EMS Treatment Guidelines in Major Traumatic Brain Injury With Positive Pressure Ventilation.

Importance: The Excellence in Prehospital Injury Care (EPIC) study demonstrated improved survival in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) following implementation of the prehospital treatment guidelines. The impact of implementing these guidelines in the subgroup of patients who received positive pressure ventilation (PPV) is unknown. Objective: To evaluate the association of implementation of prehospital TBI evidence-based guidelines with survival among patients with prehospital PPV. Design, Setting, and Participants: The EPIC study was a multisystem, intention-to-treat study using a before/after controlled design. Evidence-based guidelines were implemented by emergency medical service agencies across Arizona. This subanalysis was planned a priori and included participants who received prehospital PPV. Outcomes were compared between the preimplementation and postimplementation cohorts using logistic regression, stratified by predetermined TBI severity categories (moderate, severe, or critical). Data were collected from January 2007 to June 2017, and data were analyzed from January to February 2023. Exposure: Implementation of the evidence-based guidelines for the prehospital care of patient with TBI. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge, and the secondary outcome was survival to admission. Results: Among the 21 852 participants in the main study, 5022 received prehospital PPV (preimplementation, 3531 participants; postimplementation, 1491 participants). Of 5022 included participants, 3720 (74.1%) were male, and the median (IQR) age was 36 (22-54) years. Across all severities combined, survival to admission improved (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.59; 95% CI, 1.28-1.97), while survival to discharge did not (aOR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.78-1.13). Within the cohort with severe TBI but not in the moderate or critical subgroups, survival to hospital admission increased (aOR, 6.44; 95% CI, 2.39-22.00), as did survival to discharge (aOR, 3.52; 95% CI, 1.96-6.34). Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with severe TBI who received active airway interventions in the field, guideline implementation was independently associated with improved survival to hospital admission and discharge. This was true whether they received basic airway interventions or advanced airways. These findings support the current guideline recommendations for aggressive prevention/correction of hypoxia and hyperventilation in patients with severe TBI, regardless of which airway type is used.

Successful Surgical Airway Performance in the Combat Prehospital Setting: A Qualitative Study of Experienced Military Prehospital Providers.

INTRODUCTION: Military first responders are in a unique category of the healthcare delivery system. They range in skill sets from combat medic and corpsman to nurses, physician assistants, and occasionally, doctors. Airway obstruction is the second leading cause of preventable battlefield death, and the decision for intervention to obtain an airway depends on the casualty's presentation, the provider's comfort level, and the available equipment, among many other variables. In the civilian prehospital setting cricothyroidotomy (cric) success rates are over 90%, but in the US military combat environment success rates range from 0-82%. This discrepancy in success rates may be due to training, environment, equipment, patient factors and/or a combination of these. Many presumed causes have been assumed to be the root of the variability, but no research has been conducted evaluating the first-person point of view. This research study is focused on interviewing military first responders with real-life combat placement of a surgical airway to identify the underlying influences which contribute to their perception of success or failure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study with in-depth semi-structured interviews to understand participants' real-life cric experiences. The interview questions were developed based on the Critical Incident Questionnaire. In total, there were 11 participants-4 retired military and 7 active-duty service members. RESULTS: Nine themes were generated from the 11 interviews conducted. These themes can be categorized into 2 groups: factors internal to the provider, which we have called intrinsic influences, and factors external to the provider, which we call extrinsic influences. Intrinsic influences include personal well-being, confidence, experience, and decision-making. Extrinsic influences include training, equipment, assistance, environment, and patient factors. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed practitioners in combat settings felt the need to train more frequently in a stepwise fashion while following a well-understood airway management algorithm. More focus must be on utilizing live tissue with biological feedback, but only after anatomy and geospatial orientation are well understood on models, mannequins, and cadavers. The equipment utilized in training must be the equipment available in the field. Lastly, the focus of the training should be on scenarios which stress the physical and mental capabilities of the providers. A true test of both self-efficacy and deliberate practice is forced through the intrinsic and extrinsic findings from the qualitative data. All of these steps must be overseen by expert practitioners. Another key is providing more time to focus on medical skills development, which is critical to overall confidence and overcoming hesitation in the decision-making process. This is even more specific to those who are least medically trained and the most likely to encounter the casualty first, EMT-Basic level providers. If possible, increasing the number of medical providers at the point of injury would achieve multiple goals under the self-efficacy learning theory. Assistance would instill confidence in the practitioner, help with the ability to prioritize patients quickly, decrease anxiety, and decrease hesitation to perform in the combat environment.

