Key Concepts Tactical emergency medical support (TEMS) facilitates the overall success and safety of law enforcement missions during all phases of a tactical operation through the delivery of preventive, urgent, and emergency medical care. A fundamental principle in tactical medicine…
Foundations Besides managing the injuries and illnesses from common disasters such as earthquakes and airplane crashes, emergency clinicians should also have competence in treating victims generated by terrorist attacks with chemical, nuclear, biologic, or high-energy explosive weapons. Conventional explosives remain…
Key Concepts Comprehensive emergency management consists of four phases: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Mass casualty planning should account for the breakdown of traditional transportation and communications systems during a disaster. Field personnel should be specifically trained in mass casualty…
Key Concepts Air medical transport (AMT) is a critical component of a comprehensive health care system and a vital link for rural communities and critical access hospitals to distant emergency care. Boyle’s law and Dalton’s law have the greatest impact…
Key Concepts Published in 1966, Accidental Death and Disability: The Neglected Disease of Modern Society by the National Academy of Sciences–National Research Council was instrumental in emergency medical service (EMS) maturation in the United States. There are multiple models for…
Key Concepts Knowledge of wound mechanics, production, and appearance can provide practicing emergency clinicians with important clues regarding the forensic interpretations of injuries. Wounds and injuries should be diagrammed and photographed. The medical record should accurately document objective findings associated…
Key Concepts Physician Wellness: A quality of life that includes the presence of positive physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being experienced in connection with activities and environments that allow physicians to develop their full potentials across personal and work-life domains.…
Key Concepts Factors that can improve the patient experience in the emergency department include: Communication that expresses empathy Working as a high-functioning team Setting realistic expectations regarding wait time Clear discharge instructions Improvement in the patient experience has been shown…
Key Concepts The work of health care occurs within a complex socio-technical system so that a change in even one component has an impact on other parts of the system and ultimately on safety. Patient safety and mitigation of risk…
Key Concepts The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) governs virtually every aspect of hospital-based emergency services. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) deems anyone on hospital property to have “come to the emergency department.” Hospital property consists…