Firefighting is an important profession during disasters. Firefighters are on duty for many vital functions, including fire extinguishing, search and rescue work, and evacuation of disaster victims to a safe zone. In case of a disaster situation, it is vital to have willing personnel to work in disasters. In the literature, type of disaster, individual demographic factors, family factors, and workplace factors have been identified as factors that influence health care personnel’s willingness to work during a disaster. However, little is known about firefighters and firefighter candidates’ willingness to work in a disaster.

This study was aimed to identify the willingness of civil defense and firefighting program students to work in different disasters after graduation and the factors associated with their willingness.

The universe of this descriptive, epidemiological study was 1,116 students of civil defense and firefighting programs in Turkey. They were from 11 different universities. In the research study, a sample was not chosen as it was aimed at reaching the whole universe. A standardized survey form of 58 questions, prepared by researchers, was used to gather data.

The rate of participation was 65.5%. Of the students, 82.8% said that after graduation they would like to work in disasters, whereas 16.2% were indecisive. The students were less willing to work in nuclear accidents (42.4%) and epidemic disasters (32.1%). In chi-square analysis, “willingness of students to work in disasters after graduation” (dependent variable) and the independent variables: “university of student,” “exercising regularly,” “having a hobby related to disaster,” “having been educated about disaster,” and “being satisfied from the received education” were found statistically significant. When students’ willingness to work in disasters after graduation (ref=unwilling) was analyzed with multi-variate analysis, only “university of students” and “having a hobby related to disasters” were found statistically significant.

Overall, 16.2% of the students stated that they were indecisive to work in disasters in the future, and 1.0% of them stated that they did not want to work in disasters. Moreover, willingness of students to work in nuclear accident and contagious disease disasters has been found to be lower compared to other disaster types.

KayaE, AltintasH. Willingness of Firefighting Program Students to Work in Disasters—Turkey. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(1):13–22.

A crucial component of a hospital’s disaster plan is an efficient staff recall communication method. Many hospitals use a “calling tree” protocol to contact staff members and recall them to work. Alternative staff recall methods have been proposed and explored.

An unannounced, multidisciplinary, randomized emergency department (ED) staff recall drill was conducted at night - when there is the greatest need for back-up personnel and staff is most difficult to reach. The drill was performed on December 14, 2017 at 4:00am and involved ED staff members from three hospitals which are all part of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC; Montreal, Quebec, Canada). Three tools were compared: manual phone tree, instant messaging application (IMA), and custom-made hospital Short Message Service (SMS) system. The key outcome measures were proportion of responses at 45 minutes and median response time.

One-hundred thirty-two participants were recruited. There were 44 participants in each group after randomization. In the manual phone tree group, 18 (41%) responded within 45 minutes. In the IMA group, 11 participants (25%) responded in the first 45 minutes. In the SMS group, seven participants responded in the first 45 minutes (16%). Manual phone tree was significantly better than SMS with an effect size of 25% (95% confidence interval for effect: 4.6% to 45.0%; P=.018). Conversely, there was no significant difference between manual phone tree and IMA with an effect size of 16% (95% confidence interval for effect: −5.7% to 38.0%; P=.17) There was a statistically significant difference in the median response time between the three groups with the phone tree group presenting the lowest median response time (8.5 minutes; range: 2.0 to 8.5 minutes; P=.000006).

Both the phone tree and IMA groups had a significantly higher response rate than the SMS group. There was no significant difference between the proportion of responses at 45 minutes in the phone tree and the IMA arms. This study suggests that an IMA may be a viable alternative to the traditional phone tree method. Limitations of the study include volunteer bias and the fact that there was only one communication drill, which did not allow staff members randomized to the IMA and SMS groups to fully get familiar with the new staff recall methods.

HomierV, HamadR, LarocqueJ, ChasséP, KhalilE, FrancJM.A Randomized Trial Comparing Telephone Tree, Text Messaging, and Instant Messaging App for Emergency Department Staff Recall for Disaster Response. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(5):471–477.

Field identification of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and advanced hospital notification decreases first-medical-contact-to-balloon (FMC2B) time. A recent study in this system found that electrocardiogram (ECG) transmission following a STEMI alert was frequently unsuccessful.

Instituting weekly test ECG transmissions from paramedic units to the hospital would increase successful transmission of ECGs and decrease FMC2B and door-to-balloon (D2B) times.