The Challenge of Emergency Abortion Care Following the Dobbs Ruling.

This Viewpoint discusses how limited or blocked access to legal abortion will affect the provision of emergency and critical care, including negative effects on patient health, legal intrusion into the patient-physician decision-making process, and concerns about legal jeopardy.

The role of feedback in emergency ambulance services: a qualitative interview study.

BACKGROUND: Several international studies suggest that the feedback that emergency ambulance service (EMS) personnel receive on the care they have delivered lacks structure, relevance, credibility and routine implementation. Feedback in this context can relate to performance or patient outcomes, can come from a variety of sources and can be sought or imposed. Evidence from health services research and implementation science, suggests that feedback can change professional behavior, improve clinical outcomes and positively influence staff mental health. The current study aimed to explore the experience of EMS professionals regarding current feedback provision and their views on how feedback impacts on patient care, patient safety and staff wellbeing. METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted as part of a wider study of work-related wellbeing in EMS professionals. We used purposive sampling to select 24 frontline EMS professionals from one ambulance service in the United Kingdom and conducted semi-structured interviews. The data was analyzed in iterative cycles of inductive and deductive reasoning using Abductive Thematic Network Analysis. The analysis was informed by psychological theory, as well as models from the wider feedback effectiveness and feedback-seeking behavior literature. RESULTS: Participants viewed current feedback provision as inadequate and consistently expressed a desire for increased feedback. Reported types of prehospital feedback included patient outcome feedback, patient-experience feedback, peer-to-peer feedback, performance feedback, feedforward: on-scene advice, debriefing and investigations and coroners' reports. Participants raised concerns that inadequate feedback could negatively impact on patient safety by preventing learning from mistakes. Enhancing feedback provision was thought to improve patient care and staff wellbeing by supporting personal and professional development. CONCLUSIONS: In line with previous research in this area, this study highlights EMS professionals' strong desire for feedback. The study advances the literature by suggesting a typology of prehospital feedback and presenting a unique insight into the motives for feedback-seeking using psychological theory. A logic model for prehospital feedback interventions was developed to inform future research and development into prehospital feedback.

Resuscitation of Drowned Persons During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Consensus Statement.

Importance: Resuscitation is a niche example of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected society in the long term. Those trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) face the dilemma that attempting to save a life may result in their own harm. This is most of all a problem for drowning, where hypoxia is the cause of cardiac arrest and ventilation is the essential first step in reversing the situation. Objective: To develop recommendations for water rescue organizations in providing their rescuers with safe drowning resuscitation procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence Review: Two consecutive modified Delphi procedures involving 56 participants from 17 countries with expertise in drowning prevention research, resuscitation, and programming were performed from March 28, 2020, to March 29, 2021. In parallel, PubMed and Google Scholar were searched to identify new emerging evidence relevant to each core element, acknowledge previous studies relevant in the new context, and identify knowledge gaps. Findings: Seven core elements, each with their own specific recommendations, were identified in the initial consensus procedure and were grouped into 4 categories: (1) prevention and mitigation of the risks of becoming infected, (2) resuscitation of drowned persons during the COVID-19 pandemic, (3) organizational responsibilities, and (4) organizations unable to meet the recommended guidelines. The common measures of infection risk mitigation, personal protective equipment, and vaccination are the base of the recommendations. Measures to increase drowning prevention efforts reduce the root cause of the dilemma. Additional infection risk mitigation measures include screening all people entering aquatic facilities, defining criteria for futile resuscitation, and avoiding contact with drowned persons by rescuers with a high-risk profile. Ventilation techniques must balance required skill level, oxygen delivery, infection risk, and costs of equipment and training. Bag-mask ventilation with a high-efficiency particulate air filter by 2 trained rescuers is advised. Major implications for the methods, facilities, and environment of CPR training have been identified, including nonpractical skills to avoid being infected or to infect others. Most of all, the organization is responsible for informing their members about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and taking measures that maximize rescuer safety. Research is urgently needed to better understand, develop, and implement strategies to reduce infection transmission during drowning resuscitation. Conclusions and Relevance: This consensus document provides an overview of recommendations for water rescue organizations to improve the safety of their rescuers during the COVID-19 pandemic and balances the competing interests between a potentially lifesaving intervention and risk to the rescuer. The consensus-based recommendations can also serve as an example for other volunteer organizations and altruistic laypeople who may provide resuscitation.

