INTRODUCTION Although many protocols are available in the field of the prehospital medical care (PMC), there is still a notable gap between protocol based directions and applied clinical practice. This study measures the rate of protocol adherence in PMC provided for patients with chest pain and loss of consciousness (LOC). METHOD In this cross-sectional study, 10 educated research assistants...

BACKGROUND The use of prehospital chest tube thoracostomy (TT) remains controversial because of presumed increased complication risks. This study analyzed infectious complication rates for physician-performed prehospital and emergency department (ED) TT. METHODS Over a 40-month period, all consecutive trauma patients with TT performed by the flight physician at the accident scene were compare...

BACKGROUND The global burden of stroke is immense, both in medical and economic terms. With the aging population and the ongoing industrialization of the third world, stroke prevalence is expected to increase and will have a major effect on national health expenditures. Currently, the medical treatment for acute ischemic stroke is limited to intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator ...

BACKGROUND In most countries, road traffic collisions (RTCs) are the main cause of cervical spine injuries. There are several techniques in use for spinal immobilisation during prehospital extrication; however, the evidence for these is currently poor. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to establish which technique provides the minimal deviation of the cervical spine from the neutral in...

PREHOSPITAL EMERGENCY CARE 2007;11:313–317

Point-of Care analysis is increasingly being applied in the prehospital scene. Arterial blood gas analysis is one of many new initiatives adding to the diagnostic tools of the prehospital physician. In this paper we present a study on the feasibility of the Radiometer ABL-90 in a ground-based Mobile Emergency Care Unit and report on some clinical situations in which the apparatus has proven ben...

Disease or illness can strike at any time. If the condition is acute, or if the injury is life-threatening or limbthreatening, immediate care is needed. These timedependent conditions that affect both adults and children may be due to medical, surgical, or obstetric conditions. They may result from acute injuries or illnesses or from exacerbations of chronic disease. In lowand middle-income cou...

To evaluate battlefield survival in a novel command-directed casualty response system that comprehensively integrates Tactical Combat Casualty Care guidelines and a prehospital trauma registry. Analysis of battle injury data collected during combat deployments. Afghanistan and Iraq from October 1, 2001, through March 31, 2010. Casualties from the 75th Ranger Regiment, US Army Special Operations...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate battlefield survival in a novel command-directed casualty response system that comprehensively integrates Tactical Combat Casualty Care guidelines and a prehospital trauma registry. DESIGN Analysis of battle injury data collected during combat deployments. SETTING Afghanistan and Iraq from October 1, 2001, through March 31, 2010. PATIENTS Casualties from the 75th Ran...