This was a natural experiment of consecutive patients with field-identified STEMI transported to a single percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-capable hospital in a regional STEMI system before and after implementation of scheduled test ECG transmissions. In November 2014, paramedic units began weekly test transmissions. The mobile intensive care nurse (MICN) confirmed the transmission, or if not received, contacted the paramedic unit and the department’s nurse educator to identify and resolve the problem. Per system-wide protocol, paramedics transmit all ECGs with interpretation of STEMI. Receiving hospitals submit patient data to a single registry as part of ongoing system quality improvement. The frequency of successful ECG transmission and time to intervention (FMC2B and D2B times) in the 18 months following implementation was compared to the 10 months prior. Post-implementation, the time the ECG transmission was received was also collected to determine the transmission gap time (time from ECG acquisition to ECG transmission received) and the advanced notification time (time from ECG transmission received to patient arrival).

There were 388 patients with field ECG interpretations of STEMI, 131 pre-intervention and 257 post-intervention. The frequency of successful transmission post-intervention was 73% compared to 64% prior; risk difference (RD)=9%; 95% CI, 1-18%. In the post-intervention period, the median FMC2B time was 79 minutes (inter-quartile range [IQR]=68-102) versus 86 minutes (IQR=71-108) pre-intervention (P=.3) and the median D2B time was 59 minutes (IQR=44-74) versus 60 minutes (IQR=53-88) pre-intervention (P=.2). The median transmission gap was three minutes (IQR=1-8) and median advanced notification time was 16 minutes (IQR=10-25).

Implementation of weekly test ECG transmissions was associated with improvement in successful real-time transmissions from field to hospital, which provided a median advanced notification time of 16 minutes, but no decrease in FMC2B or D2B times.

D’ArcyNT, BossonN, KajiAH, BuiQT, FrenchWJ, ThomasJL, ElizarrarazY, GonzalezN, GarciaJ, NiemannJT. Weekly Checks Improve Real-Time Prehospital ECG Transmission in Suspected STEMI. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(3):245–249.

Despite emphasis by disaster experts on the importance of disaster preparedness, disaster management in Yemen has attracted only a little attention. Most of the efforts have focused on post-disaster relief activities rather than the pre-disaster preparedness and risk reduction. Hospitals have a crucial role in emergency response and should be prepared. Thus, the aim of this study was intended to assess the hospital preparedness of Aden Capital, South Yemen against disasters.

A cross-sectional study was conducted in June 2016. The sample was all Aden City facilities with a total number of 10 hospitals: five public and five private hospitals. A survey was done by using the World Health Organization (WHO; Geneva, Switzerland) standards checklist 2011.

The overall preparedness of Aden City hospitals to disasters fell at the unacceptable level of readiness, with an average mean of 46.6 (SD = 38.31; range 24-82). Of 10 hospitals, two ranked insufficient while eight hospitals were at unacceptable levels of preparedness.

All hospitals were noted grossly unprepared for potential disasters. Therefore, it is recommended that greater efforts be invested in creating a comprehensive strategy and national or local guidelines to establish an emergency management system based on the anticipated hazard and the needed resources.

NaserWN, IngrassiaPL, AladhraeS, AbdulraheemWA. A Study of Hospital Disaster Preparedness in South Yemen. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(2):133–138.

Use of ketamine in the prehospital setting may be advantageous due to its potent analgesic and sedative properties and favorable risk profile. Use in the military setting has demonstrated both efficacy and safety for pain relief. The purpose of this study was to assess ketamine training, use, and perceptions in the civilian setting among nationally certified paramedics (NRPs) in the United States.

A cross-sectional survey of NRPs was performed. The electronic questionnaire assessed paramedic training, authorization, use, and perceptions of ketamine. Included in the analysis were completed surveys of paramedics who held one or more state paramedic credentials, indicated “patient care provider” as their primary role, and worked in non-military settings. Descriptive statistics were calculated.

