Deaths Among Ambulance Patients Released from the Emergency Department Within the First 24 Hours With Nonspecific Diagnoses - Expected or Not?

BACKGROUND: Emergency patients are frequently assigned nonspecific diagnoses. Nonspecific diagnoses describe observations or symptoms and are found in chapters R and Z of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition (ICD-10). Patients with such diagnoses have relatively low mortality, but due to patient volume, the absolute number of deaths is substantial. However, information on cause of short-term mortality is limited. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether death could be expected for ambulance patients brought to the emergency department (ED) after a 1-1-2 call, released with a nonspecific ICD-10 diagnosis within 24 h, and who subsequently died within 30 days. METHODS: Retrospective medical record review of adult 1-1-2 emergency ambulance patients brought to an ED in the North Denmark Region during 2017-2021. Patients were divided into three categories: unexpected death, expected death (terminal illness), and miscellaneous. Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was assessed. RESULTS: We included 492 patients. Mortality was distributed as follows: Unexpected death 59.2% (n = 291), expected death (terminal illness) 25.8% (n = 127), and miscellaneous 15.0% (n = 74). Patients who died unexpectedly were old (median age of 82 years) and had CCI 1-2 (58.1%); 43.0% used at least five daily prescription drugs, and they were severely acutely ill upon arrival (24.7% with red triage, 60.1% died within 24 h). CONCLUSIONS: More than half of ambulance patients released within 24 h from the ED with nonspecific diagnoses, and who subsequently died within 30 days, died unexpectedly. One-fourth died from a pre-existing terminal illness. Patients dying unexpectedly were old, treated with polypharmacy, and often life-threateningly sick at arrival.

Work-, lifestyle-, and health-related factors among women and men working in the emergency medical services.

Objectives. This study aimed to describe work-, lifestyle-, and health-related factors among ambulance personnel, and to analyse differences between women and men. Methods. The cross-sectional study (N = 106) included self-reported and objective measures of work, lifestyle, and health in 10 Swedish ambulance stations. The data collection comprised clinical health examination, blood samples, tests of physical capacity, and questionnaires. Results. A high proportion of the ambulance personnel reported heavy lifting, risk of accidents, threats and violence at work. A low level of smoking and alcohol use, and a high level of leisure-time physical activity were reported. The ambulance personnel had, on average, good self-rated health, high work ability and high physical capacity. However, the results also showed high proportions with risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), e.g., high blood pressure, and high levels of blood lipids. More women than men reported high work demands. Furthermore, women performed better in tests of physical capacity and had a lower level of CVD risk factors. Conclusions. Exposure to work-related factors that might affect health was common among ambulance personnel. Lifestyle- and health-related factors were somewhat contradictory, with a low proportion reporting lifestyle-related risk factors, but a high proportion having risk factors for CVD.

Development of a trigger tool to identify harmful incidents, no harm incidents, and near misses in prehospital emergency care.

BACKGROUND: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are a unique setting because care for the chief complaint is given across all ages in a complex and high-risk environment that may pose a threat to patient safety. Traditionally, a reporting system is commonly used to raise awareness of adverse events (AEs); however, it could fail to detect an AE. Several methods are needed to evaluate patient safety in EMS. In this light, this study was conducted to (1) develop a national ambulance trigger tool (ATT) with a guide containing descriptions of triggers, examples of use, and categorization of near misses (NMs), no harm incidents (NHIs), and harmful incidents (HIs) and (2) use the ATT on randomly selected ambulance records. METHODS: The ambulance trigger tool was developed in a stepwise manner through (1) a literature review; (2) three sessions of structured group discussions with an expert panel having knowledge of emergency medical service, patient safety, and development of trigger tools; (3) a retrospective record review of 900 randomly selected journals with three review teams from different geographical locations; and (4) inter-rater reliability testing between reviewers. RESULTS: From the literature review, 34 triggers were derived. After removing clinically irrelevant ones and combining others through three sessions of structured discussions, 19 remained. The most common triggers identified in the 900 randomly selected records were deviation from treatment guidelines (30.4%), the patient is non conveyed after EMS assessment (20.8%), and incomplete documentation (14.4%). The positive triggers were categorized as a near miss (40.9%), no harm (3.7%), and harmful incident (0.2%). Inter-rater reliability testing showed good agreement in both sessions. CONCLUSION: This study shows that a trigger tool together with a retrospective record review can be used as a method to measure the frequency of harmful incidents, no harm incidents, and near misses in the EMS, thus complementing the traditional reporting system to realize increased patient safety.

