Implementing Tourniquet Conversion Guidelines for Civilian EMS and Prehospital Organizations : A Case Report and Review.

Since the first documented use of a tourniquet in 1674, the popularity of tourniquets has waxed and waned. During recent wars and more recently in Emergency Medical Services systems, the tourniquet has been proven to be a valuable tool in the treatment of life-threatening hemorrhage. However, tourniquet use is not without risk, and several studies have demonstrated adverse events and morbidity associated with tourniquet use in the prehospital setting, particularly when left in place for more than 2 h. Consequently, the US military's Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care has recommended guidelines for prehospital tourniquet conversion to reduce the risk of adverse events associated with tourniquets once the initial hemorrhage has been controlled. Emergency Medical Services systems that operate in rural, frontier, and austere environments, especially those with transport times to definitive care that routinely exceed 2 h, may consider implementing similar tourniquet conversion guidelines.

Observational Study of Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim Day Hikers: Determining Behavior Patterns to Aid in Preventive Search and Rescue Efforts.

INTRODUCTION: Grand Canyon National Park has seen an increase in visitors traversing the canyon from rim to rim (R2R) in a single day. R2R hikers travel over 33.8 km (21 mi) over 3300 m (11,000 ft) of elevation change and endure large temperature changes. Grand Canyon emergency medical service providers provide emergency medical services to over 1100 visitors annually. Direct guidance by Preventive Search and Rescue rangers has improved safety. The objective of this study was to examine visitors attempting an R2R traverse and to enhance PSAR rangers' anticipatory guidance. METHODS: We conducted an observational study of R2R hikers in the spring and fall of 2015. Hikers consented to study inclusion and were interviewed at the starting trailhead, canyon bottom, and exit trailhead. We performed a survey and collected biometric data. RESULTS: We enrolled 617 visitors with a median age of 43 y (interquartile range [IQR] 33-53); 65% were male and 46% had hiked the R2R a median number of 3 times previously (IQR 2-7). Hydration strategies included water bottle only (20%), hydration bladder only (31%), and both water bottle and hydration bladder (48%). R2R crossers had an average start time of 0530 (SD 1.3 h) and median crossing time of 11.9 h (IQR 10.7-13.3). Crossing time and self-reported fatigue were negatively correlated with prior R2R experience (P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Crossing R2R in a day is hazardous and associated with risk of injury and illness. The results of this study can be used by Preventive Search and Rescue to reduce these risks by educating hikers.

Multi-Patient Rabies Exposure on a Colorado River Rafting Expedition: Urgent vs. Emergent Transport Decision Making in an Austere Setting.

We present a case of rabies exposure on a private river rafting trip on Grand Canyon National Park's Colorado River. Five individuals were exposed to an erratically acting bat; one of the individuals sustained a direct bite to the upper lip while sleeping. This case illustrates the challenges of austere medical care and evacuation in remote conditions while highlighting the importance of risk mitigation considerations in all austere situations.

Observational Multicenter Study of a Direct-to-CT Protocol for EMS-transported Patients with Suspected Stroke.

OBJECTIVE: In an effort to decrease door-to-needle times for patients with acute ischemic stroke, some hospitals have begun taking stable EMS patients with suspected stroke directly from the ambulance to the CT scanner, then to an emergency department (ED) bed for evaluation. Minimal data exist regarding the potential for time savings with such a protocol. The study hypothesis was that a direct-to-CT protocol would be associated with decreases in both door-to-CT-ordered and door-to-needle times. METHODS: An observational, multicenter before/after study was conducted of time/process measures at hospitals that have implemented direct-to-CT protocols for patients transported by EMS with suspected stroke. Participating hospitals submitted data on at least the last 50 "EMS stroke alert" patients before the launch of the direct-to-CT protocol, and at least the first 50 patients after. Time elements studied were arrival at the ED, time the head CT was ordered, and time tPA was started. Data were submitted in blinded fashion (patient and hospital identifiers removed); at the time of data analysis, the lead investigator was unaware of which data came from which hospital. Simple descriptive statistics were used, along with the Mann-Whitney test to compare time medians. RESULTS: Seven hospitals contributed data on 1040 patients (529 "before" and 511 "after"); 512 were male, and 627 had final diagnoses of ischemic stroke, of whom 275 received tPA. The median door-to-CT-ordered time for all patients was 7 minutes in the before phase, and 4 minutes after (difference 3 minutes, p = < 0.0001); similarly, the median door-to-CT-started time was 6 minutes "before" and 10 minutes after (p < 0.0001). The median door-to-needle time for all patients given tPA was 42 minutes before, and 44 minutes after (p = 0.78). Four hospitals had modest decreases in door-to-CT-ordered time (of 2, 4, 2, and 5 minutes), and only one hospital had a decrease in door-to-needle time (32 min vs 26 min, p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: In this sample from seven hospitals, a minimal reduction in door-to-CT-ordered and door-to-CT-started time, but no change in door-to-needle time, was found for EMS patients with suspected stroke taken directly to the CT scanner, compared to those evaluated in the ED prior to CT.

Effect of tranexamic acid administration time on blood product use in urban trauma patients.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of time to tranexamic acid administration on blood product usage in trauma patients and to assess the potential benefit of initiating a protocol for field administration by ground ambulance personnel. METHODS: Adult patients with traumatic injuries who received 1 g of tranexamic acid during the period January 2014 through June 2016 were retrospectively identified via review of automated dispensing cabinet and electronic medical record data and cross-referencing with the New Mexico Trauma Registry. Exclusion criteria included tranexamic acid use for nontrauma indications, previous admission for trauma during the study period, and a lack of pertinent information regarding the time, type, or severity of trauma in available records. The primary outcome was blood product use (aggregate of units of platelets, packed red blood cells [pRBCs], and fresh frozen plasma [FFP]) in the first 24 hours of hospital admission. RESULTS: The analysis included 107 patient cases, with a median transport time of 20 minutes (range, 7-103 minutes); 73% of reported transport times were less than 30 minutes. All patients received a loading dose of tranexamic acid in the hospital, with the exception of 2 patients who received tranexamic acid in the field. Administration of a tranexamic acid loading dose was documented within 3 hours for 90.7% of patients, with a mean time to administration of 91.9 minutes. A mean (SD) total of 14.8 (16.0) units of blood products (range, 0-91 units) were administered, consisting of a mean (SD) of 8.0 (8.4) units of pRBCs (range, 0-48 units), 5.6 (7.5) units of FFP (range, 0-38 units), and 1.2 (1.7) units of platelets (range, 0-7 units). Time to tranexamic acid administration did not affect blood product usage in the first 24 hours of admission after adjusting for potential confounders. CONCLUSION: Earlier administration of tranexamic acid was not associated with a decrease in use of blood products. This finding, paired with the relatively short ground transport times typical for our institution, makes it unlikely that field administration of tranexamic acid would benefit the evaluated patient population.