A total of 14,739 responses were obtained (response rate=23%), of which 10,737 (73%) met inclusion criteria and constituted the study cohort. Over one-half (53%) of paramedics reported learning about ketamine during their initial paramedic training. Meanwhile, 42% reported seeking ketamine-related education on their own. Of all respondents, only 33% (3,421/10,737) were authorized by protocol to use ketamine. Most commonly authorized uses included pain management (55%), rapid sequence intubation (RSI; 72%), and chemical restraint/sedation (72%). One-third of authorized providers (1,107/3,350) had never administered ketamine, with another 32% (1,070/3,350) having administered ketamine less than five times in their career. Ketamine was perceived to be safe and effective as the vast majority reported that they were comfortable with the use of ketamine (94%) and would, in similar situations (95%), use it again.

This was the first large, national survey to assess ketamine training, use, and perceptions among paramedics in the civilian prehospital setting. While training related to ketamine use was commonly reported among paramedics, few were authorized to administer the drug by their agency’s protocols. Of those authorized to use ketamine, most paramedics had limited experience administering the drug. Future research is needed to determine why the prevalence of ketamine use is low and to assess the safety and efficacy of ketamine use in the prehospital setting.

BucklandDM, CroweRP, CashRE, GondekS, MalusoP, SirajuddinS, SmithER, DangerfieldP, ShapiroG, WankaC, PanchalAR, SaraniB. Ketamine in the Prehospital Environment: A National Survey of Paramedics in the United States. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(1):23–28.

According to Ontario, Canada’s Basic Life Support Patient Care Standards, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) on-scene time (OST) for trauma calls should not exceed 10 minutes, unless there are extenuating circumstances. The time to definitive care can have a significant impact on the morbidity and mortality of trauma patients. This is the first Canadian study to investigate why this is the case by giving a voice to those most involved in prehospital care: the paramedics themselves. It is also the first study to explore this issue from a complex, adaptive systems approach which recognizes that OSTs may be impacted by local, contextual features.

Research addressed the following problem: what are the facilitators and barriers to achieving 10-minute OSTs?

This project used a descriptive, qualitative design to examine facilitators and barriers to achieving 10-minute OSTs on trauma calls, from the perspective of paramedics. Paramedics from a regional Emergency Services organization were interviewed extensively over the course of one year, using qualitative interviewing techniques developed by experts in that field. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and entered into NVivo for Mac (QSR International; Victoria, Australia) software that supports qualitative research, for ease of data analysis. Researcher triangulation was used to ensure credibility of the data.

Thirteen percent of the calls had OSTs that were less than 10 minutes. The following six categories were outlined by the paramedics as impacting the duration of OSTs: (1) scene characteristics; (2) the presence and effectiveness of allied services; (3) communication with dispatch; (4) the paramedics’ ability to effectively manage the scene; (5) current policies; and (6) the quantity and design of equipment.

These findings demonstrate the complexity of the prehospital environment and bring into question the feasibility of the 10-minute OST standard.LevitanM, LawMP, FerronR, Lutz-GraulK. Paramedics’ Perspectives on Factors Impacting On-Scene Times for Trauma Calls. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(3):250–255.

Mass gatherings are complex events that present a unique set of challenges to attendees’ health and well-being. There are numerous factors that influence the number and type of injuries and illnesses that occur at these events, including weather, event and venue type, and crowd demographics and behavior.

While the impact of some factors, such as weather conditions and the availability of alcohol, on patient presentations at mass gatherings have been described previously, the influence of many other variables, including crowd demographics, crowd behavior, and event type, is poorly understood. Furthermore, a large number of studies reporting on the influence of these variables on patient presentations are based on anecdotal evidence at a single mass-gathering event.

Data were collected by trained fieldworkers at 15 mass gatherings in South Australia and included event characteristics, crowd demographics, and weather. De-identified patient records were obtained from on-site health care providers. Data analysis included the calculation of patient proportions in each variable category, as well as the total number of patient presentations per event and the patient presentation rate (PPR).

The total number of expected attendees at the 15 mass gatherings was 303,500, of which 146 presented to on-site health care services. The majority of patient presentations occurred at events with a mean temperature between 20°C and 25°C. The PPR was more than double at events with a predominantly male crowd compared to events with a more equal sex distribution. Almost 90.0% of patient presentations occurred at events where alcohol was available.

The results of the study suggest that several weather, crowd, and event variables influence the type and number of patient presentations observed at mass-gathering events. Given that the study sample size did not allow for these interactions to be quantified, further research is warranted to investigate the relationships between alcohol availability, crowd demographics, crowd mobility, venue design, and injuries and illnesses.