Relationship between cancer status and medical response by an emergency dispatch center: From a French SAMU database.

OBJECTIVE: In many countries, the first line response to an emergency call is decided by the emergency dispatch center EMS clinician. Our main objective was to compare the pre-hospital response to calls received from cancer and non-cancer patients. We also compared the reasons for calling, for each group. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of data collected between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2020, from emergency dispatch center records of the Isère county, France. Statistical tests were conducted after matching one cancer patient with two non-cancer patients, resulting in a cohort of 44,022 patients. We used multivariate logistic regression to determine the impact of patient cancer status on the medical decision taken in response to the emergency call. RESULTS: Overall, data on 849,110 patients were extracted, including 16,451 patients with a diagnosis of cancer and 29,348 non-cancer patients. In the matched cohort, cancer was associated with a higher odd of having a mobile intensive care unit (MICU) [odds ratio (OR)=2.02 (1.81-2.26), p<0.001] or an ambulance being dispatched to the patient's home or other location [OR=2.36 (2.24-2.48), p<0.001]. The two most frequent medical responses were to send an ambulance (58.6%) and giving advice only (36.8%). The five main reasons for the emergency call for the cancer group were cardiovascular disease symptoms (13.5%), respiratory problems (10.6%), digestive disorders (10.4%), infections (8.9%) and neurological disorders (6.0%). CONCLUSION: An MICU or an ambulance was more often dispatched for cancer patients than for others. Considering that cancer is a very frequent comorbidity in Western countries, knowledge of the patient's cancer status should be sought and taken into consideration when a patient seeks emergency help.

Modelling cost-effectiveness of replacement strategies for ambulance services in the Ministry of Health Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: Emergency Medical Service (EMS) is a very crucial aspect of the healthcare system in providing urgent management and transportation of patients during emergencies. The sustainability of the services is however greatly impacted by the quality and age of ambulances. While this has led to numerous replacement policy recommendations, the implementations are often limited due to a lack of evidence and financial constraints. This study thus aims to develop a cost-effectiveness model and testing the model by evaluating the cost-effectiveness of 10-year and 15-year compulsory ambulance replacement strategies in public healthcare for the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH). METHODS: A Markov model was developed to estimate the cost and outcomes ambulance replacement strategies over a period of 20 years. The model was tested using two alternative strategies of 10-year and 15-year. Model inputs were derived from published literature and local study. Model development and economic analysis were accomplished using Microsoft Excel 2016. The outcomes generated were costs per year, the number of missed trips and the number of lives saved, in addition to the Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER). One-Way Deterministic Sensitivity Analysis (DSA) and Probabilistic Sensitivity Analysis (PSA) were conducted to identify the key drivers and to assess the robustness of the model. RESULTS: Findings showed that the most expensive strategy, which is the implementation of 10 years replacement strategy was more cost-effective than 15 years ambulance replacement strategy, with an ICER of MYR 11,276.61 per life saved. While an additional MYR 13.0 million would be incurred by switching from a 15- to 10-year replacement strategy, this would result in 1,157 deaths averted or additional live saved per year. Sensitivity analysis showed that the utilization of ambulances and the mortality rate of cases unattended by ambulances were the key drivers for the cost-effectiveness of the replacement strategies. CONCLUSIONS: The cost-effectiveness model developed suggests that an ambulance replacement strategy of every 10 years should be considered by the MOH in planning sustainable EMS. While this model may have its own limitation and may require some modifications to suit the local context, it can be used as a guide for future economic evaluations of ambulance replacement strategies and further exploration of alternative solutions.

