1
|
Ross SW, Campion E, Jensen AR, Gray L, Gross T, Namias N, Goodloe JM, Bulger EM, Fischer PE, Fallat ME. Prehospital and emergency department pediatric readiness for injured children: A statement from the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma Emergency Medical Services Committee. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2023; 95:e6-e10. [PMID: 37125944 DOI: 10.1097/ta.0000000000003997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Injury is the leading cause of death in children older than 1 year, and children make up 22% of the population. Pediatric readiness (PR) of the nation's emergency departments and state trauma and emergency medical services (EMS) systems is conceptually important and vital to mitigate mortality and morbidity in this population. The extension of PR to the trauma community has become a focused area for training, staffing, education, and equipment at all levels of trauma center designation, and there is evidence that a higher level of emergency department PR is independently associated with long-term survival among injured children. Although less well studied, there is an associated need for EMS PR, which is relevant to the injured child who needs assessment, treatment, triage, and transport to a trauma center. We outline a blueprint along with recommendations for incorporating PR into trauma system development in this opinion from the EMS Committee of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. These recommendations are particularly pertinent in the rural and underserved areas of the United States but are directed toward all levels of professionals who care for an injured child along the trauma continuum of care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Wade Ross
- From the Division of Acute Care Surgery, Department of Surgery (S.W.R.), F.H. "Sammy" Ross, Jr. Trauma Center, Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Charlotte, North Carolina; Division of GI, Trauma, and Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery (E.C.), University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery (A.R.J.), UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, California; Department of Pediatrics (L.G.), The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, Texas; Department of Pediatrics (T.G.), Children's Hospital New Orleans, Tulane University School of Medicine; LSU Health Sciences Center (T.G.), New Orleans, Louisiana; Division of Trauma, Burns, and Surgical Critical Care, Daughtry Family Department of Surgery (N.N.), Ryder Trauma Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida; Department of Emergency Medicine (J.M.G.), University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Division of Trauma, Burns, and Critical Care, Department of Surgery (E.M.B.), University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Division of Trauma Surgical Critical Care, Department of Surgery (P.E.F.), University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee; and Hiram C. Polk, Jr. Department of Surgery (M.E.F.), University of Louisville and Norton Children's Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Cercone A, Ramgopal S, Martin-Gill C. Completeness of Pediatric Versus Adult Patient Assessment Documentation in the National Emergency Medical Services Information System. PREHOSP EMERG CARE 2023; 28:243-252. [PMID: 36758201 DOI: 10.1080/10903127.2023.2178563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pediatric prehospital encounters are proportionally low-frequency events. National pediatric readiness initiatives have targeted gaps in prehospital pediatric assessment and management. Regional studies suggest that pediatric vital signs are inconsistently obtained and documented. We aimed to assess national emergency medical services (EMS) data to evaluate completeness of assessment documentation for pediatric versus adult patients and to identify the documentation of condition-specific assessments. METHODS We performed a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of EMS encounters from the National Emergency Medical Services Information System for 2019, including all 9-1-1 encounters resulting in transport. Our primary outcome was the proportion of encounters with complete vital signs (heart rate, respiratory rate, and systolic blood pressure) documented by pediatric age category relative to adult encounters. Pediatric patients were considered as those less than 18 years old. Our secondary outcome was condition-specific assessments for encounters with respiratory emergencies, cardiac complaints, and trauma. We performed multivariable logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for vital signs documentation by age after adjusting for sex, injury status, transport type (advanced vs basic life support), census region, urbanicity, organization nonprofit status, and organization type. RESULTS Of 18,918,914 EMS encounters, 6.4% involved pediatric patients. Documentation of complete vital signs was lowest in those <1 month old (30.8%) and rose with increasing age (highest in adults; 91.8%). Relative to adults, the adjusted odds of documented complete vital signs in patients <1 month old was 0.03 (95% CI 0.03-0.03) and increased with age to 0.76 (95% CI 0.75-0.77) in those 12-17 years old. Among those patients with respiratory, cardiac, and traumatic complaints, children had lower proportions of documented pulse oximetry, monitor use, and pain scores, respectively, compared to adults. CONCLUSION Documentation of complete vital signs and condition-specific assessments occurs less frequently in children, especially in younger age groups, as compared to adults, which is a finding that exists across urbanicity, region, and level of response. These findings provide a benchmark for clinical care, quality improvement, and research in the prehospital setting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angelica Cercone
- Division of Emergency Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Sriram Ramgopal
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Christian Martin-Gill
