Paramedic

OBJECTIVE: -Determine the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination in a population applying for life insurance. SETTING: -This is a cross-sectional study of 2584 US life insurance applicants, to determine the seroprevalence of antibodies to COVID-19. This convenience sample was selected on two consecutive days April 25-26, 2022. RESULTS: -For COVID-19, 97.3% are seropositive, and 63.9% have antibodies to nucleocapsid protein, a marker of prior infection...

RATIONALE: Delivering optimal patient health care requires interdisciplinary clinician communication. A single communication tool across multiple pre-hospital and hospital settings, and between hospital departments is a novel solution to current systems. Fit-for-purpose, secure smartphone applications allow clinical information to be shared quickly between health providers. Little is known as to what underpins their successful implementation in an emergency care context. AIMS: To identify (a) whether implementing a single, digital health communication application across multiple health care organisations and hospital departments is feasible; (b) the barriers and facilitators to implementation; and (c) which factors are associated with clinicians' intentions to use the technology...

PROBLEM: Between 1980 and 2021, emergency medical services (EMS) calls experienced a 421% increase, while calls for fires declined by 55%. The more exposure, the more the opportunity for workplace violence (WPV). Due to the non- existence of a reporting system that captures physical and verbal violence, it has been difficult to quantify the degree of WPV experienced by the U.S. fire and rescue service. METHODS: To describe WPV in three large metropolitan fire departments, an existing data system was modified...

INTRODUCTION: In comparison to the general population and other emergency services workers, paramedics experience high rates of work-related psychological injury. However, there is limited understanding of the case and practitioner-related factors that increase the risk of psychological injury among these workers. This paper aims to identify case and practitioner-related factors associated with paramedic work-related psychological injury in Victoria, Australia, through data linkage. METHODS: Data linkage of 7,223 paramedic injury reports with electronic patient care records, and paramedic demographic data from the single state-wide ambulance service in Victoria, Australia - Ambulance Victoria...

INTRODUCTION: Adults living in long-term care (LTC) are at increased risk of harm when transferred to the emergency department (ED), and programs targeting treatment on-site are increasing. We examined characteristics, clinical course, and disposition of LTC patients transported to the ED to examine the potential impact of alternative models of paramedic care for LTC patients. METHODS: We conducted a health records review of paramedic and ED records between April 1, 2016, and March 31, 2017...

OBJECTIVES: Medical providers working with trauma survivors are exposed to the negative and positive effects of secondary trauma, both of which are affected by social support and job satisfaction. The aim of this study was to determine the mediating role of job satisfaction in the relationship between social support and the negative and positive effects of secondary exposure to trauma among medical personnel. The negative indicator of such exposure was secondary traumatic stress (STS), while the positive indicator was secondary posttraumatic growth (SPTG)...

BACKGROUND: Isoflurane is used as an inhalation anesthetic in medical, paramedical, and veterinary practice. Epidemiological studies suggest an increased risk of miscarriages and malformations at birth related to maternal exposure to isoflurane and other inhalation anesthetics. However, these studies cannot be used to derive an occupational exposure level (OEL), because exposure was not determined quantitatively and other risk factors such as co-exposures to other inhalation anesthetics and other work-related factors may also have contributed to the observed adverse outcomes...

ABSTRAC: BACKGROUND: Treatment of acute pain is an essential element of pre-hospital care for injured and critically ill patients. Clinical studies indicate the need for improvement in the prehospital analgesia. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to assess the current situation in out of hospital pain management in Germany regarding the substances, indications, dosage and the delegation of the use of analgesics to emergency medical service (EMS) staff. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A standardized survey of the medical directors of the emergency services (MDES) in Germany was carried out using an online questionnaire...

INTRODUCTION: Controversy exists with regard to risk of secondary exposure of health care workers caring for patients who have ingested an organophosphate insecticide. We aim to report clinical effects of staff members caring for an organophosphate poisoned patient. INCIDENT: A 76-year-old male presented to the Emergency Department exhibiting a cholinergic toxidrome requiring atropine, intubation and mechanical ventilation. METHODS: We undertook a retrospective chart review of any Emergency Department presentations for medical assessment in relation to the incident and conducted telephone interviews of any healthcare workers who did not present but were deemed to be closely involved with patient care...