The effect of a minimum price per unit of alcohol in Scotland on alcohol-related ambulance call-outs: A controlled interrupted time-series analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: On 1 May 2018, Scotland introduced a minimum unit price (MUP) of £0.50 for alcohol, with one UK unit of alcohol being 10 ml of pure ethanol. This study measured the association between MUP and changes in the volume of alcohol-related ambulance call-outs in the overall population and in call-outs subsets (night-time call-outs and subpopulations with higher incidence of alcohol-related harm). DESIGN: An interrupted time-series (ITS) was used to measure variations in the daily volume of alcohol-related call-outs. We performed uncontrolled ITS on both the intervention and control group and a controlled ITS built on the difference between the two series. Data were from electronic patient clinical records from the Scottish Ambulance Service. SETTING AND CASES: Alcohol-related ambulance call-outs (intervention group) and total ambulance call-outs for people aged under 13 years (control group) in Scotland, from December 2017 to March 2020. MEASUREMENTS: Call-outs were deemed alcohol-related if ambulance clinicians indicated that alcohol was a 'contributing factor' in the call-out and/or a validated Scottish Ambulance Service algorithm determined that the call-out was alcohol-related. FINDINGS: No statistically significant association in the volume of call-outs was found in both the uncontrolled series [step change = 0.062, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.012, 0.0135 P = 0.091; slope change = -0.001, 95% CI = -0.001, 0.1 × 10-3 P = 0.139] and controlled series (step change = -0.01, 95% CI = -0.317, 0.298 P = 0.951; slope change = -0.003, 95% CI = -0.008, 0.002 P = 0.257). Similarly, no significant changes were found for the night-time series or for any population subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: There appears to be no statistically significant association between the introduction of minimum unit pricing for alcohol in Scotland and the volume of alcohol-related ambulance call-outs. This was observed overall, across subpopulations and at night-time.

Identifying high cholesterol in the ambulance setting: a mixed-methods cohort study to tackle health inequality.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with low socio-economic status (SES) have disproportionate rates of cardio- vascular disease (CVD) but poorer engagement with preventative health. This study aimed to compare characteristics of individuals with and without hyperlipidaemia and describe their health behaviours. METHODS: A mixed-methods study between January and December 2022. Patients aged ≥40 years using the ambulance service with blood pressure of ≥140/90 had their total cholesterol measured using a point of care device. Data including blood pressure, smoking status, National Early Warning Score 2 and clinical frailty scale (CFS) were analysed. RESULTS: Of 203 patients (59% female, mean age 65.7 years), 115 (56.7%) had total cholesterol ≥5.1 mmol/L. Thirty patients (14.8%) sought treatment and received either statins (n = 9; 4.4%), dietary modification (n = 7; 3.4%) or no further intervention (n = 14; 6.9%), whilst 85 patients (41.9%) took no further action. Lower CFS (OR 0.53 [0.31-0.93]) and higher total cholesterol (OR 2.07 [1.03-2.76]) predicted seeking further management. SES was not associated with hyperlipidaemia or likelihood of seeking further management, rather this was dictated by competing co-morbidity, poor health literacy and digital divide. CONCLUSIONS: Undiagnosed hyperlipidaemia exists in patients using the ambulance service, irrespective of SES. Individual and healthcare system factors prevent engagement in cholesterol lowering behaviours.

