ABSTRACT
Mass casualty triage is the process of prioritizing multiple victims when resources are not sufficient to treat everyone immediately. No national guideline for mass casualty triage exists in the United States. The lack of a national guideline has resulted in variability in triage processes, tags, and nomenclature. This variability has the potential to inject confusion and miscommunication into the disaster incident, particularly when multiple jurisdictions are involved. The Model Uniform Core Criteria for Mass Casualty Triage were developed to be a national guideline for mass casualty triage to ensure interoperability and standardization when responding to a mass casualty incident. The Core Criteria consist of 4 categories: general considerations, global sorting, lifesaving interventions, and individual assessment of triage category. The criteria within each of these categories were developed by a workgroup of experts representing national stakeholder organizations who used the best available science and, when necessary, consensus opinion. This article describes how the Model Uniform Core Criteria for Mass Casualty Triage were developed.
Subject(s)
Benchmarking/methods , Disaster Planning/standards , Emergency Responders , Mass Casualty Incidents , Triage/standards , Benchmarking/standards , Disaster Planning/methods , Disaster Planning/organization & administration , Emergency Service, Hospital/organization & administration , Humans , Models, Organizational , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Professional Competence , Public Health , Relief Work , Triage/methods , Triage/organization & administration , United StatesABSTRACT
Humans are warm-blooded mammals and must maintain a constant internal temperature. Body temperature is controlled by the hypothalamus in the brain, with input from sensory receptors throughout the body. At any given time, body temperature is a function of heat production and heat loss. Temperature-regulation problems can result in several conditions. These include fever, hyperthermia and hypothermia. EMTs and paramedics must be familiar with the physiological and pathophysiological processes resulting from these disorders. By close observation of the patient, it should be fairly easy to determine which underlying processes are causing the observed signs and symptoms. With this knowledge, you can provide competent, compassionate prehospital care.
Subject(s)
Body Temperature Regulation/physiology , Emergency Medical Services/methods , Fever/physiopathology , Hypothermia/physiopathology , Fever/complications , Heat Exhaustion , Heat Stroke , Humans , Humidity , Hypothermia/complications , Risk Factors , United StatesABSTRACT
No matter how well we plan and train, every MCI is an exercise in gaining control over chaos. Emotions can sometimes get in the way. An MCI with pediatric victims is an additional emotional challenge that must be met by using objective tools so we can avoid needless mistakes in medical judgment. JumpSTART, used in conjunction with an adult triage tool such as START, can help to ensure that we not only meet the needs of all our MCI victims, but also address our own needs to provide the very best care for the children we encounter.
Subject(s)
Disasters , Emergency Medical Services/organization & administration , Pediatrics/standards , Triage/standards , Algorithms , Child , Decision Making , Emergency Medical Services/standards , Emotions , Health Planning , Humans , Judgment , Pediatrics/methods , Triage/methodsABSTRACT
The Pediatric Education Task Force has developed a list of major topics and skills for inclusion in pediatric curricula for EMS providers. Areas of controversy in the management of pediatric patients in the prehospital setting are outlined, and helpful learning tools are identified. [Gausche M, Henderson DB, Brownstein D, Foltin GL, for the Pediatric Education Task Force: Education of out-of-hospital emergency medical personnel in pediatrics: Report of a National Task Force. Ann Emerg Med January 1998;31:58-64.].