experts of prehospital emergency medicine and risk management screened the database for verbal communication failure, non-verbal communication failure and missing communication at all.RESULTS: Between 2005 and 2015, 845 reports were analyzed, of which 247 reports were considered to be related to communication failure. An arbitrary classifi cation resulted in six different kinds: 1) no acknowledgement of a suggestion; 2) medication error; 3) miscommunication with dispatcher; 4) utterance heard/understood improperly; 5) missing information transfer between two persons; and 6) other communication failure.CONCLUSION: Communication defi cits can lead to critical incidents in prehospital emergency medicine and are a very important aspect in patient safety.

Prehospital difficult airway management:old things still work

To the Editor:Airway management is a crucial skill for emergency physician,who's often called to deal with difficult airways and requests for quick,simple and effective responses,as the many factors responsible for difficulties might be enhanced by emergency setting.[1]We now have many rescue devices as the LMA,I-gel,but they do

Effect of improving prehospital hypotension and hypoxemia on the prognosis of patients with traumatic brain injury

Objective:to investigate the effect of improving prehospital hypotension and hypoxemia on the prognosis of different subgroups of patients with traumatic brain injury(TBI).Methods:medical staff were trained about the prehospital first aid for 2 months to fully master the methods of improving prehospital hypotension and hypoxemia,then the prognosis of TBI patients pre-and post-training for 12 months was collected and recorded.The prognostic differences of different TBI subgroups were discussed through data analysis.Results:after the training,the proportion of prehospital hypotension and hypoxemia in TBI patients decreased by 77%(8.5%vs.1.9%)and 63%(9.9%vs.3.6%,P<0.05),respectively.However,only the prognosis of moderate and severe TBI patients was improved,the proportion of patients with"good prognosis^increased by 14%(61.4%vs.70.5%,respectively)and 62%(35.6%vs.58%),and no significant effect showed in mild and critical TBI patients.Conclusion:reducing the incidence of prehospital hypoxemia and hypotension can improve the prognosis of moderate and severe TBI patients,while no significant effect on mild and critical TBI patients.

Prehospital Identification of Stroke Subtypes in Chinese Rural Areas

Background： Differentiating intracerebral hemorrhage （ICH） from cerebral infarction as early as possible is vital tbr the timely initiation of different treatments. This study developed an applicable model for the ambulance system to differentiate stroke subtypes. Methods： From 26,163 patients initially screened over 4 years, this study comprised 1989 consecutive patients with potential first-ever acute stroke with sudden onset of the focal neurological deficit, conscious or not, and given ambulance transport for admission to two county hospitals in Yutian County of Hebei Province. All the patients underwent cranial computed tomography （CT） or magnetic resonance imaging to confirm the final diagnosis based on stroke criteria. Correlation with stroke subtype clinical features was calculated and Bayes＇ discriminant model was applied to discriminate stroke subtypes. Results： Among the 1989 patients, 797,689, 109, and 394 received diagnoses of cerebral infarction, ICH, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and other forms of nonstroke, respectively. A history of atrial fibrillation, vomiting, and diabetes mellitus were associated with cerebral infarction, while vomiting, systolic blood pressure _〉180 mmHg, and age 〈65 years were more typical of ICH. For noncomatose stroke patients, Bayes＇ discriminant model for stroke subtype yielded a combination of multiple items that provided 72.3% agreement in the test model and 79.3% in the validation model; for comatose patients, corresponding agreement rates were 75.4% and 73.5%. Conclusions： The model herein presented, with multiple parameters, can predict stroke subtypes with acceptable sensitivity and specificity before CT scanning, either in alert or comatose patients. This may facilitate prehospital management for patients with stroke.

Pre-hospital assessment with ultrasound in emergencies: implementation in the field

BACKGROUND: Point-of-care ultrasound(US) is a proven diagnostic imaging tool in the emergency department(ED). Modern US devices are now more compact, affordable and portable, which has led to increased usage in austere environments. However, studies supporting the use of US in the prehospital setting are limited. The primary outcome of this pilot study was to determine if paramedics could perform cardiac ultrasound in the fi eld and obtain images that were adequate for interpretation. A secondary outcome was whether paramedics could correctly identify cardiac activity or the lack thereof in cardiac arrest patients.METHODS: We performed a prospective educational study using a convenience sample of professional paramedics without ultrasound experience. Eligible paramedics participated in a 3-hour session on point-of-care US. The paramedics then used US during emergency calls and saved the scans for possible cardiac complaints including: chest pain, dyspnea, loss of consciousness, trauma, or cardiac arrest.RESULTS: Four paramedics from two distinct fire stations enrolled a total of 19 unique patients, of whom 17 were deemed adequate for clinical decision making(89%, 95%CI 67%–99%). Paramedics accurately recorded 17 cases of cardiac activity(100%, 95%CI 84%–100%) and 2 cases of cardiac standstill(100%, 95%CI 22%–100%).CONCLUSION: Our pilot study suggests that with minimal training, paramedics can use US to obtain cardiac images that are adequate for interpretation and diagnose cardiac standstill. Further large-scale clinical trials are needed to determine if prehospital US can be used to guide care for patients with cardiac complaints.

