Clinical Characteristics of Patients With COVID-19 Receiving EMS

Question  What is the clinical presentation to emergency medical services among persons with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)? Findings  This cohort study of 124 patients with COVID-19 revealed that most patients with COVID-19 presenting to emergency medical services were older and had multiple chronic health conditions. Initial concern, symptoms, and examination findings were heterogeneous and not consistently characterized as febrile respiratory illness. Meaning  The findings of this study suggest … Continue reading Clinical Characteristics of Patients With COVID-19 Receiving EMS

Prevalence of COVID-19 in OHCA: Implications for Bystander CPR

We undertook a cohort investigation of OHCA attended by emergency medical services (EMS) in Seattle and King County, WA from January 1 to April 15, 2020. Patients where EMS attempted resuscitation (EMS treated) and where EMS responded but did not provide resuscitation because of signs of irreversible death (dead on EMS arrival) were included. Our population-based OHCA registry systematically abstracts information about OHCA presentation, treatment, and outcome from dispatch audio recordings, defibrillator electronic data, prehospital … Continue reading Prevalence of COVID-19 in OHCA: Implications for Bystander CPR

Occupational Exposures and Programmatic Response to COVID-19 Pandemic: An EMS Experience

Abstract Background: Rigorous assessment of occupational COVID-19 risk and personal protective equipment (PPE) use are not well-described. We evaluated 9-1-1 emergency medical services (EMS) encounters for patients with COVID-19 to assess occupational exposure, programmatic strategies to reduce exposure, and PPE use. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort investigation of lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients in King County, WA who received 9-1-1 EMS responses from February 14, 2020 … Continue reading Occupational Exposures and Programmatic Response to COVID-19 Pandemic: An EMS Experience

8 types of data: Telling the story of COVID-19

As the United States enters its second month of COVID-19, the availability of data on the pandemic that will define a generation has become almost overwhelming. Websites abound with tables, graphics and projections on how different aspects of the crisis are unfolding. Some use data to make their case for a far-flung theory, others display it in a way that tells an easy-to-interpret story of … Continue reading 8 types of data: Telling the story of COVID-19

7 data visualizations that explain COVID-19

Throughout the last two months, Seattle and King County have been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The first COVID-19 case within our borders was confirmed in Snohomish County, Washington on Jan. 21, 2020. The first reported death happened nearly six weeks later at a hospital 15 miles from downtown Seattle. For a month and a half, the virus … Continue reading 7 data visualizations that explain COVID-19

EMS World Expo 2016

EMS World Expo is put on by EMS World every October and is “North America’s largest EMS conference and trade show, hosted in partnership with NAEMT, which brought over 5,100 EMS professionals together in New Orleans.” While I spent the majority of my time volunteering with The New Orleans EMS Foundation, I was asked to cover three sessions for EMS World: Implementing Evidence-Based Learning in Prehospital … Continue reading EMS World Expo 2016

The evolving war on opioids

Prehospital providers are on the front lines of the current opioid addiction epidemic. Those that have yet to experience the power of saving a life with a simple bolus of naloxone likely won’t have to wait long given that over 28,000 people died in 2014, and an additional 2.2 million Americans currently struggle with opioid addiction. President Obama recently attended the National Rx Drug Abuse … Continue reading The evolving war on opioids

The Gathering of Eagles: 2016

Next year the Gathering of Eagles will celebrate its 19th rendition. And you should be there. The Gathering of Eagles isn’t like the academic conferences many of the Eagles’ faculty present at. Nor is it like smaller state-level conferences many in the audience attend. And it definitely isn’t like the larger EMS conferences such as EMS World Expo. It’s a different breed entirely. The Gathering started … Continue reading The Gathering of Eagles: 2016

Public Health Obligation to Prevent TB Transmission

The recent tuberculosis outbreak in Marion, Alabama, has resulted in a controversial public health program paying people to get tested for TB. Although more than 1,000 people have been tested through this program, that only represents 10 percent of the county’s population. While economic incentives are not recommended as the first step in prevention, this is an active outbreak that has taken at least three lives. Additionally, 20 … Continue reading Public Health Obligation to Prevent TB Transmission