The Role of Social Work for Emergency Medical Services (EMS): A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are integrated services involving doctors, paramedics, nurses, and social workers. This research was carried out to synthesize the evidence concerning social work roles for EMS. The aim of this study was to synthesize literature on the social worker's role in EMS settings. METHODS: The study was a systematic review. Data were collected through selected databases. The researcher used Scopus, Sociology Database, Social Science Database, and Public Health Database related to EMS and social work settings. English papers were selected, without restrictions on publication time, place, and year. The searched keywords were: "Social Work AND Emergency Medical Services AND Ambulance Services," "Social Worker AND Emergency Medical Systems AND Ambulance Services," "Social Work AND EMS," "Social Worker AND EMS," "Social Work OR Social Worker," "Social Work Role AND EMS," Social Worker AND EMS," "Emergency Medical Services OR/AND Emergency Medical Systems." RESULTS: The study synthesized the literature about the social work role in pre-EMS, during emergency, and post-EMS. The following themes were highlighted: social workers act as cultural liaisons, effective communicators, emergency workers, and mental health practitioners, collaborating with other disciplines and researchers, for this study. In pre-emergency stages, social workers have roles as educators, communicators, advocates, and awareness builders. During an emergency, social workers act as search and rescue workers, advocates, facilitators, networkers, psychosocial assessors, consultants, counselors, and liaisons for referral activities. And in the post-emergency period, social workers have roles as planners, liaisons, interdisciplinary collaborators, researchers, evaluators, and individuals responsible for follow up. CONCLUSION: This study synthesizes the roles of social workers in EMS settings. It is the first study on this topic, aiming to produce new knowledge, evidence, and an EMS practice framework for the social worker.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Profile of Patients in SAMU-Asturias EMS (Spain): A Two-Year Retrospective Analysis of Advanced Life Support Unit Data.

INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had important consequences on the health system. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were a key element in the response and were forced to modify their daily procedures. The main objective of this study was to find out if there were differences in response times and in the profile of patients treated by the Advanced Life Support (ALS) units of Servicio de Asistencia Médica Urgente (SAMU)-Asturias, the EMS of the Principality of Asturias, between the pre-pandemic period and the pandemic period. METHODOLOGY: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional, observational, and retrospective study that included all patients treated by SAMU-Asturias ALS from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2020. RESULTS: The pandemic has had an impact on daily activity of SAMU-Asturias, with a 9.2% decrease in daily ALS services during the pandemic, longer prehospital times during the pandemic period (mean = 54'35"; SD = 0'48"; P = 0.00) mainly due to an increase in scene time (mean = 28'01"; SD = 12'57"; P = 0.00), and a slight increase in the average age of patients during the pandemic in relation to the pre-pandemic period. No differences were found between the types of incidents for ALS or between the resolution of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic mainly affects prehospital times in an emergency service, with no differences being observed in types of incidents; in EMS future pandemic planning, this should be taken into consideration.

Top Research Priorities in Prehospital Care in Spain.

OBJECTIVE: The objective is to identify research priorities in prehospital care in Spain. METHOD: This was a Delphi-type study of three rounds with a panel of experts made up of members of the Red de Investigación en Emergencias Prehospitalarias (RINVEMER; Prehospital Emergency Research Network) Network and the Sociedad Española de Medicina de Urgencias y Emergencias (SEMES; Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine) Emergency Secretariat. In the first round, each participant identified up to 15 priorities. In the second round, they scored the 30 thematic areas on a Likert scale. In the third round, they ordered and scored from one to ten the first ten priorities among those that obtained a median greater than or equal to four in the second round. After adding the assigned scores, the ten priorities with the highest total score were obtained. RESULTS: The ten identified research priorities were: special clinical codes and time-dependent conditions; mass-casualty incident (MCI) coordination and management; innovation in Emergency Medical Services (EMS); human factor in decision making; triage, analysis, and management of calls in the Emergency Call Center; new technologies, telemedicine, and emergencies; adverse events, clinical safety, and quality in emergencies; cardiac arrest; continuous education and training (methodology, quality, and evaluation); and big data and emergencies. CONCLUSIONS: The research priorities perceived by emergency professionals are related to clinical care and organizational aspects of EMS, in addition to the need to incorporate innovative aspects and new data analysis technologies.