Provision of pre-hospital medical care for terrorist attacks.

The delivery of medical care to the severely injured during major incidents and mass casualty events has been a recurring challenge for decades across the world. From events in resource-poor developing countries, through richly funded military conflicts, to the most equipped of developed nations, the provision of rapid medical care to the severely injured during major incidents and mass casualty events has been a priority for healthcare providers. This is often under the most difficult of circumstances.1,2 Whilst mass casualty events are a persistent global challenge, it is clear in developed countries that patients and their families demand and expect a high standard of care from their rescuers, that this care should be delivered rapidly, and this should be of the highest quality possible.3 Whilst there is respect afforded to those who 'run towards danger' during a high-threat situation, first responders are subjected to a high degree of scrutiny for their actions, even when the circumstances they are presented with are considered to be extraordinary.4 Likewise, even for those who are catastrophically injured beyond salvage, society expects the response to be dignified, calculated, and thorough.3.

Proper preservation of amputated parts: A multi-level shortcoming.

BACKGROUND: Successful replantation relies on proper preservation of traumatically amputated parts. The established protocol for preservation, however, is inconsistently adhered to. The objective of this study is to examine the rate of proper preservation in multiple patient populations. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients from 2015 to 2019 at a single academic institution was conducted. Patients were included if they suffered a traumatic amputation, the amputated part was present for evaluation by the hand surgery team, and modality of preservation was documented. Additional data including method of patient transport, replantation attempt, and operative outcome were assessed. Patients were stratified based on whether proper preservation was employed and compared using chi-square tests. RESULTS: Ninety-one patients were included, thirty-one (34.1%) of whom had amputated parts which were properly preserved. Patients from referring facilities were more likely to present with properly preserved parts (45.0%) than those presenting from home (25.5%), though this did not meet significance (P = .051). In total, 74 patients arrived via EMS with 35.1% adherence to preservation protocol. Of the 31 patients who had properly preserved parts, 58.1% underwent attempted replant; of the 60 patients who had improperly preserved parts, 23.3% underwent attempted replantation (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients who suffer traumatic amputations do not present with properly preserved amputated parts, limiting potential replantation. With a direct correlation to attempted replantation, proper preservation is a crucial aspect of care and should not be overlooked when seeking to optimize efforts and results. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Optimized Benzodiazepine Treatment of Pediatric Status Epilepticus Through a Standardized Emergency Medical Services Resuscitation Tool.

BACKGROUND: Optimized benzodiazepine (BZD) dosing decreases morbidity and mortality in children with status epilepticus (SE), but previous studies have documented widespread underdosing. Prior interventions have focused on in-hospital SE treatment, although more than 75% of pediatric patients with SE are initially treated by emergency medical services (EMS). Our goal was to assess whether an EMS-focused, collaboratively developed dosing resuscitation aid (Medic One Pediatric [MOPed] cards) and training could improve BZD dosing and pediatric SE outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of patients aged 12 years and younger treated by EMS for SE and transferred to Seattle Children's Hospital during the 1 year before and immediately after MOPed card training. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients receiving underdosed BZD treatment. Secondary outcomes included time to second-line antiseizure medication (ASM), intubation, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. RESULTS: The 44 children before and 33 after MOPed implementation were similar with respect to age, gender, and pre-existing epilepsy diagnosis. The percentage of children receiving underdosed BZDs fell from 52% to 6% after MOPed implementation (P < 0.001). There was no significant decrease in requirement for intubation and ICU admission. The interval to treatment with a second-line ASM remained prolonged. CONCLUSIONS: EMS-focused training significantly increased the percentage of outpatient pediatric patients with SE who received recommended initial BZD treatment. This improvement in management of SE did not significantly alter the rate of intubation or ICU admission, suggesting the need for further optimization of out-of-hospital SE care, particularly access to and timely use of second-line ASMs.