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is likely to experience transformative changes due to the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), such as OpenAI's ChatGPT. In this short commentary, we aim to preliminarily explore some profound implications of AI advancements on EMS systems and practice.

OBJECTIVE: The primary and secondary impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic are claimed to have had a detrimental impact on health professional retention within the UK National Health Service (NHS). This study set out to identify priorities for intervention by scaling the relative importance of widely cited push (leave) influences. DESIGN: During Summer/Autumn 2021, a UK-wide opportunity sample (n=1958) of NHS health professionals completed an online paired-comparisons exercise to determine the relative salience of work-related stress, workload intensity, time pressure, staffing levels, working hours, work-homelife balance, recognition of effort and pay as reasons why health professionals leave NHS employment...

BACKGROUND: The number of emergency medical service (EMS) calls in Germany is continuously increasing. The initial assessment, the pre-hospital care and the choice of hospital for further care by the EMS influences the patient's outcome and are the basis for further care in hospital. However, the EMS does not receive any official feedback on its decisions. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluates the demand for a feedback system from the emergency department (ED) to the EMS, what it should contain, and how it could be integrated in the electronic clinical systems...

BACKGROUND: In this paper, we present the protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of a participative risk management intervention to address work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). The aims of the study include to evaluate the implementation process and the impact of the intervention on work related musculoskeletal pain and discomfort and exposure to physical and psychosocial hazards in paramedics over a 12-month period...

INTRODUCTION: While overdoses comprise the majority of opioid research, the comprehensive impact of the opioid crisis on emergency departments (EDs) and paramedic services has not been reported. We examined temporal changes in population-adjusted incidence rates of ED visits and paramedic transports due to opioid-related conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study of all ED visits in the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2019 in Ontario, Canada...

Violence against paramedics has been described as a 'serious public health problem' but one that remains 'vastly underreported', owing to an organizational culture that stigmatizes reporting-hindering efforts at risk mitigation in addition to creating a gap in research. Leveraging a novel reporting process developed after extensive stakeholder consultation and embedded within the electronic patient care record, our objective was to provide a descriptive profile of violence against paramedics in a single paramedic service in Ontario, Canada...

BACKGROUND: The paramedic profession within the United Kingdom has been evolving at pace over the last 20 years. While they are most associated with their work in ambulance services, paramedics are now found throughout a range of clinical and academic settings. SOURCES OF DATA: Literature Review. AREAS OF AGREEMENT: Despite emergence of the paramedic across the healthcare workforce, the understanding and awareness of the professional role and capabilities is poor...

CONTEXT: Frontline healthcare workers are at risk of developing psychological distress during a pandemic. Yoga, a form of mind-body medicine can reduce body stress and increases well-being. AIMS: To assess the effect of yoga on the stress and well-being of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This single-arm pre-post study was conducted among frontline health workers (support staff, paramedics, and medics) posted at a secondary care hospital in a North Indian district...

BACKGROUND: Bangladesh outperforms its Least Developed Country (LDC) status on a range of health measures including life expectancy. Its frontline medical practitioners, however, are not formally trained medical professionals, but instead lightly-trained 'village doctors' able to prescribe modern pharmaceuticals. This current study represents the most complete national survey of these practitioners and their informal 'clinics'. METHODS: The study is based on a national Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) of 1,000 informal practitioners...

BACKGROUND: At an Arkansas emergency department, patient care technicians have been in use, but in looking for innovative ways to manage an ever-changing environment requiring adjustments to staffing needs and shortages, the use of paramedics as nurse extenders within the emergency department was trialed. A paramedic can perform all patient care technician duties along with many registered nurse tasks. PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the perceptions of the emergency department staff about the use of paramedics and determine how working with them directly would change those perceptions...

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