Training of Medical Students for Mass Casualty Incidents Using Table-Top Gamification.

INTRODUCTION: "Table-top" exercises can improve knowledge and skills related to mass casualty incidents (MCIs) with little logistical efforts. We aim to evaluate the learning process of 5th year medical school students related to MCI response using table-top simulation and measure their methodology perception. METHODS: A theoretical part plus an MCI simulation board exercise was organized. Knowledge pretest and 1 mo after posttest was scored, and an assessment questionnaire with 27 questions with a Likert-type scale with 3 dimensions: methodology, knowledge acquisition, and skills acquisition was administered. Students did not receive any written or training material between pretest and posttest. RESULTS: A total of 108 (80%) completed the evaluation questionnaire, pretest, and posttest. For the pretest, average grade was 4.25 (SD = 1.71) and 42% passed, and for the posttest, average grade was 8.33 (SD = 1.28) and 97 % pass (P < 0.0001). All variables measuring methodology perception scored more than 8, except for the duration of the exercise (7.3). Most knowledge acquisition scored above 9. Self-perception skill acquisition scores were slightly lower, although all above 7. CONCLUSIONS: "Table-top" methodology is useful for acquiring knowledge and skills related to MCI response. Retention of knowledge is very high. Students consider that this methodology can be very useful for medical studies. Active or nonactive role is a factor that only influences final results in specific items.

Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Analysis of the Perception of Professionals of Emergency Medical Systems in Spain after the First Wave.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify the perceived problems by medical and nursing professionals that have arisen in the Spanish Emergency Medical Services (EMS) as a consequence of the first wave of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2/SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, as well as the measures or solutions adopted to manage those problems and improve response. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study of quantitative and qualitative methodology ("mixed methods") using a self-administered questionnaire in 23 key informants of EMS of Spain selected by purposeful sampling, followed by the statistical analysis of both types of variables and an integration of the results in the discussion. RESULTS: Common problems had been identified in many EMS, as well as similar solutions in some of them. Among the former, the following had been found: lack of leadership and support from managers, initial shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), lack of participation in decision making, initial lack of clinical protocols, and slowness and/or lack of adaptability of the system, among others. Among the solutions adopted: reinforcement of emergency call centers, development of specific coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) telephone lines and new resources, personal effort of professionals, new functions of EMS, support to other structures, and reinforcement of the role of nursing. CONCLUSION: The general perception among the respondents was that there was a lack of support and communication with health care managers and that the staff expertise was not used by policy makers to make decisions adapted to reality, also expressing the need to improve the capacity for analysis of the EMS response. Few respondents reported good overall satisfaction with their EMS response. The EMS adopted different types of measures to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nurses' roles in emergency response coordination centers in Spain: a resource to consider. / El rol del personal de enfermería en los centros coordinadores de urgencias de España: un elemento a considerar.

OBJECTIVES: To study nurse staffing at emergency response coordination centers (ERCCs) and determine nurses' functions and activities within the structure and organization of ERCCs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Observational cross-sectional study in January and April 2019 in the 17 Spanish autonomous communities and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. We consulted ERCC institutional reports and webpages, conducted telephone interviews, and maintained email correspondence with key informants (nurse supervisors and staff directly implicated in managing emergency calls). RESULTS: All the ERCCs except those in Asturias, Rioja, and the 2 autonomous cities have nurses on staff. Their usual functions are prevention and health promotion; supporting primary care physicians; managing health alerts, multiple victim incidents, and secondary patient transport; activating response codes; coordinating transport for transplants; and contacting hospitals so they expect arrivals. CONCLUSION: Nurses in Spanish ERCCs have similar functions, but they are developed at different levels in each center.