Poor guideline adherence in a real-world evaluation of hypertensive emergency management.

BACKGROUND: The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association define hypertensive emergency (HTN-E) as a systolic blood pressure greater than 180 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure greater than 120 mmHg with evidence of end-organ damage (EOD). Based on expert opinion, current guidelines recommend antihypertensive therapy to reduce blood pressure (BP) at specific hourly rates to reduce progression of EOD, outlined by four criteria. Our goal was to describe compliance with guideline recommendations for early management of HTN-E and to analyze safety outcomes related to pharmacologic intervention. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review including patients presenting to the emergency department with HTN-E between September 2016 and August 2020. We excluded patients with a compelling indication for altered therapeutic goals (e.g. acute aortic dissection, hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke, and pheochromocytoma). The primary outcome was complete adherence with guideline recommendations in the first 24 h. RESULTS: Of 758 screened records, 402 were included. Mean age was 54 years and majority Black race (72%). Overall, total adherence was poor (<1%): 30% received intravenous therapy within 1 h, 64% achieved 1-h BP goals, 44% achieved 6-h goals, and 9% had appropriate 24-h maintenance BP. Hypotensive events (N = 67) were common and antihypertensive-associated EOD (N = 21) did occur. Predictors of hypotension include treatment within 1 h and management with continuous infusion medication. CONCLUSIONS: Current practice is poorly compliant with guideline criteria and there are risks associated with recommended treatments. Our results favor relaxing the expert opinion-based recommendations.

Establishing quality indicators for pre-hospital advanced airway management: a modified nominal group technique consensus process.

BACKGROUND: Pre-hospital advanced airway management is a complex intervention composed of numerous steps, interactions, and variables that can be delivered to a high standard in the pre-hospital setting. Standard research methods have struggled to evaluate this complex intervention because of considerable heterogeneity in patients, providers, and techniques. In this study, we aimed to develop a set of quality indicators to evaluate pre-hospital advanced airway management. METHODS: We used a modified nominal group technique consensus process comprising three email rounds and a consensus meeting among a group of 16 international experts. The final set of quality indicators was assessed for usability according to the National Quality Forum Measure Evaluation Criteria. RESULTS: Seventy-seven possible quality indicators were identified through a narrative literature review with a further 49 proposed by panel experts. A final set of 17 final quality indicators composed of three structure-, nine process-, and five outcome-related indicators, was identified through the consensus process. The quality indicators cover all steps of pre-hospital advanced airway management from preoxygenation and use of rapid sequence induction to the ventilatory state of the patient at hospital delivery, prior intubation experience of provider, success rates and complications. CONCLUSIONS: We identified a set of quality indicators for pre-hospital advanced airway management that represent a practical tool to measure, report, analyse, and monitor quality and performance of this complex intervention.