Epinephrine in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest:A critical review

BACKGROUND:Epinephrine is recommended in advanced cardiac life support guidelines for use in adult cardiac arrest,and has been used in cardiopulmonary resuscitation since 1896.Yet,despite its long time use and incorporation into guidelines,epinephrine suffers from a paucity of evidence regarding its influence on survival.This critical review was conducted to address the knowledge deficit regarding epinephrine in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and its effect on return of spontaneous circulation,survival to hospital discharge,and neurological performance.METHODS:The EMBASE and MEDLINE(through the Pubmed interface) databases,and the Cochrane library were searched with the key words "epinephrine", "cardiac arrest" and variations of these terms.Original research studies concerning epinephrine use in adult,out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were selected for further review.RESULTS:The search yielded nine eiigible studies based on inclusion criteria.This includes five prospective cohort studies,one retrospective cohort study,one survival analysis,one case control study,and one RCT The evidence clearly establishes an association between epinephrine and increased return of spontaneous circulation,the data were conflicting concerning survival to hospital discharge and neurological outcome.CONCLUSIONS:The results of this review exhibit the paucity of evidence regarding the use of epinephrine in out of hospital cardiac arrest.There is currently insufficient evidence to support or reject its administration during resuscitation.Larger sample,placebo controlled,double blind,randomized control trials need to be performed to definitively establish the effect of epinephrine on both survival to hospital discharge and the neurological outcomes of treated patients.

Feasibility of using ultrasound in ambulances in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND In developed countries,the economic feasibility of using ultrasound in ambulances before arriving at the hospital has been achieved through comprehensive studies,and this of course does not apply to Arab countries,as there are no current studies to support this.Therefore,this study is a preliminary measure of the economic feasibility of using ultrasound in ambulances in Saudi Arabia.AIM To measure the demand for ultrasound equipment in ambulances in Saudi Arabia.METHODS A cross-sectional study of five different groups of participants including radiation technologists,emergency physicians,paramedics,Red Crescent managers and the public.Email and social media were used to deliver a questionnaire to these groups.The questionnaire included specific questions to measure the purpose of ultrasound use in each group of participants.RESULTS Each group had some knowledge on ultrasound and its benefits.More than 50%in each study group supported the availability of ultrasound in ambulances.Additionally,60%of emergency physicians reported that they had difficulties in venous access,checking the presence of internal bleeding,recognizing pregnancy in trauma cases,and inserting endotracheal tubes,and the majority of them confirmed the effective role of ultrasound in achieving such tasks.Almost all paramedics(93.33%),physicians(98.89%),and Saudi Red Crescent managers(96.3%)emphasized the importance of communication between ambulance staff and emergency departments.Moreover,most physicians(77.78%),and technologists(82.73%)supported the presence of paramedics in ambulances to operate ultrasound in order to improve patient outcomes.CONCLUSION Most of the study groups evaluated had knowledge on ultrasound and supported the presence of ultrasound devices in ambulances.

Helicopter EMS beyond Trauma: Utilization of Air Transport for Non-Trauma Conditions

Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) use in civilian medical transport has its roots in the use of rotor-wing trauma transport in the military setting. Much of the literature and evidence based?on the use of HEMS is therefore related to scene and interfacility transport of injured patients. Regionalization of care and increased understanding of time-criticality of various non-trauma conditions has contributed to growing utilization of HEMS for non-trauma conditions over recent decades. It is common for HEMS to be utilized for a variety of non-trauma situations ranging from neonatal and obstetrics transports to cardiac and stroke transports. The purpose of this review is to overview the use of HEMS for non-trauma, focusing on situations in which there is evidence addressing possible HEMS utility.

The Value of Positive Pressure Ventilations for Clients in Acute Respiratory Distress as a Result of Cardiac and Pulmonary Issues

Objective: Research was conducted to examine benefits to using non-invasive ventilation (NIV) or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) early in the treatment of respiratory distress caused by pulmonary edema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Limitations to successful NIV and CPAP therapy were evaluated to determine how prolonged initiation of treatment may lead to hypoxemia (decreased oxygen in the blood) and hypercapnia (increased carbon dioxide in the blood) resulting in poor outcomes. Method: Reviews of literature from nursing and allied health data bases (CINAHL and ProQuest) with terms pulmonary edema, positive pressure device and non-invasive ventilation from 2010 to 2014 were used. Studies were conducted in the hospital and prehospital settings. Results: The literature search located 7 articles from CINAHL and 25 articles from ProQuest. A total of 6 of these articles were analyzed. Additional sources of data were obtained from Ignatavicius and Workman (2013) Medical-Surgical Nursing Patient-Centered Collaborative Care 7th edition and American Journal of Nursing (02/2013) Volume 113: 2. Conclusion: All of the articles concluded that early initiation of continuous positive airway pressure ventilations in the short-term was beneficial;however, late initiation of therapy required additional interventions. The studies indicated that early use of positive airway pressure in acute respiratory distress improved breath rate, heart rate and blood pressure. The use of positive airway pressure for respiratory distress may decrease the need for endotracheal intubation.

