New USAToday article

[paramedicmike]

What do you think? Thought I'd stir the pot a little on this Monday.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-0...aramedics_x.htm

-be safe.

[JPINFV]

Researchers believe the individual paramedics in such cities deal with a higher volume of critical cases, keeping sharp such tricky skills as intubation, the insertion of a tube into the trachea to open an airway.

The article says it all...

[SSG G-man]

Wow, looks like Dust has been wrong all this time. We can not help people better by raising education standards, we just need to have less paramedics. I guess this is the "doing more with less" theory of Emergency Medicine!!

Sarge

[AZCEP]

That would be all well and good if not for the fact that the numbers of cardiac arrest patients that are responded to aren't all that high.

We have all been guilty of complaining, at one time or another, that we don't have enough of the "real" calls. How often are the responders in these areas actually responding to an arrest. It would also relate to the demographic that the paramedics are responding to. At a time in America that department administrators are complaining about shortages of providers, are we to believe that fewer will do a better job? If they do, how long until the workforce eliminates itself through attrition?

[Scaramedic]

Way to go EMSA!!!! :wav:

For those that don't know, Oklahoma City and Tulsa are both EMSA (Emergency Medical Services Authority) cities.

Peace,

Marty

:thumbleft:

[hammerpcp]

All I have to say is: Huh? If I wasn't so apathetic I would write them a letter about statistical misinterpretation.

[Ridryder 911]

I wonder why they are re-running a story that was initially published in 2002 ? The study as well as the article was full of flaws. EMSA, number(s) was totally misconscrewed, and I had read others were too. News must be boring.... to have to "dig up" old articles.

R/r 911

[JPINFV]

Wasn't there a news article not too long ago that showed that intubation rates went up when not every fire engine was staffed with paramedics?

[ERDoc]

A few quick questions:

Hammer: What statistical misrepresentation? I didn't see any statistics presented.

Rid: Do you have the reference to the study and article that you are talking about. The study this article was about has yet to be published.

[chicagoambo]

It must be true its in the newspaper!I have to say its mostly nonsense,less paramedics is good.Come on,who conducted the survey?Some private hosp. agency,private ambo co.WHO?????Would you want to live in a neighborhood with BLS fire engines responding to your kids or family?NO way,give me ALS AMBO"S and engines!Quick immediate ALS care is what we give to others and what we expect no less for our families!I understand $$$ is an issue in

some communities and shortage of paramedics.In an urban setting high volume of calls is not a problem for ambo's or Als engines.