Anikeeva O, Arbon P, Zeitz K, Bottema M, Lund A, Turris S, Steenkamp M. Patient presentation trends at 15 mass-gathering events in South Australia. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(4):368–374.

Unacceptable practices of health care providers during disasters have been observed because they work outside the scope of their daily practices and have inadequate training. A greater need for the involvement of health professionals in disaster management has been noted in Saudi Arabia. This study evaluates the efficacy of a training course in prehospital major incident management for health care providers in Saudi Arabia.

An interactive course for general principles in prehospital major incident management was developed with domains and core competencies. The course was designed according to the local context and was based on international standards. It was piloted over four days at the Officers Club of the Ministry of Interior (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) and was sponsored by Mohammed Bin Naif Medical Center, King Fahd Security College in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The participants (n=29) were from different disciplines from main government health facilities in Riyadh. They completed a pre-test and a post-test.

The overall score was 55.1% on the pre-test and 68.4% on the post-test (Wilcoxon test for paired samples, P <.05). Three out of the four domains had significant difference between pre- and post-test results, as well as the overall total knowledge.

Conducting inter-disciplinary and competency-based disaster medicine courses for health care providers can augment appropriate disaster preparedness for major incidents in Saudi Arabia.

BajowNA, AlAssafWI, CluntunAA. Course in Prehospital Major Incidents Management for Health Care Providers in Saudi Arabia. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(6):587–595.

Dogs left behind in the restricted area by the Great East Japan Earthquakes of 2011 (Fukushima Prefecture, Japan) were initially rescued at a temporary first response shelter under chaotic conditions: poor housing and husbandry was maintained by unfamiliar/untrained staff, and lack of exercise was associated with deterioration of the mental and physical health of the impounded dogs. The objectives of this study were to report characteristics, disposition, and health status of dogs rescued in the Fukushima Prefecture, and to perform a retrospective epidemiological evaluation of factors associated with disposition and disease incidence at shelters.

The problems addressed in this study were shelter-related health issues at the first response shelter and reasons for retained adoption at the secondary shelter that caused delayed closure of the shelter.

A retrospective cohort study was performed with all dogs that were rescued from the restricted area in the Fukushima Prefecture. Kaplan-Meier time-to-event analysis was performed to estimate the median days to outcomes. A chi-square test of homogeneity was used to determine whether ownership status was associated with breed. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the association between time-to-adoption with ownership status, age, sex, and breed, the association between time to onset of diarrhea with age and breed, and between duration of diarrheic symptoms with the number of antibiotics and the number of medications.

Five-hundred and twenty-nine dogs were admitted to the Ihno and Miharu shelters (Fukushima Prefecture), including 179 that had detailed medical records. Seventy-six percent of dogs were mixed breed. Twenty-six percent of dogs had verified ownership, and almost 16% of dogs were reclaimed by their owners. Sixty-six percent of dogs developed diarrhea, and 17 different antibiotics were used to treat it. Using three or more different antibiotics was associated with prolonged signs of diarrhea. Dogs with verified ownership took longer for adoption than those without verified ownership. Breed and sex were not significantly associated with time to adoption. Age was associated with prolonged time to adoption.

To improve the welfare of dogs in disasters, responsible owner education, a well-organized registered volunteer training program for care of animals at shelters, proper disease management protocols, and enrichment strategies to prevent stress and disease in shelter setting are essential.

TanakaA, Martinez-LopezB, KassP.Epidemiological Evaluation of Dogs Rescued in the Fukushima Prefecture Following the Great East Japan Earthquakes of 2011. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(5):478–583.

The incidence of natural disasters is increasing worldwide, with countries the least well-equipped to mitigate or manage them suffering the greatest losses. Following natural disasters, ill-prepared foreign responders may become a burden to the affected population, or cause harm to those needing help.

The study was performed to determine if international guidelines for foreign workers in the health sector exist, and evidence of their implementation.

A structured literature search was used to identify guidelines for foreign health workers (FHWs) responding to natural disasters. Analysis of semi-structured interviews of health sector responders to the 2015 Nepal earthquake was then performed, looking at preparation and field activities.

No guidelines were identified to address the appropriate qualifications of, and preparations for, international individuals participating in disaster response in the health sector. Interviews indicated individuals choosing to work with experienced organizations received training prior to disaster deployment and described activities in the field consistent with general humanitarian principles. Participants in an ad hoc team (AHT) did not.