OBJETIVO: Conocer la dotación de personal de enfermería de los centros de coordinación de urgencias (CCU) españoles, así como las funciones y actividades de los profesionales dentro de la estructura y organización de los CCU. METODO: Estudio observacional transversal realizado entre enero y abril del 2019 mediante consulta de la información institucional en memorias y páginas web de los servicios de emergencia, así como entrevistas telefónicas y correos electrónicos a informantes clave (responsables de enfermería o profesionales implicados directamente en la gestión de llamadas) de las 17 comunidades autónomas (CCAA) y las ciudades autónomas de Ceuta y Melilla. RESULTADOS: Todas las CCAA, excepto Asturias, La Rioja y las dos ciudades autónomas, tienen personal de enfermería cuyas funciones más habituales son la prevención y promoción de la salud, atención a consultas sanitarias, apoyo a atención primaria, alertas epidemiológicas, gestión de incidentes de múltiples víctimas, transporte secundario, activación de códigos asistenciales, coordinación de trasplantes y preavisos hospitalarios. CONCLUSIONES: El personal de enfermería en los CCU de España tiene funciones similares, pero con distinto nivel de desarrollo en cada CCAA.

El rol del personal de enfermería en los centros coordinadores de urgencias de España: un elemento a considerar / Nurses' roles in emergency response coordination centers in Spain: a resource to consider

OBJETIVO: Conocer la dotación de personal de enfermería de los centros de coordinación de urgencias (CCU) españoles, así como las funciones y actividades de los profesionales dentro de la estructura y organización de los CCU. MÉTODO: Estudio observacional transversal realizado entre enero y abril del 2019 mediante consulta de la información institucional en memorias y páginas web de los servicios de emergencia, así como entrevistas telefónicas y correos electrónicos a informantes clave (responsables de enfermería o profesionales implicados directamente en la gestión de llamadas) de las 17 comunidades autónomas (CCAA) y las ciudades autónomas de Ceuta y Melilla. RESULTADOS: Todas las CCAA, excepto Asturias, La Rioja y las dos ciudades autónomas, tienen personal de enfermería cuyas funciones más habituales son la prevención y promoción de la salud, atención a consultas sanitarias, apoyo a atención primaria, alertas epidemiológicas, gestión de incidentes de múltiples víctimas, transporte secundario, activación de códigos asistenciales, coordinación de trasplantes y preavisos hospitalarios. CONCLUSIONES: El personal de enfermería en los CCU de España tiene funciones similares, pero con distinto nivel de desarrollo en cada CCAA

OBJETIVES: To study nurse staffing at emergency response coordination centers (ERCCs) and determine nurses' functions and activities within the structure and organization of ERCCs. METHODS: Observational cross-sectional study in January and April 2019 in the 17 Spanish autonomous communities and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. We consulted ERCC institutional reports and webpages, conducted telephone interviews, and maintained email correspondence with key informants (nurse supervisors and staff directly implicated in managing emergency calls). RESULTS: All the ERCCs except those in Asturias, Rioja, and the 2 autonomous cities have nurses on staff. Their usual functions are prevention and health promotion; supporting primary care physicians; managing health alerts, multiple victim incidents, and secondary patient transport; activating response codes; coordinating transport for transplants; and contacting hospitals so they expect arrivals. CONCLUSION: Nurses in Spanish ERCCs have similar functions, but they are developed at different levels in each center

Primary Health Care Nurses' Self-Perception of Theoretical Knowledges and Practical Skills in Life-Threatening Emergencies: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Within out-of-hospital emergencies, primary health care (PHC) nurses must face life-threatening emergencies (LTEs), which are defined as "a situation associated with an imminent life risk that entails the start-up of resources and special means to resolve the situation." OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to know the training received for out-of-hospital LTEs by PHC nurses of Asturias, Spain and the perception they have about their theoretical knowledge and practical skills in a series of emergency procedures or techniques used in LTE emergencies; as well as to analyze the differences according to the geographical area of their work. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, descriptive, and observational study was conducted in 2018 of a sample of PHC service nurses of Asturias, Spain. METHODS: A total of 236 nurses from PHC service centers of Asturias, Spain, from among the total of 730 nurses who make up the staff of nurses of the PHC service of Asturias, between April and May 2018, were surveyed. The survey was designed ad hoc using the Doctrinal Body of Emergency Nursing (DBEN) proposed by the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES; Madrid, Spain), which indicates the theoretical and practical procedures that must be acquired by the PHC nurses. It is composed of 37 procedures or techniques employed in LTEs using an 11-point Likert scale rating to detect their self-perception about theoretical knowledge and practical skills from zero ("Minimum") to ten ("Maximum"). RESULTS: There were significant differences in the mean of theoretical knowledge and practical skills in many procedures or techniques studied, depending on the different areas of work. CONCLUSIONS: All PHC nurses must be perfectly trained to provide initial quality assistance to the LTE, with both theoretical and practical knowledge of the different techniques, so that it can continue to be attended by the corresponding Emergency Service.