Clinical decision support for severe trauma patients: Machine learning based definition of a bundle of care for hemorrhagic shock and traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND: Deviation from guidelines is frequent in emergency situations, and this may lead to increased mortality. Probably because of time constraints, 55% is the greatest reported guidelines compliance rate in severe trauma patients. This study aimed to identify among all available recommendations a reasonable bundle of items that should be followed to optimize the outcome of hemorrhagic shocks (HSs) and severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). METHODS: We first estimated the compliance with French and European guidelines using the data from the French TraumaBase registry. Then, we used a machine learning procedure to reduce the number of recommendations into a minimal set of items to be followed to minimize 7-day mortality. We evaluated the bundles using an external validation cohort. RESULTS: This study included 5,924 trauma patients (1,414 HS and 4,955 TBI) between 2011 and August 2019 and studied compliance to 36 recommendation items. Overall compliance rate to recommendation items was 71.6% and 66.9% for HS and TBI, respectively. In HS, compliance was significantly associated with 7-day decreased mortality in univariate analysis but not in multivariate analysis (risk ratio [RR], 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90-1.17; p = 0.06). In TBI, compliance was significantly associated with decreased mortality in univariate and multivariate analysis (RR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.75-0.92; p = 0.01). For HS, the bundle included 13 recommendation items. In the validation cohort, when this bundle was applied, patients were found to have a lower 7-day mortality rate (RR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.27-0.63; p = 0.01). In TBI, the bundle included seven items. In the validation cohort, when this bundle was applied, patients had a lower 7-day mortality rate (RR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.34-0.71; p = 0.02). DISCUSSION: Using a machine-learning procedure, we were able to identify a subset of recommendations that minimizes 7-day mortality following traumatic HS and TBI. These two bundles remain to be evaluated in a prospective manner. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Care Management, level II.

Segurança do paciente no atendimento pré-hospitalar móvel: revisão integrativa da literatura / Patient safety in pre-hospital care: integrative literature review

Introdução: O atendimento pré-hospitalar (APH) integra a rede de atenção às urgências e emergências do país e é caracterizado pela assistência fora do ambiente de qualquer serviço de saúde, muitas vezes em situações urgentes e que podem levar as vítimas à óbito. Tem como objetivo central executar intervenções rápidas, efetivas e seguras, capazes de possibilitar maior sobrevida ao paciente e minimizar possíveis sequelas, transitórias ou permanentes. Assim, a segurança do paciente no atendimento pré-hospitalar móvel torna-se fundamental. Objetivo: Analisar as evidências científicas disponíveis na literatura acerca da utilização de ações voltadas à segurança do paciente no atendimento pré-hospitalar móvel. Método: Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa da literatura, desenvolvida em seis etapas: identificação do tema e seleção da hipótese ou questão de pesquisa; estabelecimento de critérios para inclusão e exclusão de estudos ou amostragem ou busca na literatura; definição das informações a serem extraídas dos estudos selecionados para categorização dos dados; avaliação dos estudos incluídos na revisão integrativa; interpretação dos resultados; apresentação da revisão para síntese do conhecimento. Resultados: Foram incluídos artigos disponíveis na íntegra nas bases de dados selecionadas, publicados entre janeiro de 2004 e março de 2022, nos idiomas português, inglês ou espanhol e que responderam à questão norteadora desta revisão. A análise inicial permitiu a identificação de 89 estudos; após a leitura na íntegra, foram incluídos na amostra um total de 20 artigos. Após a análise dos artigos, emergiram três categorias de análise: principais eventos adversos no atendimento pré-hospitalar móvel, fatores de risco associados a eventos adversos no atendimento pré-hospitalar móvel e intervenções para a segurança do paciente no atendimento pré-hospitalar móvel. Os resultados comprovam que o APH expõe os pacientes a inúmeros riscos, como as infecções associadas à assistência em saúde. Considerações finais: Visando maior segurança do paciente no APH, ressalta-se a necessidade de treinamento e capacitação permanente dos trabalhadores de saúde; a utilização de protocolos assistenciais atualizados, no intuito de garantir maior qualidade da assistência e minimizar os riscos e ocorrência de eventos adversos; a importância da comunicação efetiva e a necessidade da implementação da cultura de segurança nos serviços de APH, com o objetivo de incentivar a melhoria contínua da assistência em saúde minimizando riscos e eventos adversos; o trabalho em equipe e a gestão voltada para a segurança do paciente. Como produto, foi elaborado um checklist de ações voltadas à segurança do paciente no APH

