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Background
Dispatching first responders (FR) to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in addition to the emergency medical service has shown to increase survival. The promising development of FR systems over the past years has been challenged by the outbreak of COVID-19. Whilst increased numbers and worse outcomes of cardiac arrests during the pandemic suggest a need for expansion of FR schemes, appropriate risk management is required to protect first responders and patients from contracting COVID-19. This study investigated how European FR schemes were affected by the pandemic and what measures were taken to protect patients and responders from COVID-19.
Methods
To identify FR schemes in Europe we conducted a literature search and a web search. The schemes were contacted and invited to answer an online questionnaire during the second wave of the pandemic (December 2020/ January 2021) in Europe.
Results
We have identified 135 FR schemes in 28 countries and included responses from 47 FR schemes in 16 countries. 25 schemes reported deactivation due to COVID-19 at some point, whilst 22 schemes continued to operate throughout the pandemic. 39 schemes communicated a pandemic-specific algorithm to their first responders. Before the COVID-19 outbreak 20 FR systems did not provide any personal protective equipment (PPE). After the outbreak 19 schemes still did not provide any PPE. The majority of schemes experienced falling numbers of accepted call outs and decreasing registrations of new volunteers. Six schemes reported of FR having contracted COVID-19 on a mission.
Conclusions
European FR schemes were considerably affected by the pandemic and exhibited a range of responses to protect patients and responders. Overall, FR schemes saw a decrease in activity, which was in stark contrast to the high demand caused by the increased incidence and mortality of OHCA during the pandemic. Given the important role FR play in the chain of survival, a balanced approach upholding the safety of patients and responders should be sought to keep FR schemes operational
Hintergrund und Ziel
Um die präklinische Notfallversorgung zu optimieren und aktuelle Herausforderungen zu bewältigen, wurde im Landkreis Vorpommern-Greifswald im Jahr 2017 ein Telenotarzt-System eingeführt. Es sollte aus medizinischer und ökonomischer Sicht geprüft werden, ob dies, insbesondere im ländlichen Raum, eine effiziente Ergänzung der präklinischen Notfallversorgung darstellt.
Methodik
Es wurden ca. 250.000 Einsatzdaten, vor und nach Einführung des Systems, über die Jahre 2015 bis 2020 ausgewertet und ein Prä-Post-Vergleich über die Einsatzstruktur erstellt. Die 3611 Einsätze der Telenotärztinnen und -ärzte (TNA) wurden nach medizinischen Indikationen und zeitlichen Faktoren analysiert sowie mit Einsätzen ohne TNA verglichen. Zusätzlich erfolgten eine Analyse der Gesamtkosten des neuen Versorgungskonzeptes sowie eine Kostenanalyse der prä- und innerklinischen Behandlungskosten ausgewählter Erkrankungen.
Ergebnisse
Das Einsatzspektrum des TNA umfasste alle Altersstufen mit verschiedenen Meldebildern, die zu 48,2 % eine mittlere Erkrankungsschwere (stationäre Behandlung erforderlich) hatten. Von Patient*innen und Mitarbeitenden wurde das System gut angenommen. Die Einsatzdaten zeigten einen signifikanten Rückgang der Notarztbeteiligung bei telenotarztfähigen Einsatzfahrzeugen um 20 %. Die jährlichen Kosten des Systems belaufen sich auf ca. 1,7 Mio. €.
Schlussfolgerung
Die Ergebnisse belegen die Vorteilhaftigkeit des TNA-Systems, sodass es über die Projektdauer hinaus implementiert wurde. Das System ist medizinisch sinnvoll, funktionsfähig sowie effizient und steht als Innovation für die Umsetzung in ganz Deutschland bereit.
Background
Telephone-Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (T-CPR) significantly increases rate of bystander resuscitation and improves patient outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Nevertheless, securing correct execution of instructions remains a difficulty. ERC Guidelines 2021 recommend standardised instructions with continuous evaluation. Yet, there are no explicit recommendations on a standardised wording of T-CPR in the German language. We investigated, whether a modified wording regarding check for breathing in a German T-CPR protocol improved performance of T-CPR.
Methods
A simulation study with 48 OHCA scenarios was conducted. In a non-randomised trial study lay rescuers were instructed using the real-life-CPR protocol of the regional dispatch centre and as the intervention a modified T-CPR protocol, including specific check for breathing (head tilt-chin lift instructions). Resuscitation parameters were assessed with a manikin and video recordings.