Comparación de los sistemas de triaje META y START en un ejercicio simulado de múltiples víctimas / Comparison of the Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment system versus the Prehospital Advanced Triage Model in multiple-casualty events

Objetivo: El objetivo principal fue comparar dos sistemas de triaje (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatmet, START vs. Modelo Extrahospitalario de Triaje Avanzado, META) en un mismo incidente simulado de múltiples víctimas (IMV). Los objetivos secundarios fueron analizar los tiempos y el orden de evacuación, y la adecuación del tratamiento. Método: Ensayo aleatorizado por conglomerados que incluyó 16 grupos de 4 miembros asignados al sistema de triaje START o META en un ejercicio simulado de gestión a las víctimas de un accidente aéreo. Se recogieron los tiempos y el orden de evacuación, y la adecuación del tratamiento. Resultados: El tiempo de evacuación total fue de 48 min 39 s (DE 15 min 52 s) en el grupo START y de 48 min 4 s (DE 17 min 21 s) en el grupo META (p = 0,829). Los pacientes con necesidad de atención inmediata se evacuaron más rápidamente en el grupo META que en el START, tanto en el grupo completo (31 min 36 s [DE 8 min 27 s] vs 41 min 6 s [DE 10 min 39s ]; p = 0,024) como en los que además precisaban tratamiento quirúrgico urgente (24 min 12 s [DE 4 min] vs 44 min 49 s [DE 8 min 36 s]; p = 0,001). El orden de evacuación de pacientes fue: los de necesidad de atención inmediata en las 19 primeras posiciones (14 de 19) y de atención inmediata con prioridad quirúrgica en las 14 primeras posiciones (5 de 14) en el grupo START; y los de necesidad de atención inmediata en las 14 primeras posiciones (14 de 14) y de atención inmediata y con prioridad quirúrgica en las 7 primeras posiciones (5 de 7) en el grupo META. La frecuencia de tratamiento adecuado fue de un 92% en el caso del META y de un 63% en el caso del START (p = 0,023). Conclusiones: El triaje META, en comparación con el START, podría mejorar los tiempos extrahospitalarios y el orden de evacuación de los pacientes, especialmente en el caso de aquellos con necesidad de atención inmediata y de atención inmediata con prioridad quirúrgica, así como la adecuación del tratamiento, en los IMV

Objectives: The main purpose of this simulation of a multiple-casualty event was to compare the performance of 2 triage methods: the Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) system and the Prehospital Advanced Triage Model (META in its Spanish acronym). The secondary objectives were to analyze times, order of evacuations, and appropriateness of treatments. Methods: Cluster randomized trial that included 16 groups assigned to use either the START system or the META for managing casualties in a simulated event (an airline crash). Each group had 4 members. We recorded times, order of evacuation, and appropriateness of treatment. Results: The mean (SD) evacuation time was 48 minutes and 39 seconds (15 minutes, 52 seconds) in the START arm and 48 minutes and 4 seconds (17 minutes, 21 seconds) in the META arm (P=.829). The patients with greatest need of immediate care were evacuated more quickly in the META arm (31 minutes and 36 seconds [8 minutes, 27 seconds]) than in the START arm (41 minutes and 6 seconds [10 minutes, 39 seconds]) (P=.024). Evacuation of the subgroup of patients requiring emergency surgery was also faster in the META arm (24 minutes and 12 seconds [4 minutes] than in the START arm (44 minutes and 49 seconds [8 minutes, 36 seconds]) (P=.001). Analysis of the order of evacuation under the 2 triage systems revealed that 14 of the first 19 patients evacuated required immediate medical care and 5 of the first 14 evacuated required priority surgical treatment in the START arm. In the META arm, all of the first 14 patients evacuated required immediate medical care and 5 of the first 7 patients evacuated required priority surgical treatment. The rate of appropriate treatment was 92% in the META arm and 63% in the START arm (P=.023). Conclusions: Use of the META system might improve prehospital times and the order of evacuation of patients, particularly patients who need immediate medical care or urgent surgery. The META might also increase the likelihood of appropriate treatment in multiple-casualty events