Introduction: Pre-hospital care (PHC) is part of the Brazilian's urgent and emergency care network, as well as characterized by assistance outside health service environment, often in urgent situations that may lead to patient's death. Its main goal is to perform quick, effective, and safe interventions, capable of allowing longer patient survival and minimizing possible transient or permanent sequelae. Thus, patient safety in PHC becomes crucial. Objective: To analyze scientific evidence available in the literature on the actions aimed at patient safety in mobile pre-hospital care. Method: This is an integrative literature review, developed in six stages: theme identification and hypothesis selection or research question; criteria establishment for studies or sampling inclusion and exclusion, or literature search; information set forth to be extracted from selected studies for data categorization; evaluation of studies included in the integrative review; results interpretation; of the review presentation for the synthesis of knowledge. Results: Original articles were included, available in full in the selected databases, published between January 2004 and March 2022, in Portuguese, English or Spanish languages and which answered to this review guiding question. The initial analysis allowed the selection of 89 studies; after full reading of texts, a total of 20 articles were included in the sample. After analyzing the articles, two analysis categories emerged: main adverse events in movable pre-hospital care, risk factors associated with adverse events in movable pre-hospital care, and interventions to patient at safety in movable pre-hospital care. The results showed that PHC exposes patients to several risks, such as health care-associated infections. Final considerations: Aiming at greater patient safety in the PHC, here are highlighted the need for health workers' permanent training and qualification, updated care protocols use, in order to ensure greater quality of care and minimize the risks and occurrence of adverse events, the importance of effective written communication and the need to implement a safety culture in PHC services, aiming to encourage continuous improvement in health care, teamwork and management focused on patient safety. As a product, a checklist to patient safety in the PHC was proposed

Effect of Acute Exposure to Altitude on the Quality of Chest Compression-Only Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Personnel: A Randomized, Controlled, Single-Blind Crossover Trial.

Background Helicopter emergency medical services personnel operating in mountainous terrain are frequently exposed to rapid ascents and provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the field. The aim of the present trial was to investigate the quality of chest compression only (CCO)-CPR after acute exposure to altitude under repeatable and standardized conditions. Methods and Results Forty-eight helicopter emergency medical services personnel were divided into 12 groups of 4 participants; each group was assigned to perform 5 minutes of CCO-CPR on manikins at 2 of 3 altitudes in a randomized controlled single-blind crossover design (200, 3000, and 5000 m) in a hypobaric chamber. Physiological parameters were continuously monitored; participants rated their performance and effort on visual analog scales. Generalized estimating equations were performed for variables of CPR quality (depth, rate, recoil, and effective chest compressions) and effects of time, altitude, carryover, altitude sequence, sex, qualification, weight, preacclimatization, and interactions were analyzed. Our trial showed a time-dependent decrease in chest compression depth (P=0.036) after 20 minutes at altitude; chest compression depth was below the recommended minimum of 50 mm after 60 to 90 seconds (49 [95% CI, 46-52] mm) of CCO-CPR. Conclusions This trial showed a time-dependent decrease in CCO-CPR quality provided by helicopter emergency medical services personnel during acute exposure to altitude, which was not perceived by the providers. Our findings suggest a reevaluation of the CPR guidelines for providers practicing at altitudes of 3000 m and higher. Mechanical CPR devices could be of help in overcoming CCO-CPR quality decrease in helicopter emergency medical services missions. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT04138446.

Analysis of maternal and newborn training curricula and approaches to inform future trainings for routine care, basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care in the low- and middle-income countries: Lessons from Ethiopia and Nepal.

Program managers routinely design and implement specialised maternal and newborn health trainings for health workers in low- and middle-income countries to provide better-coordinated care across the continuum of care. However, in these countries details on the availability of different training packages, skills covered in those training packages and the gaps in their implementation are patchy. This paper presents an assessment of maternal and newborn health training packages to describe differences in training contents and implementation approaches used for a range of training packages in Ethiopia and Nepal. We conducted a mixed-methods study. The quantitative assessment was conducted using a comprehensive assessment questionnaire based on validated WHO guidelines and developed jointly with global maternal and newborn health experts. The qualitative assessment was conducted through key informant interviews with national stakeholders involved in implementing these training packages and working with the Ministries of Health in both countries. Our quantitative analysis revealed several key gaps in the technical content of maternal and newborn health training packages in both countries. Our qualitative results from key informant interviews provided additional insights by highlighting several issues with trainings related to quality, skill retention, logistics, and management. Taken together, our findings suggest four key areas of improvement: first, training materials should be updated based on the content gaps identified and should be aligned with each other. Second, trainings should address actual health worker performance gaps using a variety of innovative approaches such as blended and self-directed learning. Third, post-training supervision and ongoing mentoring need to be strengthened. Lastly, functional training information systems are required to support planning efforts in both countries.