Team climate and job satisfaction in a mobile emergency service: a multilevel study / Clima en equipo y satisfacción laboral en un servicio de atención móvil de urgencia: estudio multinivel / Clima em equipe e satisfação no trabalho em um serviço de atendimento móvel de urgência: estudo multinível

Objective: to investigate the relationship between team climate and job satisfaction among professionals working in mobile pre-hospital care. Method: this is a quantitative, correlational study carried out in a mobile pre-hospital care service in the São Paulo Metropolitan Region. The participants were 95 professionals, allocated to 40 teams, who answered three questionnaires: sociodemographic/labor data, Team Climate Scale and S20/23 Job Satisfaction Scale. Descriptive statistics and multilevel linear models were used for the analysis, including moderation effects. The Backward method was used to ascertain the order of significance. Results: in the models, the relationships between satisfaction with hierarchical relationships and the factor "support for new ideas" moderated for men and "task orientation" for women were significant. For satisfaction with the physical environment, "working hours" and "participation in the team" were significant and, for intrinsic satisfaction, the regime, working hours and the factors "team objectives", "participation in the team" and "support for new ideas" remained significant, as did the moderation effect between length of service, "participation in the team" and "support for new ideas". Conclusion: team climate is influenced by job satisfaction in a heterogeneous way and the moderating effect of this relationship is associated with gender and length of service.

Objetivo: examinar la relación entre el clima en equipo y la satisfacción laboral de los profesionales que trabajan en servicios de atención prehospitalaria móvil. Método: estudio cuantitativo y correlacional realizado en un servicio de atención prehospitalaria móvil en la Región Metropolitana de São Paulo. Participaron 95 profesionales, distribuidos en 40 equipos, que respondieron a tres cuestionarios: datos sociodemográficos/laborales, Escalas de Clima en Equipo y de Satisfacción Laboral S20/23. Para el análisis, se utilizaron estadísticas descriptivas y modelos lineales multiniveles, incluyendo efectos de moderación. Se empleó el método Backward para determinar el orden de significancia. Resultados: en los modelos, fueron significativas las relaciones entre la satisfacción con las relaciones jerárquicas y el factor "apoyo para nuevas ideas" moderado por el género masculino y "orientación hacia las tareas" en mujeres. Para la satisfacción con el ambiente físico, fueron significativos "jornada laboral" y "participación en el equipo", y para la satisfacción intrínseca, se mantuvieron significativos el régimen, la jornada y los factores "objetivos del equipo", "participación en el equipo" y "apoyo para ideas nuevas", y el efecto de moderación entre el tiempo de actuación, "participación en el equipo" y "apoyo para ideas nuevas". Conclusión: el clima en equipo es influenciado por la satisfacción laboral de manera heterogénea y el efecto moderador de esta relación se asocia con el género y el tiempo de actuación en el servicio.

Objetivo: examinar a relação entre clima em equipe e satisfação no trabalho de profissionais atuantes em atendimento pré-hospitalar móvel. Método: estudo quantitativo, correlacional, realizado em um serviço de atendimento pré-hospitalar móvel da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo. Participaram 95 profissionais, alocados em 40 equipes, os quais responderam a três questionários: dados sociodemográficos/laborais, Escalas de Clima na Equipe e de Satisfação no Trabalho S20/23. Para a análise, foram usados a estatística descritiva e os modelos lineares multiníveis, incluindo efeitos de moderação. Empregou-se o método Backward para averiguar a ordem de significância. Resultados: nos modelos, foram significantes as relações entre satisfação com relações hierárquicas e fator "apoio para novas ideias" moderado ao gênero homem e "orientação para as tarefas" às mulheres. Para satisfação com ambiente físico, foram significantes "jornada de trabalho" e "participação na equipe" e, para satisfação intrínseca, permaneceram significantes o regime, a jornada e os fatores "objetivos da equipe", "participação na equipe" e "apoio para ideias novas", e efeito de moderação entre tempo de atuação, "participação na equipe" e "apoio para ideias novas". Conclusão: clima em equipe é influenciado pela satisfação no trabalho de modo heterogêneo e o efeito moderador dessa relação associa-se ao gênero e ao tempo de atuação no serviço.