Comparison of the Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment system versus the Prehospital Advanced Triage Model in multiple-casualty events. / Comparación de los sistemas de triaje META y START en un ejercicio simulado de múltiples víctimas.

OBJECTIVES: . The main purpose of this simulation of a multiple-casualty event was to compare the performance of 2 triage methods: the Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) system and the Prehospital Advanced Triage Model (META in its Spanish acronym). The secondary objectives were to analyze times, order of evacuations, and appropriateness of treatments. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cluster randomized trial that included 16 groups assigned to use either the START system or the META for managing casualties in a simulated event (an airline crash). Each group had 4 members. We recorded times, order of evacuation, and appropriateness of treatment. RESULTS: The mean (SD) evacuation time was 48 minutes and 39 seconds (15 minutes, 52 seconds) in the START arm and 48 minutes and 4 seconds (17 minutes, 21 seconds) in the META arm (P=.829). The patients with greatest need of immediate care were evacuated more quickly in the META arm (31 minutes and 36 seconds [8 minutes, 27 seconds]) than in the START arm (41 minutes and 6 seconds [10 minutes, 39 seconds]) (P=.024). Evacuation of the subgroup of patients requiring emergency surgery was also faster in the META arm (24 minutes and 12 seconds [4 minutes] than in the START arm (44 minutes and 49 seconds [8 minutes, 36 seconds]) (P=.001). Analysis of the order of evacuation under the 2 triage systems revealed that 14 of the first 19 patients evacuated required immediate medical care and 5 of the first 14 evacuated required priority surgical treatment in the START arm. In the META arm, all of the first 14 patients evacuated required immediate medical care and 5 of the first 7 patients evacuated required priority surgical treatment. The rate of appropriate treatment was 92% in the META arm and 63% in the START arm (P=.023). CONCLUSION: Use of the META system might improve prehospital times and the order of evacuation of patients, particularly patients who need immediate medical care or urgent surgery. The META might also increase the likelihood of appropriate treatment in multiple-casualty events.

OBJETIVO: El objetivo principal fue comparar dos sistemas de triaje (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatmet, START vs. Modelo Extrahospitalario de Triaje Avanzado, META) en un mismo incidente simulado de múltiples víctimas (IMV). Los objetivos secundarios fueron analizar los tiempos y el orden de evacuación, y la adecuación del tratamiento. METODO: Ensayo aleatorizado por conglomerados que incluyó 16 grupos de 4 miembros asignados al sistema de triaje START o META en un ejercicio simulado de gestión a las víctimas de un accidente aéreo. Se recogieron los tiempos y el orden de evacuación, y la adecuación del tratamiento. RESULTADOS: El tiempo de evacuación total fue de 48 min 39 s (DE 15 min 52 s) en el grupo START y de 48 min 4 s (DE 17 min 21 s) en el grupo META (p = 0,829). Los pacientes con necesidad de atención inmediata se evacuaron más rápidamente en el grupo META que en el START, tanto en el grupo completo (31 min 36 s [DE 8 min 27 s] vs 41 min 6 s [DE 10 min 39s ]; p = 0,024) como en los que además precisaban tratamiento quirúrgico urgente (24 min 12 s [DE 4 min] vs 44 min 49 s [DE 8 min 36 s]; p = 0,001). El orden de evacuación de pacientes fue: los de necesidad de atención inmediata en las 19 primeras posiciones (14 de 19) y de atención inmediata con prioridad quirúrgica en las 14 primeras posiciones (5 de 14) en el grupo START; y los de necesidad de atención inmediata en las 14 primeras posiciones (14 de 14) y de atención inmediata y con prioridad quirúrgica en las 7 primeras posiciones (5 de 7) en el grupo META. La frecuencia de tratamiento adecuado fue de un 92% en el caso del META y de un 63% en el caso del START (p = 0,023). CONCLUSIONES: El triaje META, en comparación con el START, podría mejorar los tiempos extrahospitalarios y el orden de evacuación de los pacientes, especialmente en el caso de aquellos con necesidad de atención inmediata y de atención inmediata con prioridad quirúrgica, así como la adecuación del tratamiento, en los IMV.

