OBJECTIVES 1) To describe characteristics of patient transport protocols in those U.S. cities that sanction EMS-initiated refusal of transport; and 2) to describe the frequency and type of alternatives to emergency ambulance transport. METHODS EMS systems in every one of the 200 largest cities in the United States were surveyed by telephone regarding EMS-initiated refusal policies, involvemen...

background trauma still stands atop of the list of emergencies. transfer of these patients via emergency medical services (ems) dispatch is critical with regard to importance of timing. this aspect has achieved greater importance due to population increase and telephone triage. objectives we aimed to decrease unnecessary emergency medical services (ems) missions via a computer program designed ...

BACKGROUND Data on the use of emergency medical services (EMS) by patients with cardiac conditions in the Gulf region are scarce, and prior studies have suggested underutilization. Patient perception and knowledge of EMS care is critical to proper utilization of such services. OBJECTIVES To estimate utilization, knowledge, and perceptions of EMS among patients with ST-elevation myocardial inf...

Recently, whole body-electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) has upgraded its functions and capabilities and has overcome limitations and inconveniences from past systems. Although the efficacy and safety of EMS have been examined in some studies, specific guidelines for applying WB-EMS are lacking. To determine the efficacy and safety of applying it in healthy men to improve cardiopulmonary and psychop...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Prehospital activation of in-hospital stroke response hastens treatment but depends on accurate emergency medical services (EMS) stroke recognition. We sought to measure EMS stroke recognition accuracy and identify clinical factors associated with correct stroke identification. METHODS Using EMS and hospital records, we assembled a cohort of EMS-transported suspect, con...

BACKGROUND A previous report of 5,782 trauma patients demonstrated higher mortality among those transported by emergency medical services (EMS) than among their non-EMS-transported counterparts. HYPOTHESIS Trauma patients who are transported by EMS and those who are not differ in the injury-to-hospital arrival time interval. DESIGN Prospective cohort-matched observation study. SETTING Lev...

Medical oversight is a fundamental component of every emergency medical services (EMS) system. The quality of physician medical direction has a significant impact upon the system and patient outcome. The lead agency for the state EMS system is a principal facet of our emergency care system, and the state EMS medical director is a vital component within this comprehensive network. The selection ...