Palliatiivne ravi (II osa). Erakorraliste seisundite käsitlus, elulõpuravi ja palliatiivse ravi korraldus / Palliative care (Part II): management of emergency situations, organization of end-of-life care and palliative care

Palliative care (Part II). Management of emergency situations, organization of end-of-life care and palliative care.

Palliatiivne ravi (II osa). Erakorraliste seisundite käsitlus, elulõpuravi ja palliatiivse ravi korraldus.

Clinical Features and Preventability of Delayed Diagnosis of Pediatric Appendicitis.

Importance: Delayed diagnosis of appendicitis is associated with worse outcomes than timely diagnosis, but clinical features associated with diagnostic delay are uncertain, and the extent to which delays are preventable is unclear. Objective: To determine clinical features associated with delayed diagnosis of pediatric appendicitis, assess the frequency of preventable delay, and compare delay outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants: This case-control study included 748 children treated at 5 pediatric emergency departments in the US between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2019. Participants were younger than 21 years and had a diagnosis of appendicitis. Exposures: Individual features of appendicitis and pretest likelihood of appendicitis were measured by the Pediatric Appendicitis Risk Calculator (pARC). Main Outcomes and Measures: Case patients had a delayed diagnosis of appendicitis, defined as 2 emergency department visits leading to diagnosis and a case review showing the patient likely had appendicitis at the first visit. Control patients had a single emergency department visit yielding a diagnosis. Clinical features and pARC scores were compared by case-control status. Preventability of delay was assessed as unlikely, possible, or likely. The proportion of children with indicated imaging based on an evidence-based cost-effectiveness threshold was determined. Outcomes of delayed diagnosis were compared by case-control status, including hospital length of stay, perforation, and multiple surgical procedures. Results: A total of 748 children (mean [SD] age, 10.2 [4.3] years; 392 boys [52.4%]; 427 White children [57.1%]) were included in the study; 471 (63.0%) had a delayed diagnosis of appendicitis, and 277 (37.0%) had no delay in diagnosis. Children with a delayed diagnosis were less likely to have pain with walking (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.16; 95% CI, 0.10-0.25), maximal pain in the right lower quadrant (aOR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.07-0.19), and abdominal guarding (aOR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.21-0.51), and were more likely to have a complex chronic condition (aOR, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.05-5.23). The pretest likelihood of appendicitis was 39% to 52% lower in children with a delayed vs timely diagnosis. Among children with a delayed diagnosis, 109 cases (23.1%) were likely to be preventable, and 247 (52.4%) were possibly preventable. Indicated imaging was performed in 104 (22.0%) to 289 (61.3%) children with delayed diagnosis, depending on the imputation method for missing data on white blood cell count. Patients with delayed diagnosis had longer hospital length of stay (mean difference between the groups, 2.8 days; 95% CI, 2.3-3.4 days) and higher perforation rates (OR, 7.8; 95% CI, 5.5-11.3) and were more likely to undergo 2 or more surgical procedures (OR, 8.0; 95% CI, 2.0-70.4). Conclusions and Relevance: In this case-control study, delayed appendicitis was associated with initially milder symptoms but worse outcomes. These findings suggest that a majority of delayed diagnoses were at least possibly preventable and that many of these patients did not undergo indicated imaging, suggesting an opportunity to prevent delayed diagnosis of appendicitis in some children.

