👶 Moving Towards Safer Pediatric Transport Care in EMS 🚑

Navigating the complexities of transporting children in ambulances is no small feat for EMS workers. From safely securing young patients to performing critical interventions like CPR, these tasks become even more challenging due to a lack of universal guidelines. Addressing this pressing issue, Dr. Nick Cochran-Caggiano, an emergency physician and researcher, has illuminated the obstacles faced in pediatric ambulance care through two groundbreaking studies. These studies were the focus of the latest episode of the podcast “EMS Research with Professor Bram,” offering valuable insights for every EMS professional.

The Hidden Dangers of Pediatric Ambulance Transport
One of Dr. Cochran-Caggiano’s significant studies, published in Pediatric Emergency Care in 2023, brought to light the widespread issues with securing children during ambulance rides. By analyzing video footage from over 3,000 ambulance arrivals at a pediatric emergency department, the study uncovered concerning statistics:

• Only 53.5% of children were transported using safety devices appropriate for their weight.
• Improper use of transport restraints occurred in a staggering 77.1% of cases, creating unnecessary risks.
• While commercially produced pediatric restraints proved to be the safest choice, half of them were still used incorrectly.
• Ambulance stretchers became the default transport method in numerous cases but were only suitable in 18.2% of instances.

During an interview, Dr. Cochran-Caggiano described these findings as alarming, attributing much of the problem to inconsistent safety measures. He stressed the need for standardized solutions, saying, “We must have a reliable way to ensure children are transported safely.” He also highlighted a critical gap in EMS practices, pointing out that there’s no effective system for securing a car seat to an ambulance stretcher. Current efforts, he added, feel more like improvisation than robust safety protocols.

These revelations underscore the urgency of developing unified guidelines for pediatric transport in emergencies. EMS providers face immense challenges, but consistent safety measures could better protect their most vulnerable patients.

Book announcement: Bram Duffee is a co-author of the latest book about how hypnosis has the potential to revolutionize medical care for those struggling with emergency / acute distress. Hypnotic Communication in Emergency Medical Settings: For Life-Saving and Therapeutic Outcomes demonstrates how hypnotic communication has the potential to improve patient outcomes in emergency care, integrating insights on the connection between mind and body for paramedics and other first responders. https://routledge.pub/Hypnotic-Commun...

Take part in research: If you are a first responder who lives in the United States and would be open to an interview for a research study please connect with Bram Duffee by going to the website https://bduffee0.wixsite.com/ems-conf...

Stay up to date: Review the most recent research in EMS through the monthly article reviews put out by the International PreHospital Medicine Institute https://iphmi.com/ems-articles-of-the...

Connections: If you want to connect with the EMS Research Podcast staff check out our website at www.ProfessorBram.com

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