First Aid Kit Uses among Commuter Bus Attendants in Nyamagana District, Mwanza City

Introduction: Provision of prehospital care in the event of a crash is vital to prevent loss of life and other severe outcomes. However, this involves adequate first aid knowledge and skills among vehicle attendants, and most importantly, the availability of the first aid kit items and knowing their uses. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge, availability, and use of first aid kits among commuter bus attendants. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Nyamagana district, Mwanza, Tanzania in May 2018. A total of 240 were recruited randomly and interviewed using pretested questionnaires. Data was first entered in Microsoft Excel for data cleaning and consistent checks and thereafter exported to the software STATA for analysis. Results: Findings from the study showed that 22.9% of respondents had knowledge concerning first aid practice. Only 17.9% of the participants claimed to have ever had first aid training. All commuters had incompletely equipped first aid kits. Around 30.8% of the respondents reported having practiced giving first aid. Conclusion: The majority of commuter bus attendants were found to have insufficient knowledge of first aid and first aid kits, according to the current study. No vehicle had a complete kit despite the fact that the majority of the participants believed that having a first aid kit in the vehicle was essential. The majority of participants expressed a desire to assist and learn, indicating that efforts to train commuter attendants should be undertaken and potentially save lives.

Evaluation of Google Glass^(■) with Camera Adaptor and GoPro^(■) as Teaching Tools for Endotracheal Intubation in the Austere Medical Environment

Objective: Endotracheal intubation (ETI) is a life-saving emergency procedure, but it is a complex skill that is difficult to teach. Recent studies have shown that video laryngoscopy is effective in teaching ETI to learners at various levels of medical expertise;however, it has proven to be costly and provides images of inconsistent quality. In this educational proof of concept feasibility convenience sample pilot study, we aim to explore and compare the effectiveness of using modified Google Glass? (GG) and GoPro? (GP) technologies to visualize and teach ETI to critical care physicians in the austere medical environment of a low-income country. We propose, based on our findings, that this inexpensive technology could teach lifesaving ETI to pre-hospital providers in the austere medical environment, medical students, rural emergency physicians, critical care physicians in low-income countries, far forward military medical providers, and other learners. Methods: A case series of twenty-five patients, five in the United States (US) at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, IN and twenty at Saint Luc’s Hospital in Port Au Prince, Haiti, is presented. These patients were collected from November 1st 2015 through February 1st of 2016. The anesthesiologist and the emergency physicians in the United States utilized GG to intubate five patients in the US prior to the twenty patients intubated during two separate trips to Haiti. On the two separate trips to Haiti, the GG was trialed and modified to obtain better exposure. These adaptations resulted in the final collection of twenty patients studied with the adapted GG system and GP. Physicians graded airway visualization based on LEMON and Cormack-Lehane scores. Previously published parameters for the assessment of failed intubation risk and passage of the cords were used as data points for analysis using a Likert-Scale analysis for each parameter. The data were analyzed by averages of Likert-Scale scoring with their respective standard deviations. Results: The results show that the GP is superior to GG for assessing the LEMON scoring system until visualization of the oropharynx, while the GG is markedly superior for calculation of Cormack-Lehane score (cord visualization) and passing of the endotracheal tube. Conclusion: A review of the twenty-five cases demonstrates that while GP allows for better visualization for the parameters that require a wider view of the patient, the modified GG allows for superior visualization in the parameters that require a more focused view of the cords. GG can serve as an effective educational tool in the ICU for physicians and other providers in the austere medical environment who require effective ETI training. In addition, we propose that these techniques can serve as an inexpensive yet effective means of teaching hands on endotracheal intubation skills to learners of varying levels of clinical experience.