Effect of a Mobile App on Prehospital Medication Errors During Simulated Pediatric Resuscitation: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Medication errors are a leading cause of injury and avoidable harm, affecting millions of people worldwide each year. Children are particularly susceptible to medication errors, but innovative interventions for the prevention of these errors in prehospital emergency care are lacking. Objective: To assess the efficacy of an evidence-based mobile app in reducing the occurrence of medication errors compared with conventional preparation methods during simulated pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest scenarios. Design, Setting, and Participants: This nationwide, open-label, multicenter, randomized clinical trial was conducted at 14 emergency medical services centers in Switzerland from September 3, 2019, to January 21, 2020. The participants were 150 advanced paramedics with drug preparation autonomy. Each participant was exposed to a 20-minute, standardized, fully video-recorded, realistic pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cardiopulmonary resuscitation scenario concerning an 18-month-old child. Participants were tested on sequential preparations of 4 intravenous emergency drugs of varying degrees of preparation difficulty (epinephrine, midazolam, 10% dextrose, and sodium bicarbonate). Intervention: Participants were randomized (1:1 ratio) to the support of an app designed to assist with pediatric drug preparation (intervention; n = 74) or to follow conventional drug preparation methods without assistance (control; n = 76). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the rate of medication errors, defined as a failure in drug preparation according to predefined, expert consensus-based criteria. Logistic regression models with mixed effects were used to assess the effect of the app on binary outcomes. Secondary outcomes included times to drug preparation and delivery, assessed with linear regression models with mixed effects. Results: In total, 150 advanced paramedics (mean [SD] age, 35.6 [7.2] years; 101 men [67.3%]; mean [SD] time since paramedic certification, 8.0 [6.2] years) participated in the study and completed 600 drug preparations. Of 304 preparations delivered using the conventional method, 191 (62.8%; 95% CI, 57.1%-68.3%) were associated with medication errors compared with 17 of 296 preparations delivered using the app (5.7%; 95% CI, 3.4%-9.0%). When accounting for repeated measures, with the app, the proportion of medication errors decreased in absolute terms by 66.5% (95% CI, 32.6%-83.8%; P < .001), the mean time to drug preparation decreased by 40 seconds (95% CI, 23-57 seconds; P < .001), and the mean time to drug delivery decreased by 47 seconds (95% CI, 27-66 seconds; P < .001). The risk of medication errors varied across drugs with conventional methods (19.7%-100%) when compared with the app (4.1%-6.8%). Conclusions and Relevance: Compared with conventional methods, the use of a mobile app significantly decreased the rate of medication errors and time to drug delivery for emergency drug preparation in a prehospital setting. Dedicated mobile apps have the potential to improve medication safety and change practices in pediatric emergency medicine. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03921346.

The impact of prehospital tranexamic acid on mortality and transfusion requirements: match-pair analysis from the nationwide German TraumaRegister DGU®.

BACKGROUND: Outcome data about the use of tranexamic acid (TXA) in civilian patients in mature trauma systems are scarce. The aim of this study was to determine how severely injured patients are affected by the widespread prehospital use of TXA in Germany. METHODS: The international TraumaRegister DGU® was retrospectively analyzed for severely injured patients with risk of bleeding (2015 until 2019) treated with at least one dose of TXA in the prehospital phase (TXA group). These were matched with patients who had not received prehospital TXA (control group), applying propensity score-based matching. Adult patients (≥ 16) admitted to a trauma center in Germany with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥ 9 points were included. RESULTS: The matching yielded two comparable cohorts (n = 2275 in each group), and the mean ISS was 32.4 ± 14.7 in TXA group vs. 32.0 ± 14.5 in control group (p = 0.378). Around a third in both groups received one dose of TXA after hospital admission. TXA patients were significantly more transfused (p = 0.022), but needed significantly less packed red blood cells (p ≤ 0.001) and fresh frozen plasma (p = 0.023), when transfused. Massive transfusion rate was significantly lower in the TXA group (5.5% versus 7.2%, p = 0.015). Mortality was similar except for early mortality after 6 h (p = 0.004) and 12 h (p = 0.045). Among non-survivors hemorrhage as leading cause of death was less in the TXA group (3.0% vs. 4.3%, p = 0.021). Thromboembolic events were not significantly different between both groups (TXA 6.1%, control 4.9%, p = 0.080). CONCLUSION: This is the largest civilian study in which the effect of prehospital TXA use in a mature trauma system has been examined. TXA use in severely injured patients was associated with a significantly lower risk of massive transfusion and lower mortality in the early in-hospital treatment period. Due to repetitive administration, a dose-dependent effect of TXA must be discussed.