In spite of need, there is a lack of published guidelines for potential international health sector responders to natural disasters. Learning about disaster response may occur only after joining a team.

Dunin-BellO. What do They Know? Guidelines and Knowledge Translation for Foreign Health Sector Workers Following Natural Disasters. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(2):139–146.

The proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has the potential to change the way medical incident commanders (ICs) respond to mass-casualty incidents (MCIs) in triaging victims. The aim of this study was to compare UAV technology to standard practice (SP) in triaging casualties at an MCI.

A randomized comparison study was conducted with 40 paramedic students from the Holland College Paramedicine Program (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada). Using a simulated motor vehicle collision (MVC) with moulaged casualties, iterations of 20 students were used for both a day and a night trial. Students were randomized to a UAV or a SP group. After a brief narrative, participants either entered the study environment or used UAV technology where total time to triage completion, GREEN casualty evacuation, time on scene, triage order, and accuracy were recorded.

A statistical difference in the time to completion of 3.63 minutes (95% CI, 2.45 min-4.85 min; P=.002) during the day iteration and a difference of 3.49 minutes (95% CI, 2.08 min-6.06 min; P=.002) for the night trial with UAV groups was noted. There was no difference found in time to GREEN casualty evacuation, time on scene, or triage order. One-hundred-percent accuracy was noted between both groups.

This study demonstrated the feasibility of using a UAV at an MCI. A non-clinical significant difference was noted in total time to completion between both groups. There was no increase in time on scene by using the UAV while demonstrating the feasibility of remotely triaging GREEN casualties prior to first responder arrival.

Jain T, Sibley A, Stryhn H, Hubloue I.Comparison of unmanned aerial vehicle technologyassisted triage versus standard practice in triaging casualties by paramedic students in a mass-casualty incident scenario. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(4):375–380

This study aims at establishing the self-leadership development model (SLM) of China Emergency Medical Team (CEMT) members as a supplement to current selection standards of CEMT members.

Raw dataset was obtained through two ways: in-depth interviews and documentary materials (memoirs and articles). The in-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 12 CEMT members, all of whom have participated in multiple disaster relief activities and have been CEMT members for more than two years. This paper followed a grounded theory methodology dealing with all data.

Based on tasks, the SLM-CEMT consists of three basic parts: (1) making plans; (2) action; and (3) outcomes. Different parts involve various self-leadership strategies, of which five are the original dimensions of previous research (goal-setting, visualizing successful performance, self-talk, self-reward, and self-correcting feedback) and three are new dimensions (role clarity, self-initiative, and self-vigilance).

The SLM-CEMT, with the three new parts, provides a new look at screening CEMT members as well as pondering on future research. Based on the SLM-CEMT, administrators could screen more qualified CEMT members. For the limitations, future work will be on the generalization and confirmation of this model.

HaoX, LiX, ZhengJ.Screening China Emergency Medical Team (CEMT) Members: A Self-Leadership Perspective. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(6):596–601.

Triage has an important role in providing suitable care to the largest number of casualties in a disaster setting, but there are no secondary triage methods suitable for children. This study developed a new secondary triage method named the Pediatric Physiological and Anatomical Triage Score (PPATS) and compared its accuracy with current triage methods.

A retrospective chart review of pediatric patients under 16 years old transferred to an emergency center from 2014 to 2016 was performed. The PPATS categorized the patients, defined the intensive care unit (ICU)-indicated patients if the category was highest, and compared the accuracy of prediction of ICU-indicated patients among PPATS, Physiological and Anatomical Triage (PAT), and Triage Revised Trauma Score (TRTS).

Among 137 patients, 24 (17.5%) were admitted to ICU. The median PPATS score of these patients was significantly higher than that of patients not admitted to ICU (11 [IQR: 9-13] versus three [IQR: 2-4]; P<.001). The optimal cut-off value of the PPTAS was six, yielding a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of 95.8%, 86.7%, 60.5%, and 99.0%. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) was larger for PPTAS than for PAT or TRTS (0.95 [95% CI, 0.87-1.00] versus 0.65 [95% CI, 0.58-0.72]; P<.001 and 0.79 [95% CI, 0.69-0.89]; P=.003, respectively). Regression analysis showed a significant association between the PPATS and the predicted mortality rate (r2=0.139; P<.001), ventilation time (r2=0.320; P<.001), ICU stay (r2=0.362; P<.001), and hospital stay (r2=0.308; P<.001).