Traslados con reanimación en ruta: ¿supervivencia cero? / Emergency transfers under cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Zero survival?

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The development and features of the Spanish prehospital advanced triage method (META) for mass casualty incidents.

This text describes the process of development of the new Spanish Prehospital Advanced Triage Method (META) and explain its main features and contribution to prehospital triage systems in mass casualty incidents. The triage META is based in the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) protocols, patient's anatomical injuries and mechanism of injury. It is a triage method with four stages including early identification of patients with severe trauma that would benefit from a rapid evacuation to a surgical facility and introduces a new patient flow by-passing the advanced medical post to improve evacuation. The stages of triage META are: I) Stabilization triage that classifies patients according to severity to set priorities for initial emergency treatment; II) Identifying patients requiring urgent surgical treatment, this is done at the same time than stage I and creates a new flow of patients with high priority for evacuation; III) Implementation of Advanced Trauma Life Support protocols to patients previously classified according to stablished priority; and IV) Evacuation triage, stablishing evacuation priorities in case of lacks of appropriate transport resources. The triage META is to be applied only by prehospital providers with advanced knowledge and training in advanced trauma life support care and has been designed to be implemented as prehospital procedure in mass casualty incidents (MCI).

Atentados terroristas y servicios médicos de emergencia: tiempo para la reflexión / Terrorist attacks and emergency medical services: time for reflection

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An epidemiological approach to mass casualty incidents in the Principality of Asturias (Spain).

BACKGROUND: Mass Casualty Incidents (MCI) have been rarely studied from epidemiological approaches. The objective of this study is to establish the epidemiological profile of MCI in the autonomous region of the Principality of Asturias (Spain) and analyse ambulance deployment and severity of patients. METHODS: This is a population-based prospective study run in 2014. Inclusion criteria for MCI is "every incident with four or more people affected that requires ambulance mobilisation". RESULTS: Thirty-nine MCI have been identified in Asturias in 2014. Thirty-one (79%) were road traffic accidents, three (7.5%) fires and five (12.8%) other types. Twenty-one incidents (56.7%) had four patients, and only three of them (8%) had seven or more patients. An average of 2.41 ambulances per incident were deployed (standard error = 0.18). Most of the patients per incident were minor injured patients (mean = 4; standard error = 0.2), and 0,26 were severe patients (standard error = 0.08). There was a positive significant correlation (p < 0.01) between the total number of patients and the total number of ambulances deployed and between the total number of patients and Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances deployed (p < 0.001). The total number of non-ALS ambulances was not related with the total number of patients. DISCUSSION: Population based research in MCI is essential to define MCI profile. Quantitative definition of MCI, adapted to resources, avoid selection bias and present a more accurate profile of MCI. As espected, road traffic accidents are the most frequent MCI in our region. This aspect is essential to plan training and response to MCI. Analysis of total response to MCI shows that for almost an hour, we should plan extra resources for daily emergencies. This data is an important issue to bear in mind when planning MCI response. The fact that most patients are classified as minor injured and more advanced life support units than needed are deployed shows that analysis of resources deployment and patient severity helps us to better plan future MCI response. CONCLUSIONS: Road traffic accidents with minor injured patients are the most frequent MCI in our region. More advanced life support units than needed have been initially deployed, which might compromise response to daily emergencies during an MCI.

