ABSTRACT
Background. Arrival times at the scene and provision of initial emergency treatment have importance in pre-hospital care settings. Donning proper protective equipment by medical personnel, as was needed during the COVID-19 pandemic, prolongs the time between the arrival of medical personnel to a patient and provision of primary medical care. Objective. We examined the effect of a suggested personal protective equipment (PPE) wearing protocol (gown protocol) on shortening pre-hospital treatment times compared to the current coverall protocol. Method. In this prospective simulation-based study, participants were instructed to inject a practice epinephrine syringe into a simulation mannequin after donning either a gown or a coverall PPE kit in the shortest possible time. Participants performed the two protocols in a randomized order. Donning time, physiological measures, and participants' perceptions were measured after completion of each of the protocols. Results. Donning times and heart rates were significantly lower in the gown protocol compared to the standard coverall protocol. In addition, participants reported that the gown protocol was more comfortable and allowed provision of better medical care. Conclusions. Advantages of using the new protocol included shortening the time until primary medical care can be provided, perceptions of greater comfort, less difficulty in administering medical care, and lower heart rate values.
ABSTRACT
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Israel was called on to vaccinate the most vulnerable population-the elderly in assisted living facilities and their caregivers. Two parameters led the operation: (1) maximum use of the scarce COVID-19 vaccine, and (2) minimizing the time it took to reach this entire population. We present the process of vaccinating 126 245 people in two weeks at 756 locations countrywide, focusing on the planning and logistics of this operation. Resilience, flexible logistics, and dedicated personnel provided an efficient public health operation.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 Vaccines/therapeutic use , COVID-19/prevention & control , Emergency Medical Services/statistics & numerical data , Vaccination/statistics & numerical data , Vulnerable Populations/statistics & numerical data , Aged , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/transmission , Humans , IsraelABSTRACT
Emergency response to a pandemic requires health care systems to initiate many activities. One of these activities is providing the public with information and guidance about the symptoms and the actions that need to be taken. A dedicated call center should facilitate the public need. Such a call center needs to be carefully designed to protect the call takers from potentially being infected by other staff members. An ad hoc facility has the flexibility to adjust to evolving demands and constraints. This article presents the need, the concerns, and the guidelines used to design such call center during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.