Patient Safety
The patient safety topic contains news, tips and expert-written articles sharing how EMS providers can build safety into every system of care, ensuring that patients receive the safest and most reliable care.
Use this guide to determine when to activate air EMS and transport to a level 1 burn center
Use SAMPLE history to assess the patient’s complaint and make treatment decisions
While lots of people talk about the importance of sleep, they often do not address how to get to sleep
Standardizing the transition of care helps improve patient safety and ensure the patient’s care is smooth and no information is lost
‘Last Week Tonight’ segment confronts the inability of 911 systems to find callers as easily as a pizza delivery app or an Uber driver
EMS providers need to admit that prehospital patient care errors can and do happen to begin addressing this serious cause of patient injury and death
An ambulance carrying a 7-year-old boy with life-threatening seizures was trapped by two motorists who refused to move
New research found that paramedics can use a simple breath measurement to identify potential cases of sepsis
At least 250,000 deaths each year can be attributed to medical care that has gone awry
Improperly used or maintained patient care and devices can cause harm to patients and providers
Hospitals have made a variety of policy and procedural changes to get patients in and out of the emergency department faster
A review of the performance of ketamine in the agitated or excited delirium patient with an acute and potential life-threatening medical condition
Recommendations from SAE describe specific testing standards to minimize the risk of injury to providers and patients during an ambulance collision
The only thing between me and certain death at the hands of a psychopath is a seat belt and portable radio
We laugh about our own fatigue-related episodes, but such gallows humor belittles the real issue that lies beneath
The paramedics were forced to work a 20-hour shift to transport a patient; officials said crews regularly work shifts of more than 15 hours
Researchers find a growing number of patients without a spontaneous heartbeat who regain consciousness while receiving CPR
The forum was designed to educate first responders on how to recognize signs of child abuse
Reckless behaviors warrant careful investigation and potentially lead to remediation or termination of employment
Knowing when to use these management tools to identify and reduce at-risk work behaviors is critical to being a successful EMS leader
Prepare for behavioral emergencies by understanding pathophysiology, personal protection, patient handling and restraint techniques, and the importance of documentation
The driver of the car that hit the patient then fled the scene
Recently introduced legislation will improve the rapid administration of controlled substances to patients in need of emergency treatment
‘Free from Harm,’ a new report from the National Patient Safety Foundation makes follow-up recommendations to the IOM ‘To Err is Human’ report
The 10 EMS Forward topics identify risks to patient and provider safety as well as topics of greater concern in 2016
Rebecca Bender, a trafficking victim and advocate, describes indicators for evaluating if an EMS patient is a victim of human trafficking
Develop restraint polices, train to apply restraints and adhere to those policies when behavioral emergency patient restraint is indicated
The man survived and was transported to a hospital in critical condition
Eight Ohio first responders were trained to look for and mitigate unsafe sleep conditions while on routine calls
Big dreams to improve EMS with a windfall of funding for safety, health and wellness, research and leadership development