The accuracy of PPATS was superior to other methods for secondary triage of children.

ToidaC, MugurumaT, AbeT, ShinoharaM, GakumazawaM, YogoN, ShirasawaA, MorimuraN. Introduction of Pediatric Physiological and Anatomical Triage Score in Mass-Casualty Incident. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(2):147–152.

The Flint Community Resilience Group (Flint, Michigan USA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; Atlanta, Georgia USA) assessed behavioral health concerns among community members to determine the impact of lead contamination of the Flint, Michigan water supply.

A Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) was conducted from May 17 through May 19, 2016 using a multi-stage cluster sampling design to select households and individuals to interview.

One-half of households felt overlooked by decision makers. The majority of households self-reported that at least one member experienced more behavioral health concerns than usual. The prevalence of negative quality of life indicators and financial concerns in Flint was higher than previously reported in the Michigan 2012 and 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey.

The following can be considered to guide recovery efforts in Flint: identifying additional resources for behavioral health interventions and conducting follow-up behavioral health assessments to evaluate changes in behavioral health concerns over time; considering the impact of household economic factors when implementing behavioral health interventions; and ensuring community involvement and engagement in recovery efforts to ease community stress and anxiety.

FortenberryGZ, ReynoldsP, BurrerSL, Johnson-LawrenceV, WangA, SchnallA, PullinsP, KieszakS, BayleyegnT, WolkinA. Assessment of Behavioral Health Concerns in the Community Affected by the Flint Water Crisis — Michigan (USA) 2016. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(3):256–265.

Early recognition of an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) can increase the patient’s likelihood of survival. As the first point of contact for patients accessing medical care through emergency services, emergency medical dispatchers (EMDs) represent the earliest potential identification point for AMIs. The objective of the study was to determine how AMI cases were coded and prioritized at the dispatch point, and also to describe the distribution of these cases by patient age and gender.

No studies currently exist that describe the EMD’s ability to correctly triage AMIs into Advanced Life Support (ALS) response tiers.

The retrospective descriptive study utilized data from three sources: emergency medical dispatch, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and emergency departments (EDs)/hospitals. The primary outcome measure was the distributions of AMI cases, as categorized by Chief Complaint Protocol, dispatch priority code and level, and patient age and gender. The EMS and ED/hospital data came from the Utah Department of Health (UDoH), Salt Lake City, Utah. Dispatch data came from two emergency communication centers covering the entirety of Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County, Utah.

Overall, 89.9% of all the AMIs (n=606) were coded in one of the three highest dispatch priority levels, all of which call for ALS response (called CHARLIE, DELTA, and ECHO in the studied system). The percentage of AMIs significantly increased for patients aged 35 years and older, and varied significantly by gender, dispatch level, and chief complaint. A total of 85.7% of all deaths occurred among patients aged 55 years and older, and 88.9% of the deaths were handled in the ALS-recommended priority levels.

Acute myocardial infarctions may present as a variety of clinical symptoms, and the study findings demonstrated that more than one-half were identified as having chief complaints of Chest Pain or Breathing Problems at the dispatch point, followed by Sick Person and Unconscious/Fainting. The 35-year age cutoff for assignment to higher priority levels is strongly supported. The Falls and Sick Person Protocols offer opportunities to capture atypical AMI presentations.

ClawsonJJ, GardettI, ScottG, FivazC, BarronT, BroadbentM, OlolaC. Hospital-Confirmed Acute Myocardial Infarction: Prehospital Identification Using the Medical Priority Dispatch System. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(1):29–35.

Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) has become an important diagnostic tool for hospital-based clinicians. This study assesses the role of POCUS at Pemberton Music Festival 2016 (Pemberton, British Columbia [BC], Canada), a remote mass gathering where physicians face limited resources, complex disposition decisions, and a dynamic clinical environment.

This study prospectively evaluated the impact of POCUS on patient diagnosis, management, and disposition based on the self-report of the study physicians. The authors hypothesized that having ultrasound available for use would aid in diagnostic and management decisions and would reduce the need to transfer patients off-site to other health care facilities, reducing impact on the acute health services in the host community.