Anticoagulant use before COVID-19 diagnosis prevent COVID-19 associated acute venous thromboembolism or not:A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Coagulopathy and thromboembolic events are associated with poor outcomes in coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)patients.There is conflicting evidence on the effects of chronic anticoagulation on mortality and severity of COVID-19 disease.AIM To summarize the body of evidence on the effects of pre-hospital anticoagulation on outcomes in COVID-19 patients.METHODS A Literature search was performed on LitCovid PubMed,WHO,and Scopus databases from inception(December 2019)till June 2023 for original studies reporting an association between prior use of anticoagulants and patient outcomes in adults with COVID-19.The primary outcome was the risk of thromboembolic events in COVID-19 patients taking anticoagulants.Secondary outcomes included COVID-19 disease severity,in terms of intensive care unit admission or invasive mechanical ventilation/intubation requirement in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection,and mortality.The random effects models were used to calculate crude and adjusted odds ratios(aORs)with 95%confidence intervals(95%CIs).RESULTS Forty-six observational studies met our inclusion criteria.The unadjusted analysis found no association between prior anticoagulation and thromboembolic event risk[n=43851,9 studies,odds ratio(OR)=0.67(0.22,2.07);P=0.49;I2=95%].The association between prior anticoagulation and disease severity was non-significant[n=186782;22 studies,OR=1.08(0.78,1.49);P=0.64;I2=89%].However,pre-hospital anticoagulation significantly increased all-cause mortality risk[n=207292;35 studies,OR=1.72(1.37,2.17);P<0.00001;I2=93%].Pooling adjusted estimates revealed a statistically non-significant association between pre-hospital anticoagulation and thromboembolic event risk[aOR=0.87(0.42,1.80);P=0.71],mortality[aOR=0.94(0.84,1.05);P=0.31],and disease severity[aOR=0.96(0.72,1.26);P=0.76].CONCLUSION Prehospital anticoagulation was not significantly associated with reduced risk of thromboembolic events,improved survival,and lower disease severity in COVID-19 patients.

Impact of patients＇ symptom interpretation on care-seeking behaviors of patients with acute myocardial infarction

Background Delay in seeking medical care in patients with acute myocardial infarction （AMI） is receiving increasing attention. This study aimed to examine the association between expected symptoms and experienced symptoms of AMI and its effects on care-seeking behaviors of patients with AMI. Methods Between November 1, 2005 and December 31, 2006, a cross-sectional and multicenter survey was conducted in 19 hospitals in Beijing and included 799 patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction （STEMI） admitted within 24 hours after onset of symptoms. Data were collected by structured interviews and medical record review. Results The median （25%, 75%） prehospital delay was 140 （75, 300） minutes. Only 264 （33.0%） arrived at the hospital by ambulance. The most common symptoms expected by patients with STEMI were central or left chest pain （71.4%）, radiating arm or shoulder pain （68.7%）, shortness of breath or dyspnea （65.5%）, and loss of consciousness （52.1%）. The most common symptoms experienced were central or left chest pain （82.1%）, sweats （71.8%）, shortness of breath or dyspnea （43.7%）, nausea or vomiting （32.3%）, and radiating pain （29.4%）. A mismatch between symptoms experienced and those expected occurred in 41.8% of patients. Patients who interpreted their symptoms as noncardiac in origin were more likely to arrive at the hospital by self-transport （86.5% vs. 52.9%, P 〈0.001） and had longer prehospital delays （medians, 180 vs. 120 minutes, P 〈0.001） compared to those who interpreted their symptoms as cardiac in origin. Conclusions Symptom interpretation influenced the care-seeking behaviors of patients with STEMI in Beijing. A mismatch between expectation and actual symptoms was associated with longer prehospital delay and decreased use of emerqency medical service （EMS）.

Mass Casualty Incident Primary Triage Methods in China

Objective：To evaluate the technical characteristics and application of mass casualty incident （MCI） primary triage （PT） methods applied in China.Data Sources：Chinese literature was searched by Chinese Academic Journal Network Publishing Database （founded in June 2014）.The English literature was searched by PubMed （MEDLINE） （1950 to June 2014）.We also searched Official Websites of Chinese Central Government＇s （http：//www.gov.cn/）,National Health and Family Planning Commission of China （http：//www.nhfpc.gov.cn/）,and China Earthquake Information （http：//www.csi.ac.cn/）.Study Selection：We included studies associated with mass casualty events related to China,the PT applied in China,guidelines and standards,and application and development of the carding PT method in China.Results：From 3976 potentially relevant articles,22 met the inclusion criteria,20 Chinese,and 2 English.These articles included 13 case reports,3 retrospective analyses of MCI,two methods introductions,three national or sectoral criteria,and one simulated field testing and validation.There were a total of 19 kinds ofMCI PT methods that have been reported in China from 1950 to 2014.In addition,there were 15 kinds of PT methods reported in the literature from the instance of the application.Conclusions：The national and sectoral current triage criteria are developed mainly for earthquake relief.Classification is not clear.Vague criteria （especially between moderate and severe injuries） operability are not practical.There are no triage methods and research for children and special populations.There is no data and evidence supported triage method.We should revise our existing classification and criteria so it is clearer and easier to be grasped in order to build a real,practical,and efficient PT method.