Conocimientos en soporte vital básico y desfribilador externo automático de los monitores de centros deportivos de una zona geográfica del Principado de Asturias / Study of knowledge in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillation in sports instructors of public sport centers in Asturias (Spain)

OBJETIVO: Se realizó un estudio para determinar el nivel de conocimientos sobre reanimación cardiopulmonar y desfibrilación automática (DEA) de los monitores de varios centros deportivos públicos de Asturias. MÉTODO: Se llevó a cabo un estudio descriptivo transversal en mayo de 2014, mediante la cumplimentación de un cuestionario autoadministrado sobre reanimación cardiopulmonar y uso del DEA, con 25 ítems con cuatro posibles respuestas, con una sola válida, dividido en cinco categorías (servicio de emergencias en Asturias, evaluación inicial de la parada cardiorrespiratoria, circulación, vía aérea y uso del DEA). También fueron incluidas variables epidemiológicas como edad, sexo, experiencia como monitor deportivo, cursos previos, formación previa y tipo de contrato de trabajo. RESULTADOS: se recogieron un total de 26 cuestionarios (52%), en los que del total de respuestas, el 84% fueron correctas. En cuanto a las respuestas incorrectas, el 42,30% desconocía qué realizar inicialmente ante una parada cardiorrespiratoria, el 36,62% no sabía cómo realizar la reanimación cardiopulmonar si el afectado tuviese una lesión peribucal y el 46,15% falló en cómo se debe responder ante una parada cardiorrespiratoria por ahogamiento. CONCLUSIONES: Se debe incluir el manejo de la parada cardíorrespiratoria en el lugar de trabajo en los planes formativos y en la formación continuada de monitores deportivos, realizando esta formación continuada al menos cada dos años, de acuerdo a la legislación nacional y de Asturias, incluyendo en ésta formación en el manejo y uso del DEA

OBJECTIVE: A study was conducted to determine the level of knowledge about cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillation (AED) in sport instructors working in public sport centers in Asturias. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on sports instructors in May 2014, by completing a self-administered questionnaire on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use of AED, with 25 items and four possible answers, only one valid, divided into five categories (emergency medical system in Asturias, initial assessment, circulation,airway and use of AED). Age, gender, work experience as sports instructor, previous training courses, education and training and employment contract were studied as epidemiological variables. RESULTS: A total 26 questionnaires (52%) were collected in public sports centers, and 84% of total responses were correct. It should be emphasized that among the wrong answers, 42.30% did not know what was the first action in a cardiac arrest, and 36.62% did not know how to perform a complete cardiopulmonary resuscitation if the person affected had a perioral injury, with 46.15% not knowing how to respond to a cardiac arrest due to drowning. CONCLUSIONS: It is recommended to include the management of cardiac arrest in their workplace in the training plans and the continuing education of sports instructors, at least every two years, according to national laws and laws from Asturias, including also training on the use and management of AED

[Study of knowledge in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillation in sports instructors of public sport centers in Asturias (Spain)]. / Conocimientos en soporte vital básico y desfribilador externo automático de los monitores de centros deportivos de una zona geográfica del Principado de Asturias.

OBJECTIVE: A study was conducted to determine the level of knowledge about cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillation (AED) in sport instructors working in public sport centers in Asturias. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on sports instructors in May 2014, by completing a self-administered questionnaire on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use of AED, with 25 items and four possible answers, only one valid, divided into five categories (emergency medical system in Asturias, initial assessment, circulation,airway and use of AED). Age, gender, work experience as sports instructor, previous training courses, education and training and employment contract were studied as epidemiological variables. RESULTS: A total 26 questionnaires (52%) were collected in public sports centers, and 84% of total responses were correct. It should be emphasized that among the wrong answers, 42.30% did not know what was the first action in a cardiac arrest, and 36.62% did not know how to perform a complete cardiopulmonary resuscitation if the person affected had a perioral injury, with 46.15% not knowing how to respond to a cardiac arrest due to drowning. CONCLUSIONS: It is recommended to include the management of cardiac arrest in their workplace in the training plans and the continuing education of sports instructors, at least every two years, according to national laws and laws from Asturias, including also training on the use and management of AED.