The effect of transport mode on mortality following isolated penetrating torso Trauma.

BACKGROUND: Prehospital interventions may increase the time to definitive care. Compared to ground ambulance, we hypothesize improved mortality for patients with isolated, penetrating torso injuries transported via private vehicle. METHODS: We reviewed the National Trauma Data Bank (2017-2021) for adults with isolated, penetrating torso injuries stratified by mechanism (stabbing vs. firearm) and transport mode (private vehicle vs. ground ambulance). We performed a multivariable logistic regression to estimate the effect of transport mode on mortality. RESULTS: 48,444 patients met our inclusion criteria. Patients transported by ambulance, injured by stabbing (n = 26,633) and by firearm (n = 21,811) had adjusted odds ratios of 1.81 (95%CI 1.05-3.14, p = 0.03) and 1.66 (95%CI 1.32-2.09,p < 0.001) respectively for mortality compared to private vehicle transport. CONCLUSION: Patients with penetrating torso injuries have nearly twice the odds of mortality when transported by ground ambulance than private vehicles, despite injury severity. The "scoop and run" strategy may confer a survival benefit in this population.

Aotearoa New Zealand emergency ambulance services and the provision of end-of-life care: a short survey.

AIM: To characterise emergency ambulance service (EAS) clinical roles and experiences (including cultural competency and pastoral care) in the delivery of end-of-life (EOL) and palliative care in Aotearoa New Zealand. METHOD: A nine question online survey was distributed to St John and Wellington Free Ambulance clinicians. Four questions enabled voluntary free-text comments to be submitted for thematic analysis. A further opportunity for free-text comments was available at the end of the survey. RESULTS: There were 444 participants, which is 14% of the paid ambulance workforce. 63% reported that they frequently transported EOL care patients to hospital when they could be better managed at home. EAS clinicians depend heavily on informal collegial support for pastoral care as formal debriefs are rarely offered. There were 671 free-text comments. Dominant themes included the importance of seniority, the need for further education, the importance of documented care plans and the need for better integration with community services, including hospice. CONCLUSIONS: More can and should be done to ensure EAS clinicians are supported to deliver quality EOL care for patients alongside other community providers.

[Preclinical patient transport at the end of life]. / Präklinischer Patiententransport am Lebensende.

BACKGROUND: Although most people would like to die at home, many die in hospitals. The study shows physicians' and paramedics' experiences with prehospital care of patients at the end of life. METHOD: Using an anonymous online questionnaire, primary care physicians and ambulance personnel in the Frankfurt am Main metropolitan area were surveyed about their experiences with end of life care. RESULTS: A total of 63 primary care physicians (PCP) and 62 emergency medical service staff (EMS) answered the questionnaire (female 31.2%, male 68.8%). Of the respondents 65.8% reported that patients are often still transported to hospital at the end of life. Of the participants 17.9% felt confident in their assessment of a patient at the end of life, 33.3% of PCP and 8.5% of EMS felt confident about subsequent treatment and 91.9% of PCP and 96.2% of EMS reported that they always/often ask about an advance healthcare directive. Of the participants 98.3% felt that EMS rarely/never ask about advance care planning, 78.7% of all participants would rarely/never ask about it and 90.4% of EMS would like to have a legally secure emergency document to guide their actions. CONCLUSION: Transporting patients at the end of life is part of everyday prehospital practice. There are uncertainties in the assessment and care of these patients. In the future, rescue service and medical training should include specific palliative care strategies. Advance healthcare directive and advance care planning must be more widely recognized by the medical community, so that in emergency situations the desired corridors of action in the best interests of the patient are quickly made known.

Paramedic to trauma team verbal handover optimization - a complex interaction.

