DrParasite
The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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When determining the most appropriate complement of ALS crews, serious consideration should be given to five key factors that may significantly influence patient outcomes and system viability:
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https://www.jems.com/articles/2018/...ation-are-two-paramedics-better-than-one.html
- ALS practitioner proficiency: The first consideration is whether the proficiency of a practitioner’s skill performance improves with increasing experience and patient contact volume. This is especially important to asses regarding critical skills less often used and more difficult to perform, such as endotracheal intubation, IV insertion, rapid sequence intubation or cricothyrotomy.
- Treatment time: The second consideration is the impact of the number of ALS providers composing the crew has regarding treatment time at the scene, thereby affecting transport to definitive care, and any resulting impact on the morbidity and mortality of patients.
- Error rates: The third consideration to assess is whether the number of ALS providers treating a patient in the field affects the errors committed by those practitioners in the assessment of patients, medications administered or skills performed.
- Practitioner shortage: Reports are now commonplace regarding the shortage of paramedics in the country. Modifying ALS crew configuration could expand or contract the labor pool and impact a system’s ability to fully staff necessary units.
- Financial sustainability of the EMS system: Because EMS systems use an intense amount of human resources, the cost of which compose a majority of the annual operating expenses for most systems, crew complement is an important consideration for the long-term financial viability of EMS. Does the ALS crew complement substantially affect the cost of operations?
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https://www.jems.com/articles/2018/...ation-are-two-paramedics-better-than-one.html