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hewes HA, Genovesi AL, Codden R, Ely M, Ludwig L, Macias CG, Schmuhl P, Olson LM. Ready for Children Part II: Increasing Pediatric Care Coordination and Psychomotor Skills Evaluation in the Prehospital Setting. PREHOSP EMERG CARE 2021; 26:503-510. [PMID: 34142919 DOI: 10.1080/10903127.2021.1942340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Treating pediatric patients often invokes discomfort and anxiety among emergency medical service (EMS) personnel. As part of the process to improve pediatric care in the prehospital system, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Emergency Services for Children (EMSC) Program implemented two prehospital performance measures -access to a designated pediatric care coordinator (PECC) and skill evaluation using pediatric equipment-along with a multi-year plan to aid states in achieving the measures. Baseline data from a survey conducted in 2017 showed that less than 25% of EMS agencies had access to PECC and 47% performed skills evaluation using pediatric equipment at least twice a year. To evaluate change over time, the survey was again conducted in 2020, and agencies that participated in both years are compared. METHODS A web-based survey was sent to EMS agency administrators in 58 states and territories from January to March 2020. Descriptive statistics, odds ratios, and 95% confidence intervals were conducted. RESULTS The response rate was 56%. A total of 5,221 agencies participated in both survey periods representing over 250,000 providers. The percentage of agencies reporting the presence of a PECC increased from 24% to 34% (p= <0.001). However, some agencies reported that they no longer had a PECC, while others reported having a PECC for the first time. Fifty percent (50%) of agencies conduct pediatric psychomotor skills evaluation at least twice/year, a 2% increase over time (p = 0.041); however, a third (34%) evaluate skills using pediatric equipment less than once a year. The presence of a PECC continues to be the variable associated with the highest odds (AOR 2.15, 95% CI 1.91-2.43) of conducting at least semi-annual skills evaluation. CONCLUSIONS There is an increase in the presence of pediatric care coordination and the frequency of pediatric psychomotor skills evaluation among national EMS agencies over time. Continued efforts to increase and sustain PECC presence should be an ongoing focus to improve pediatric readiness in the prehospital system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hilary A Hewes
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, University of Utah, School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Data Coordinating Center, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Andrea L Genovesi
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Data Coordinating Center, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Rachel Codden
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Data Coordinating Center, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Michael Ely
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Data Coordinating Center, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Lorah Ludwig
- Emergency Medical Services for Children Program, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services
| | - Charles G Macias
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's/Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | - Patricia Schmuhl
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Data Coordinating Center, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Lenora M Olson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Data Coordinating Center, Salt Lake City, UT
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lyng J, Adelgais K, Alter R, Beal J, Chung B, Gross T, Minkler M, Moore B, Stebbins T, Vance S, Williams K, Yee A. Recommended Essential Equipment for Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support Ground Ambulances 2020: A Joint Position Statement. Pediatrics 2021; 147:peds.2021-051508. [PMID: 34011633 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2021-051508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- John Lyng
- National Association of EMS Physicians, Overland Park, Kansas;
| | - Kathleen Adelgais
- Emergency Medical Services for Children Innovation and Improvement Center, Austin, Texas
| | - Rachael Alter
- Emergency Medical Services for Children Innovation and Improvement Center, Austin, Texas
| | - Justin Beal
- Emergency Nurses Association, Des Plaines, Illinois
| | - Bruce Chung
- American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Toni Gross
- National Association of EMS Physicians, Overland Park, Kansas
| | - Marc Minkler
- National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Officials, Falls Church, Virginia; and
| | - Brian Moore
- American Academy of Pediatrics, Itasca, Illinois
| | - Tim Stebbins
- National Association of EMS Physicians, Overland Park, Kansas
| | - Sam Vance
- Emergency Medical Services for Children Innovation and Improvement Center, Austin, Texas
| | - Ken Williams
- National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Officials, Falls Church, Virginia; and
| | - Allen Yee
- National Association of EMS Physicians, Overland Park, Kansas
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Lyng J, Adelgais K, Alter R, Beal J, Chung B, Gross T, Minkler M, Moore B, Stebbins T, Vance S, Williams K, Yee A. Recommended Essential Equipment for Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support Ground Ambulances 2020: A Joint Position Statement. PREHOSP EMERG CARE 2021; 25:451-459. [PMID: 33557659 DOI: 10.1080/10903127.2021.1886382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In continued support of establishing and maintaining a foundation for standards of care, our organizations remain committed to periodic review and revision of this position statement. This latest revision was created based on a structured review of the National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines Version 2.2 in order to identify the equipment items necessary to deliver the care defined by those guidelines. In addition, in order to ensure congruity with national definitions of provider scope of practice, the list is differentiated into BLS and ALS levels of service utilizing the National Scope of Practice-defined levels of Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) as BLS, and Advanced EMT (AEMT) and Paramedic as ALS. Equipment items listed within each category were cross-checked against recommended scopes of practice for each level in order to ensure they were appropriately dichotomized to BLS or ALS levels of care. Some items may be considered optional at the local level as determined by agency-defined scope of practice and applicable clinical guidelines. In addition to the items included in this position statement our organizations agree that all EMS service programs should carry equipment and supplies in quantities as determined by the medical director and appropriate to the agency's level of care and available certified EMS personnel and as established in the agency's approved protocols.
Collapse
|