A handheld ultrasound was available for use by physicians in the main medical tent. All participating physicians self-reported their training and comfort using POCUS. After each POCUS scan, physicians completed a survey and recorded the indication for use, scans performed, and impact on patient diagnosis, management, and disposition.

In total, POCUS was used on 28 of the 686 patients treated in the main medical tent; POCUS was reported to narrow the differential diagnosis in 64% of cases and altered the working diagnosis in 21% of cases. Its use changed the management plan in 39% of patients. Its use was reported to reduce the burden on broader health care resource utilization in 46% of cases and prevented ambulance transport off-site in 32% of cases (nine cases in total). This corresponded to an absolute risk reduction of 1.3% for the percentage of patients transferred to hospital (PPTH; relative risk reduction of 53%).

Physicians reported that POCUS improved the diagnosis, management, and disposition of select patients at a remote, multi-day music festival. Also, POCUS reduced ambulance transfers off-site and reduced the perceived burden on broader health care utilization.

PragerR, SedgwickC, LundA, KimD, HoB, StachuraM, GutmanS. Prospective Evaluation of Point-of-Care Ultrasound at a Remote, Multi-Day Music Festival. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(5):484–489.

While the art and science of disaster triage continue to evolve, the education of the US health care student in matters pertaining to disaster preparedness and response remains stifled. Unfortunately, these students will be assuming major decision-making responsibilities regarding catastrophes that will be complicated by climate change, nuclear threats, global terrorism, and pandemics. Meanwhile, Sort, Assess, Life-Saving Interventions, Treatment, and/or Transport (SALT) triage is being advocated over the globally popular Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) algorithm for multiple reasons: (1) it’s an all-hazard approach; (2) it has four medical interventions; and (3) it has an additional triage color for victims with non-survivable injuries.

As present-day threats become more ominous and health care education emphasizes the needs of vulnerable populations and palliative care, the authors hypothesize that, when given a choice, health care students will prefer SALT triage.

A convenience sample of 218 interprofessional, disaster-naïve health care students received just-in-time, unbiased education on both START and SALT triage systems. Students then completed a survey asking them to decide which triage system they believe would be most effective in their community.

A total of 123 health care students (56.4%) preferred SALT while 95 (43.6%) preferred START; however, only the physician assistant students showed a statistically significantly preference (28 versus six, respectively; P=.042). Interestingly, there was also a statistically significant difference in preference by gender (Chi-square=5.02; P=.025) of the observed distribution versus expected distribution in SALT and START. The females preferred SALT (61.0%) while the males preferred START (55.9%).

Among those who preferred START, START being easier to learn was the most important reason cited. Among those who preferred SALT, the most important reason cited was that the number of patient triage categories seemed more logical, comprehensible, and consistent with traditional medical care.

While SALT’s preference among females and physician assistant students was based on the addition of medical interventions and the provision of palliative care, START’s preference was related to expediency. Based on this research, incorporating disaster concepts into US health care students’ curricula encourages thoughtful consideration among the future health care leaders about the most effective approach to triage care. It is critical that further research be completed to determine, without reservation, which triage system will not only save the most lives but provide the most humane care to victims.

Fink BN, Rega PP, Sexton ME, Wishner C. START versus SALT triage: which is preferred by the 21st century health care student? Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(4):381–386

Prehospital point-of-care lactate (pLA) measurement may be a useful tool to assist paramedics with diagnosing a range of conditions, but only if it can be shown to be a reliable surrogate for serum lactate (sLA) measurement. The aim of this study was to determine whether pLA is a reliable predictor of sLA.

This was a retrospective study of adult patients over a 12-month period who had pLA measured by paramedics in an urban Australian setting and were transported by ambulance to a tertiary hospital where sLA was measured. Patients were excluded if they suffered a cardiopulmonary arrest at any time, had missing data, or if sLA was not measured within 24 hours of arrival. Levels of agreement were determined using methods proposed by Bland and Altman.

