New Guidelines Issued on Equipping Ambulances

Two major groups of U.S. doctors have worked together to develop a list of the supplies and equipment that should be stocked on ambulances to provide good patient care. The two groups are the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and The American College of Surgeons (ACS). The two groups previously had separate guidelines, but decided to work together to develop a consensus of recommendations that would meet the needs of both groups.

Over a period of two years, the groups gathered information from various sources such as Emergency Medical Services personnel, rural ambulance units, and paramedics, as well as emergency doctors and trauma surgeons. The new recommendations list equipment for ventilation and airway monitoring, defibrillation, immobilization, bandages, communications, obstetrics, infection control, injury prevention, and also additional equipment for advanced-level ambulance services and extraction equipment for rescue from heavy vehicles.

"Management of traumatic and medical emergencies by properly trained and equipped prehospital providers has significantly improved overall survival,” said Richard Hunt, M.D., who chairs ACEP's Trauma Care and Injury Control Committee and serves as liaison to the ACS Committee on Trauma Care. Still, he notes that trauma kills more U.S. citizens between the ages of one and 44 than any other disease or illness. The new recommendations were recently published and are now being distributed. They can be accessed on ACEP's website (www.acep.org/library/index.cfm/id/2231.pdf).




Related Links:
American College of Emergency Physicians