BACKGROUND: Handover to the trauma team is crucial to trauma care. The emergency medical services (EMS) report must be concise, contain key details, and be time-limited. Effective handover is difficult, often occurring between unfamiliar teams, in chaotic environments, and without standardization. We aimed to evaluate handover formats in comparison to ad-lib communication during trauma handover. METHODS: We conducted a single-blind randomized simulation trial evaluating 2 structured handover formats. Paramedics randomly assigned to ad-lib, ISOBAR (identify, situation, observations, background, agreed plan, and readback) or IMIST (identification, mechanism/medical complaint, injuries/ information about complaint, signs, treatments) handover formats underwent scenarios in an ambulance, then transfer to the trauma team. Assessment of handovers was completed by the trauma team and by experts using audiovisual recordings. RESULTS: Twenty-seven simulations were conducted, 9 for each handover format. Participant ratings of the usefulness of the IMIST and ISOBAR formats were 9/10 and 7.5/10, respectively (p = 0.097). Quality of the handover was deemed higher by team members when a statement of objective vital signs and a logical format was used. Handovers delivered with confidence, directed and summarized by a trauma team leader, before physical patient transfer, and without interruption were identified as having the highest quality. The type of format was not a significant contributor to handover; however, we identified a matrix of factors affecting the quality of trauma handover. CONCLUSION: Our study shows agreement by prehospital and hospital personnel that a standardized handover tool is preferred. A brief confirmation of physiologic stability, including vital signs, limiting distractions, and team summarization improves handover effectiveness.

'The palliative care ambulance': A qualitative study of patient and caregiver perspectives of an ambulance service.

BACKGROUND: The need for home-based palliative care is accelerating internationally. At the same time, health systems face increased complexity, funding constraints and global shortages in the healthcare workforce. As such, ambulance services are increasingly tasked with providing palliative care. Where paramedics with additional training in palliative care have been integrated into models of care, evaluations have been largely positive. Studies of patient and family carer experiences of paramedic involvement, however, are limited. AIM: To explore patient and family caregiver experiences of paramedics' contribution to palliative care at home. DESIGN: Qualitative interview study. We analysed data within a social constructionist epistemology using reflexive thematic analysis. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Participants receiving specialist palliative care in the community of a metropolitan city of Australia who requested an ambulance between January and August 2018, inclusive. RESULTS: Participants considered paramedics with expertise and experience in palliative care as an extension of the specialist community palliative care team and held them in high regard. Participants highlighted the importance of: critical palliative care at home and a timely, responsive approach; person-centred paramedics; as well as safety and security. CONCLUSION: Patients and carers feel safe and secure when they know that highly responsive skilled professional support is available when an unexpected problem or sudden change arises, especially out-of-hours, and that support is delivered in an empathic and person-centred manner.

Epidemiology, outcomes and predictors of mortality in patients transported by ambulance for dyspnoea: A population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: There are currently limited data to inform the management of patients transported by emergency medical services (EMS) with dyspnoea. We aimed to describe the incidence, aetiology and outcomes of patients transported by EMS for dyspnoea using a large population-based sample and to identify factors associated with 30-day mortality. METHODS: Consecutive EMS attendances for dyspnoea in Victoria, Australia from January 2015 to June 2019 were included. Data were individually linked to hospital and mortality records to determine incidence, diagnoses, and outcomes. Factors associated with 30-day mortality were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: During the study period, there were 2 505 324 cases attended by EMS, of whom 346 228 (14%) met inclusion criteria for dyspnoea. The incidence of EMS attendances for dyspnoea was 1566 per 100 000 person-years, and was higher in females, older patients and socially disadvantaged areas. Of the 271 204 successfully linked cases (median age 76 years; 51% women), 79% required hospital admission with a 30-day mortality of 9%. The most common final diagnoses (and 30-day mortality rates) were lower respiratory tract infection (13%, mortality 11%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (13%, mortality 6.4%), heart failure (9.1%, mortality 9.8%), arrhythmias (3.9%, mortality 4.4%), acute coronary syndromes (3.9%, mortality 9.5%) and asthma (3.2%, mortality 0.5%). Predictors of mortality included older age, male sex, pre-existing chronic kidney disease, heart failure or cancer, abnormal respiratory status or vital signs and pre-hospital intubation. CONCLUSION: Dyspnoea is a common presentation with a broad range of causes and is associated with high rates of hospitalisation and death.

