Objectives:To report the characteristics of adult out-of-hospital arrest patients and their outcomes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Methods:This is a prospective descriptive study of out-of-hospital adult arrests incident transported to King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between July 2012 and September 2013.Results:A total of 96 adult patients were enrolled in this study. Males represented 62.5% of the participants. The mean age of the study population was 58.9 years, and specifically 30.8 years for traumatic arrests, and 62.9 for non-traumatic. An over-all mortality rate of 95.8% was documented, as well as a low rate of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation being performed, and a family member transported most patients to the hospital.Conclusion:A low survival rate for non-traumatic out-of-hospital adult arrest patients and a 100% mortality rate in traumatic arrests were discovered.

Abstract. This article analyzes the need for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) educational programs and academicians to develop interdisciplinary educational and training opportunities with other healthcare disciplines. A literature review was conducted on EMS education and interdisciplinary approaches in healthcare education. In general, support for both didactic and simulated interdisciplinary education in healthcare is supported by positive impacts on student learning and improved patient outcomes. Support for interdisciplinary approaches in EMS education was constructed by applying research on interdisciplinary healthcare education to the identified criticisms of EMS education. A critical analysis of the literature allowed for recommendations to be made on the implementation of and further research for interdisciplinary approaches in EMS education. This article supports EMS students to be educated in a way that is reflective of a profession that must work collaboratively to provide out-of-hospital healthcare.

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was twofold: (1) establish the prevalence of safety threats and workplace violence (WPV) experienced by emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in a low/middle-income country with a new prehospital care system, India and (2) understand which EMTs are at particularly high risk for these experiences.SettingEMTs from four Indian states (Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana) were eligible to participate during the study period from July through November 2017.MethodsCross-sectional survey study.Participants386 practicing EMTs from four Indian states.ResultsThe overall prevalence of any WPV was 67.9% (95% CI 63.0% to 72.5%). The prevalence of physical assault was 58% (95% CI 52.5% to 63.4%) and verbal assault was 59.8% (95% CI 54.5% to 65%). Of physical assault victims, 21.7% were injured and 30.2% sought medical attention after the incident. Further, 57.3% (n=216) of respondents reported they were ‘somewhat worried’ and 28.4% (n=107) reported they were ‘very worried’ about their safety at work.ConclusionWPV and safety fears were found to be common among EMTs in India. Focused initiatives to counter WPV in countries developing prehospital care systems are necessary to build a healthy and sustainable prehospital healthcare workforce.

Background: The geographic distribution and access to paramedic education programs is unclear but often cited as a reason for emergency medical services (EMS) workforce shortages. Our aims were: 1) to examine the spatial distribution of accredited paramedic programs, and 2) to compare characteristics of communities with and without existing programs. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of US paramedic education programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs as of April 2020. Program locations were geocoded to county, and population estimates from the US Census Bureau were used to determine the adult population within the program's potential catchment area (30, 50, 100 miles). Clustering of programs was examined using Moran's I. We compared community characteristics obtained from the 2018 American Community Survey, 2018-2019 Area Health Resources Files, and 2018 National Emergency Department Inventory between counties with and without programs. Logistic regression models were used to determine associations of community characteristics and existence of a paramedic program, controlling for urbanicity. Results: There were 790 paramedic program locations in the US, located in 596/3142 (19%) counties. Every state, except Rhode Island and Washington, DC, had at least one paramedic program site. The population within potential catchment areas ranged from 182 million (30 miles) to 248 million (100 miles), representing 73% to 99% of the US adult population, respectively. However, among counties classified as rural (n=644), this decreased to 22% (30 miles) to 95% (100 miles). There was significant clustering of programs (p<0.001). There were significantly higher odds of having a paramedic program for counties classified as metro compared to non-metro (OR 4.42, 95% CI 3.60-5.42) and with the presence of healthcare resources (e.g., emergency department in the county: OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.87-3.14). Conclusions: Approximately 73% of the US adult population lives within 30 miles of an existing paramedic education program; however, this decreases to 22% in rural areas. Geographic barriers to accessing paramedic education remain a challenge for ongoing efforts to address the rural EMS workforce shortage.