Pediatric emergency medical services and their drawbacks

Abstract

Aim:To survey the literature on Pediatric Emergency Medical Services (PEMS) with an aim to focus its drawbacks and emphasize the means of improvement.Materials and Methods:Published articles selected for inclusion were based on the significance and understanding of literature search on different aspects of PEMS. To meet this criterion, PubMed, PubMed Central, Science Direct, Uptodate, Med Line, comprehensive databases, Cochrane library and the Internet (Google, Yahoo) were thoroughly searched.Results:PEMS provide out-of-hospital medical care and/or transport the patients to definitive care. The task force represents specialties of ambulance transport, first aid, emergency medical care, life saving, trauma, emergency medicine, water rescue, and extrication. Preliminary care is undertaken to save the patients from different medical exigencies. The techniques and procedures of basic and advanced life-support are employed. A large number of weaknesses are recorded in PEMS system, such as ambulance transport irregularities, deficit equipment, lack of expertise, and ignorance of the pre-hospital care providers. These are discussed with special reference to a few examples of medical exigencies.Conclusions:The appointments in PEMS should be regularized with specific qualifications, experience, and expertise in different areas. Responsibility of PEMS should not be left to pre-hospital care providers, who are non clinicians and lack proper education and training. Pediatricians should be adequately trained to play an active role in PEMS. Meetings should be convened to discuss the lapses and means of improvement. Networks of co-operation between pre-hospital providers and experts in the emergency department should be established.

Preparedness of Western Cape Advanced Life Support Providers to Provide Clinical Stabilisation and Intensive Care for Neonatal Interfacility Transfers

“…The majority of the respondents (n=63, 43.4%) indicated that the combined neonatal theory hours and practical hours during their training had been inadequate to prepare them to deal with critically ill neonates.This corroborates findings from a study conducted in South Africa by Moodley who reported that paramedic graduates felt ill prepared for independent practice due to clinical practice learning objectives not being adequately achieved, also questioning the quality of that care provided by such EMS personnel as a result of this pitfall (10). The infrequency which ALS providers clinically manage critically ill neonates may inadvertently impact negatively on their level of confidence and technical neonatal skill performance when they are eventually called on to resuscitate a sick neonate (11). The current study reports that only a small group of respondents (n=5; 3.4%) had been exposed to managing critically ill neonates on a daily basis; these are mainly from the neonatal intensive care unit ambulances.…”

“…Ismail: Intensive care for neonatal interfacility transfers: Preparedness of ALS providers Australasian Journal of Paramedicine: 2020;17 manage critically ill neonates may inadvertently impact negatively on their level of confidence and technical neonatal skill performance when they are eventually called on to resuscitate a sick neonate (11). The current study reports that only a small group of respondents (n=5; 3.4%) had been exposed to managing critically ill neonates on a daily basis; these are mainly from the neonatal intensive care unit ambulances.…”

Characteristics of Pediatric Emergency and Risk Factors for Life-saving Interventions

“…These results may raise concerns and needs for pediatric care at the ED as pediatric patients require specific narrow doses and therapeutic ranges of medication. 9,12 Regarding pediatric resuscitation, the causes were different among centers. In this study, respiratory disease was the leading cause as in Germany.…”

Morphometric analysis of middle and posterior cranial fossae foramina in 3D reconstructions of CT images: A midline asymmetry evaluation

“…An emergency medical service (EMS) is a service providing outof-hospital acute care and transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient believes constitute a medical emergency. EMS encompasses many areas of emergency care, including the triage, evaluation, management, and transport of patients from the scene of an injury or illness to their arrival at an emergency care facility (the out-of-hospital or pre-hospital care), as well as the management within the emergency department (ED) [1,2].…”