Prehospital blood transfusion in Brazil: results of the first year of implementation in an emergency medical service.

INTRODUCTION: Hemorrhagic shock is the main cause of death in the prehospital environment, which highlights the need to standardize measures aiming at bleeding control and volume replacement in this environment. In Brazil, the first prehospital packed red blood cell transfusion service started in September 2020, in Bragança Paulista, state of São Paulo. OBJECTIVES: Describe the trends and characteristics of patients who received prehospital transfusions prior to hospital treatment during the first year of operation. METHODS: A retrospective data review was made of all patients who received transfusions from the mobile intensive care unit in Bragança Paulista over one year. RESULTS: In this period, 19 patients were transfused. Since activation, the average response time was 20 min. The mean shock indexes before and after blood transfusion were 2.16 and 1.1, respectively. During the course of the 1st year of prehospital transfusions, no blood was wasted and there were no adverse effects. CONCLUSION: Introduction of the prehospital packed red blood cell transfusion service was successful, with significant improvement in hemodynamic parameters.

First immediate transfusion at a prehospital environment in Latin America: A case report

According to the World Health Organization, trauma from external causes remains the major cause of death and disability among people aged from 5 to 29 years old.1 In order to reestablish hemodynamic stability and adequate hemostasis of these patients, without the dilutional effects of infusing large volumes of crystalloids, the concept of hemostatic resuscitation was developed.2 The purpose of this report is to discuss a case in which hemostatic resuscitation was performed quickly, resulting in a good macro-hemodynamic response of the patient at the first prehospital transfusion service in Latin America.

Perceptions of patients, physicians, and Medical students on physicians' appearance.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impressions made by different styles of dress and appearance adopted by physicians on patients, medical students and other physicians in Brazil. METHODS: Two hundred fifty nine patients, 119 students, and 99 physicians answered questions related to a panel of male and female physicians' pictures covering the following styles: white clothing; white coat; formal, informal, and casual garments; and surgical scrubs. They also reported their level of discomfort with a list of 20 items for professional appearance of both genders. RESULTS: Most of the answers of the volunteers involved using white clothes or white coat, and in many situations the percentages of preference referred for these styles were close. Physicians and students preferred physicians wearing surgical scrubs for emergency visits, and doctors with informal style for discussing psychological problems with male professionals. Patients most often chose white clothing in response to questions. Regarding male professionals, all three groups reported high degree of discomfort for the use of shorts and bermuda shorts, multiple rings, facial piercing, sandals, extravagant hair color, long hair, and earrings. For females, high levels of discomfort were reported to shorts, blouses exposing the belly, facial piercing, multiple rings, extravagant hair color, and heavy makeup. CONCLUSION: Brazilian patients, physicians, and medical students form a better initial impression of physicians using clothing traditionally associated with the profession and exhibiting more conventional appearance. The use of entirely white garments appears to be a satisfactory option in this country.

Impressões de pacientes, médicos e estudantes de medicina quanto a aparência dos médicos / Perceptions of patients, physicians, and medical students on physicians' appearance

OBJETIVO: Investigar as impressões causadas em pacientes, estudantes de Medicina e médicos brasileiros por diferentes estilos de vestimenta e aparência adotados pelos médicos. MÉTODOS: Participaram da pesquisa 259 pacientes, 119 estudantes e 99 médicos, respondendo questões relativas a um painel de fotos de médico e médica vestidos nos seguintes estilos: roupa branca, avental branco, avental social, formal, informal, casual e centro cirúrgico. Eles ainda registraram seu grau de desconforto frente uma lista de 20 itens de aparência para profissionais de ambos os sexos. RESULTADO: A maioria das respostas dos voluntários envolveu o uso de roupa branca ou avental branco, e em muitas questões os percentuais de preferência referidos para esses estilos foram muito próximos. Médicos e estudantes preferiram profissionais em traje de centro cirúrgico para consultas de urgência, e o estilo informal para discutir problemas psicológicos com profissional masculino. Os pacientes escolheram mais frequentemente a roupa branca em resposta às questões. No tocante aos profissionais masculinos, os três grupos referiram elevado grau de incômodo para o uso de shorts e bermudas, muitos anéis, piercing facial, sandálias, cabelos de cor extravagante, cabelos compridos e brincos. Para o sexo feminino, níveis elevados de desconforto foram assinalados para shorts, blusas mostrando a barriga, piercing facial, bermudas,muitos anéis, cabelos de cor extravagante e maquiagem carregada. CONCLUSÃO: Pacientes, médicos e estudantes de Medicina brasileiros desenvolvem melhor impressão inicial de médicos que utilizam trajes tradicionalmente associados com a profissão e de aparência mais convencional. O uso da vestimenta inteiramente branca parece ser opção satisfatória no Brasil.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impressions made by different styles of dress and appearance adopted by physicians on patients, medical students and other physicians in Brazil. METHODS: Two hundred fifty nine patients, 119 students, and 99 physicians answered questions related to a panel of male and female physicians' pictures covering the following styles: white clothing; white coat; formal, informal, and casual garments; and surgical scrubs. They also reported their level of discomfort with a list of 20 items for professional appearance of both genders. RESULTS: Most of the answers of the volunteers involved using white clothes or white coat, and in many situations the percentages of preference referred for these styles were close. Physicians and students preferred physicians wearing surgical scrubs for emergency visits, and doctors with informal style for discussing psychological problems with male professionals. Patients most often chose white clothing in response to questions. Regarding male professionals, all three groups reported high degree of discomfort for the use of shorts and bermuda shorts, multiple rings, facial piercing, sandals, extravagant hair color, long hair, and earrings. For females, high levels of discomfort were reported to shorts, blouses exposing the belly, facial piercing, multiple rings, extravagant hair color, and heavy makeup. CONCLUSION: Brazilian patients, physicians, and medical students form a better initial impression of physicians using clothing traditionally associated with the profession and exhibiting more conventional appearance. The use of entirely white garments appears to be a satisfactory option in this country.