May 20 marks the start of National Emergency Medical Services Week, a tradition of honoring a critical segment of first responders in the United States for more than 40 years. This year's celebration theme is "EMS Strong -- Stronger Together," and is especially relevant as the first responder world has evolved.
The natural disasters of the past decade have resulted in significant changes in the role of EMS. The perception of EMS as solely ambulance drivers and medical technicians has been rapidly replaced by images of these heroes holding communities together during and after major disasters.
With impact estimated at more than $300 billion, 2017 was the costliest year on record for natural disasters. On top of three back-to-back category-four hurricanes that devastated Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the surrounding regions, first responders were stretched dealing with massive wildfires, floods and heat-wave related crises across much of the nation. In virtually every instance, EMS professionals are running toward the danger while everyone else is, and should be, running away from it.
Responsibilities now falling to EMS and first responder organizations, outside of the traditional application of on-site medical support, include:
• Evacuation and crowd control;
• Creating triage and shelter centers in disaster zones;
• Training community members to apply emergency first aid;
• Developing community alert systems and technologies;
• Training the community on disaster preparedness/prevention techniques; and
• Developing Mutual Aid Agreements -- 85 percent of EMS managers now report the ability to assist neighbor jurisdictions within 24 hours
The vast majority of EMS services are still rendered in response to emergency medical situations, such as heart attacks, strokes and auto accidents. The level of care that EMS can provide during transport to a hospital has increased dramatically over the past decade, reducing the loss of brain and heart function, and saving lives that may have once been lost during transport.
Still, a 2016 report revealed that only one of every three patients who had a stroke were transported by EMS, with the remaining 66 percent arriving in private vehicles. Most patients report that they "didn't think they were having a stroke," or "felt silly calling 9-1-1." Still others cited the costs involved in an EMS transport and the inadequacy of their health care coverage.
The American College of Emergency Physicians warns against the risk involved with self-transport when there is a reasonable chance you may be having a life-threatening event. Here are their guidelines for recognizing a medical emergency, and calling 9-1-1:
• Severe chest or upper abdominal pain that lasts more than two minutes;
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing;
• Dizziness, weakness or fainting;
• Vision changes, such as double or blurred vision;
• Confusion or difficulty speaking;
• Coughing up or vomiting blood;
• Bleeding that won't stop after 10 minutes;
• Suicidal feelings; and
• Several allergic reactions, such as to an insect bite or medication.
Any member of the EMS team will urge you to err on the side of caution and call them in one of these situations, rather than risk complications or death while transporting yourself or someone you know.
During EMS Week and every week, Siloam Springs Regional Hospital thanks local and regional EMS professionals -- and all first responders -- for the lifesaving roles they play during crises both big and small.
About Siloam Springs Regional Hospital
Siloam Springs Regional Hospital is a 73 licensed bed facility with 42 private patient rooms. It is accredited by the State of Arkansas Department of Health Services and The Joint Commission. Some services include inpatient and outpatient surgery, emergency medicine, medical, surgical and intensive care units, obstetrics, outpatient diagnostic services and inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation. With more than 40 physicians on the medical staff, Siloam Springs Regional Hospital provides compassionate, customer-focused care. SSRH is an affiliate of Northwest Health, one of the largest health networks in Northwest Arkansas, and through that affiliation is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a select group of independent health systems that work closely with Mayo Clinic to improve the delivery of health care and better serve their patients and their communities. Siloam Springs Regional Hospital is located at 603 N. Progress Ave. in Siloam Springs. For more information, visit NorthwestHealth.com.
Editorial on 05/23/2018