High-risk Return Visits to United States Emergency Departments, 2010-2018.

INTRODUCTION: Although factors related to a return visit to the emergency department (ED) have been reported, only a few studies have examined "high-risk" ED revisits with serious adverse outcomes. In this study we aimed to describe the incidence and trend of high-risk ED revisits in United States EDs and to investigate factors associated with these revisits. METHODS: We obtained data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS), 2010-2018. Adult ED revisits within 72 hours of a previous discharge were identified using a mark on the patient record form. We defined high-risk revisits as revisits with serious adverse outcomes, including intensive care unit admissions, emergency surgery, cardiac catheterization, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) during the return visit. We performed analyses using descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression, accounting for NHAMCS's complex survey design. RESULTS: Over the nine-year study period, there were an estimated 37,700,000 revisits, and the proportion of revisits in the entire ED population decreased slightly from 5.1% in 2010 to 4.5% in 2018 (P for trend = 0.02). By contrast, there were an estimated 827,000 high-risk ED revisits, and the proportion of high-risk revisits in the entire ED population remained stable at approximately 0.1%. The mean age of these high-risk revisit patients was 57 years, and 43% were men. Approximately 6% of the patients were intubated, and 13% received CPR. Most of them were hospitalized, and 2% died in the ED. Multivariable analysis showed that older age (65+ years), Hispanic ethnicity, daytime visits, and arrival by ambulance during the revisit were independent predictors of high-risk revisits. CONCLUSION: High-risk revisits accounted for a relatively small fraction (0.1%) of ED visits. Over the period of the NHAMCS survey between 2010-2018, this fraction remained stable. We identified factors during the return visit that could be used to label high-risk revisits for timely intervention.

'Mum, I think we might ring the ambulance, okay?' A qualitative exploration of bereaved family members' experiences of emergency ambulance care at the end of life.

BACKGROUND: In the context of a sudden or unexpected event, people with a life-limiting illness and their family caregivers may be dependent on emergency ambulance services. AIM: To explore bereaved family members' experiences of emergency ambulance care at the end of life. DESIGN: A qualitative study using reflexive thematic analysis of data collected from semi-structured phone interviews. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: A purposive sample of 38 family caregivers identified from a database of deaths in Aotearoa, New Zealand. RESULTS: Emergency ambulance personnel assist, inform and reassure patients and family caregivers managing distressing symptoms, falls, infections, unexpected events and death itself. Family members and patients are aware of the pressure on emergency services and sometimes hesitate to call an ambulance. Associating ambulances with unwanted transport to hospital is also a source of reluctance. CONCLUSIONS: The generalist palliative care provided by emergency ambulance personnel is a vital service for patients in the last year of life, and their caregivers. This must be acknowledged in palliative care policy and supported with training, specialist consultation and adequate resources.

Nursing Method of Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury and Fracture in the Ambulance.