Results
Check for breathing was performed by 64.3% (n = 14) of the lay rescuers with original wording and by 92.6% (n = 27) in the group with modified wording (p = 0.035). In the original wording group the head tilt-chin manoeuvre was executed by 0.0% of the lay rescuers compared to 70.3% in the group with modified wording (p < 0.001). The average duration of check for breathing was 1 ± 1 s in the original wording group and 4 ± 2 s in the group with modified wording (p < 0.001). Other instructions (e.g. check for consciousness and removal of clothing) were well performed and did not differ significantly between groups. Quality of chest compression did not differ significantly between groups, with the exception of mean chest compression depth, which was slightly deeper in the modified wording group.
Conclusion
Correct check for breathing seems to be a problem for lay rescuers, which can be decreased by describing the assessment in more detail. Hence, T-CPR protocols should provide standardised explicit instructions on how to perform airway assessment. Each protocol should be evaluated for practicability.
This study primarily aims to determine the frequency of life-threatening conditions among pediatric patients served by the DRF, a German helicopter emergency service (HEMS) provider. It also seeks to explore the necessity of invasive procedures in this population, discussing the implications for HEMS crew training and service configuration based on current literature. We analyzed the mission registry from 31 DRF helicopter bases in Germany, focusing on 7954 children aged 10 or younger over a 5-year period (2014–2018). Out of 7954 identified children (6.2% of all primary missions), 2081 (26.2%) had critical conditions. Endotracheal intubation was needed in 6.5% of cases, while alternative airway management methods were rare (n = 14). Half of the children required intravenous access, and 3.6% needed intraosseous access. Thoracostomy thoracentesis and sonography were only performed in isolated cases.
Conclusions: Critically ill or injured children are infrequent in German HEMS operations. Our findings suggest that the likelihood of HEMS teams encountering such cases is remarkably low. Besides endotracheal intubation, life-saving invasive procedures are seldom necessary. Consequently, we conclude that on-the-job training and mission experience alone are insufficient for acquiring and maintaining the competencies needed to care for critically ill or injured children.
Telemedicine at the Emergency Site – Evaluated by emergency team members in simulated scenarios
(2015)
The hypothesis of this study states that emergency medicine can benefit from telemedicine, whenever paramedics at a remote emergency site request consultation or mentoring by a distant emergency doctor. The hypothesis was semi-qualitatively evaluated in accordance with the protocol of the EU project in the setting of a medical simulation centre. Paramedics encountered simulated standardized emergency case scenarios, connected for teleconsultation and telementoring with emergency doctors by video and audio link through a newly developed real-time HD-video system called LiveCity camera. Paramedics and emergency doctors regarded the simulated scenarios as realistic and relevant and took the simulation seriously. Thus,the following conclusions can be drawn: 1.) Emergency team members encounter situations at the emergency site, in which they would like to get help by a more experienced colleague, especially help with diagnostics and treatment. 2.) The telemedical contact to an emergency doctor makes paramedics feel confirmed in their work, more secure, even in legal aspects. Paramedics do not feel controlled by telemedicine or like a puppet on a string. Their relationship to the patient is not mainly deranged or interfered by the doctor and their course of action is not mainly disrupted. The tele-emergency doctors do not feel like puppet masters and continue feeling as doctors and do not perceive themselves as interferer within the emergency team. 3.) Emergency team members call for a telemedical system providing transmission of vital signs as well as audio- and video-connection. 4.) The LiveCity camera is an effective telemedical tool. The audio quality is good and the orientation on the screen is easy. Paramedics state, that filming the emergency site is easy, does not restrict the field of vision and paramedics can communicate the emergency doctors everything they want to show and tell. Thus the emergency doctors get additional information. While the LiveCity camera is mostly perceived as not too heavy, the LiveCity camera is not easy to operate, very failure-prone and can derange the communication among team members at the emergency site. Nevertheless, the LiveCity camera is not perceived as an additional burden. 5.) Telemedicine is predominantly and largely appreciated by the members of the emergency team. Connecting the tele-emergency doctor to the remote paramedics leads to a perceived faster start of the therapy and is considered as helpful, improving the situation and the quality of patient care. The adherence to medical guidelines and therefore the quality increased, when the paramedics were connected to an emergency doctor through the telemedicine connection. In general, the quality of diagnostics, the correctness of diagnosis and the quality of therapy were rated higher. The majority of paramedics would call a tele-emergency doctor in cases, they wouldn´t normally activate medical support. The emergency team members largely agree in perceiving the tele-emergency doctor system as useful, and they can imagine, working in a tele-emergency system. As a conclusion, the general hypothesis of this study is mainly and in many items supported: Emergency medicine benefits from telemedical support via video- and audio link as studied here with a newly developed real-time HD-video system called LiveCity camera, whenever paramedics at a remote emergency site request consultation or mentoring by a distant emergency doctor.