A total of 290 patients were transported with a pLA recorded. After exclusions, there were 155 patients (55.0% male; age 71 [SD=18] years) remaining who had sLA recorded within 24 hours. Elevated pLA (>2.0mMol/L) was associated with sLA measurement (76.1% vs 23.9%; OR 3.18; 95% CI, 1.88-5.37; P<.0001). Median time between measurements was 89 minutes (IQR=75). Overall, median pLA was higher than sLA (3.0 [IQR=2.0] mMol/L vs 1.7 [IQR=1.3]; P<.001). Bland-Altman analysis on all participants showed a mean difference of 1.48 mMol/L (95% CI, -3.34 to 6.31). Normal pLA was found to be a true negative in 82.9% of cases, and elevated pLA was a true positive in 48.3% of cases. When the time between measurements was less than 60 minutes (n=25), normal pLA predicted normal sLA with 100% accuracy, with a false-positive rate of 18.2%. As time between measurements increased, accuracy diminished and the false-positive rate increased.

Overall, the level of agreement between pLA and sLA was poor. Accuracy of pLA diminished markedly as the time between the two measurements increased. It may be possible to use pLA as a screening tool; when considered this way, pLA performed much better, though larger prospective trials would be needed to confirm this.

SwanKL, KeeneT, AvardBJ. A 12-Month Clinical Audit Comparing Point-of-Care Lactate Measurements Tested by Paramedics with In-Hospital Serum Lactate Measurements. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(1):36–42.

Invasive blood pressure (IBP) monitoring could be of benefit for certain prehospital patient groups such as trauma and cardiac arrest patients. However, there are disadvantages with using conventional IBP devices. These include time to prepare the transducer kit and flush system as well as the addition of long tubing connected to the patient. It has been suggested to simplify the IBP equipment by replacing the continuous flush system with a syringe and a short stopcock.

In this study, blood pressures measured by a standard IBP (sIBP) transducer kit with continuous flush was compared to a transducer kit connected to a simplified and minimized flush system IBP (mIBP) using only a syringe.

A mechanical, experimental model was used to create arterial pressure pulsations. Measurements were made simultaneously using a sIBP and mIBP device, respectively. This was repeated four times using different mean arterial pressure (MAP): 40, 70, 110, and 140mm Hg. For each series, 16 measurements were taken during 20 minutes. Data were analyzed using Bland-Altman plots. Measurement error greater than five percent was regarded as clinically significant.

Mean bias and standard deviation (SD) for systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and MAP was -3.05 (SD = 2.07), 0.2 (SD = 0.48), and -0.3 (SD = 0.55) mmHg, respectively. Bland-Altman plots revealed that the bias and SD for systolic pressures was mainly due to an increased under-estimation of pressures in lower ranges. All MAP and 98.4% of diastolic pressure measurements had an error of less than five percent. Systolic pressures in the MAP 40 series all had an error of greater than five percent. All other systolic pressures had an error of less than five percent.

Thus, IBP with the mIBP flush system provides accurate measurement of MAP and DBP in a wide range of physiological pressures. For SBP, there was a tendency to under-estimate pressures, with larger error in lower pressures. Implementation of a simplified flush system could allow further development and potentially simplify the use of IBP for prehospital critical care teams.

KarlssonJ, LindeJ, SvensenC, GellerforsM. Prehospital Invasive Arterial Pressure: Use of a Minimized Flush System. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(5):490–494.

Pharmacists’ participation in health care within multi-disciplinary teams in Humanitarian Assistance (HA) shall be encouraged. Limited literature exists on their role in the humanitarian context. The objective of this paper is to evidence the skill-specific, comprehensive core competencies that pharmacists must demonstrate working in humanitarian interventions.

The literature search laid the groundwork for the development of interview guides and further analysis of the data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with expatriate pharmacists and medical coordinators, all of whom have worked in the field of HA. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a content analysis methodology.

Three pharmacists and three medical coordinators were interviewed, who had worked in a combined 32 humanitarian missions. The main functions of pharmacists were focused on stock management and supply of medicinal products. However, pharmacists in HA did not perform many functions related to the provision of effective medication therapy management (MTM). A core competency framework for pharmacists working in the humanitarian field was created, which reflects the personal and technical competencies that are essential to work in HA.

Self-management in a pressured and changing environment, the ability to adapt to changing situations, and planning, prioritizing, and performing tasks well under pressure are the skills required for pharmacists and for any other humanitarian health worker. The results highlight great efforts being dedicated to pharmaceutical product supply and management by pharmacists working in HA.

VardanyanH, MoseguiGBG, MirandaES. Skills and Core Competencies of Pharmacists in Humanitarian Assistance. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(3):266–272.