Craniocerebral injury accounts for 9%-21% of the injuries in all parts of the body, and the incidence rate ranks first in all types of trauma or only lower than limb fractures. This study mainly discusses the nursing methods of patients with severe traumatic brain injury and fractures in ambulances. This study is based on risk factors with moderate-to-higher association strength from retrospective studies. According to the regression coefficients of the logistic regression model, the risk factors were assigned, and the early warning score table of craniocerebral injury complicated with hyponatremia was established. The energy efficiency of the early warning score table was evaluated by case diagnostic test and ROC analysis. At the same time, risk grading is carried out, and the chi-square test is used to test the reliability of the grading standard, so as to identify the risk of hyponatremia in patients with craniocerebral injury early and screen out high-risk patients as the key observation objects of nurses. Based on the early warning score table of craniocerebral injury complicated with hyponatremia, different systematic nursing intervention measures were taken for low-risk patients and high-risk patients, and their application effects were evaluated. The clinical application effect of the systematic nursing intervention program was evaluated by the historical control research method, which provided a reference for the nursing in the ambulance to prevent other complications of patients with craniocerebral injury. The positive rate of prehospital operation can reach 64.44%, and the specific rate can reach 84.44%. 60% of the sample sought better metastatic care in terms of the purpose of using an ambulance. The systematic nursing intervention program has a certain effect on reducing the incidence of hyponatremia in patients with craniocerebral injury and shortening the hospitalization time of patients with craniocerebral injury. The early warning score of craniocerebral injury complicated with hyponatremia developed in this study is concise and practical and can provide a basis for clinical assessment of the risk of hyponatremia in patients with craniocerebral injury.

Patient needs in evacuation of a tertiary oncology center.

To inform ongoing contingency planning, hospital staff conducted a cross-sectional survey of patients' needs in the event of a full-facility evacuation of a tertiary oncology center. Both outpatients and inpatients were included. Of the total of 269 patients, 76.6 percent were able to evacuate by walking out of the hospital and be transported sitting. Only 30 patients needed evacuation by an ambulance. Assessment of the lowest acceptable level of care after evacuation revealed that 66.5 percent of the patients could be discharged to their own home, including 40.8 percent of all inpatients. Due to the need to continue specialized cancer treatment, fewer patients could be transferred to other hospitals than found in previous studies of general acute care hospitals.

Prehospital fluid therapy in patients with suspected infection: a survey of ambulance personnel's practice.

BACKGROUND: Fluid therapy in patients with suspected infection is controversial, and it is not known whether fluid treatment administered in the prehospital setting is beneficial. In the absence of evidence-based guidelines for prehospital fluid therapy for patients with suspected infection, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel are challenged on when and how to initiate such therapy. This study aimed to assess EMS personnel's decision-making in prehospital fluid therapy, including triggers for initiating fluid and fluid volumes, as well as the need for education and evidence-based guidelines on prehospital fluid therapy in patients with suspected infection. METHODS: An online survey concerning fluid administration in prehospital patients with suspected infection was distributed to all EMS personnel in the Central Denmark Region, including ambulance clinicians and prehospital critical care anaesthesiologists (PCCA). The survey consisted of sections concerning academic knowledge, statements about fluid administration, triggers to evaluate patient needs for intravenous fluid, and clinical scenarios. RESULTS: In total, 468/807 (58%) ambulance clinicians and 106/151 (70%) PCCA responded to the survey. Of the respondents, 73% (n = 341) of the ambulance clinicians and 100% (n = 106) of the PCCA felt confident about administering fluids to prehospital patients with infections. However, both groups primarily based their fluid-related decisions on "clinical intuition". Ambulance clinicians named the most frequently faced challenges in fluid therapy as "Unsure whether the patient needs fluid" and "Unsure about the volume of fluid the patient needs". The five most frequently used triggers for evaluating fluid needs were blood pressure, history taking, skin turgor, capillary refill time, and shock index, the last of which only applied to ambulance clinicians. In the scenarios, the majority administered 500 ml to a normotensive woman with suspected sepsis and 1000 ml to a woman with suspected sepsis-related hypotension. Moreover, 97% (n = 250) of the ambulance clinicians strongly agreed or agreed that they were interested in more education about fluid therapy in patients with suspected infection. CONCLUSION: The majority of ambulance clinicians and PCCA based their fluid administration on "clinical intuition". They faced challenges deciding on fluid volumes and individual fluid needs. Thus, they were eager to learn more and requested research and evidence-based guidelines.