EM-1 Lecture 1

Intorduction to Emergency
Medical services
January 2019
Dr Dalal Alhasan
 Objectives

1. Understand emergency medical services (EMS) system.

2.Describe the EMS system in Kuwait.

3.Introduce the national incidence of emergency medical

services cases.

4. Identify the Emergency Medical Technician role,

competencies and job description.
Emergency Medical
services definition

A national network of services

coordinated to provide medical
assistance to preserve life,
prevent further injury and
promote recovery.
 EMS in Kuwait

1. Emergency medical services, Ministry of Health.( 95% of

cases)
2. Emergency medical services of the Armed Force.
3. Emergency medical services of the Oil Company.
4. Emergency medical services of private hospital
Consist of Operation unit and Ambulance unit.
1.Operation unit:
Consist of 2 call centers
a) Emergency dispatch room
b) Non- emergency dispatch room (inter-hospital
transport).
22.Ambulance unit:
Consist of 2 crews :
a) Emergency medical technician (EMT)crew.
b) Paramedic.
 Call volume in 2017 (incidence/1000 inhabitants/year) 139,751

Proportion of calls resulting in ambulance All calls receive an ambulance

All calls are high priority

Index/dispatch priority tool

Electronic

North American Emergency Medical Priority Dispatch (ProQA version12.1)

Manual/electronic use of Index

Dispatch Priority tool Optional

125 nurses (73%), 47 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) (26%) , 3 paramedics

1-day intensive course: Dispatcher-Assisted CPR SHARE course (70)

Mandatory/optional use of Index

25 call takers/shift
Call takers certification and education
114,525 Missions

173 ambulances, 3 helicopter

11.3 minutes
Call Approximate number of call takers/24h shift
No first responder system

Not installed

Ambulance services (2017 numbers)

Paramedics 150 (25%)
EMTs 450 (75%)

Mean response time

First responder system

Public automated defibrillator

Competence of ambulance providers

 Incidence of cases in EMS

According to ED data 2017.

Chest pain is the most common presentation.
 How good is the EMS system?

• EMS systems are measured and compared through

operational and clinical outcomes.
• 1.Operational outcomes include: equipments, response
time, staff..etc
• 2.Clinical outcomes :
• Out of hospital cardiac arrest survival rate.
• Acute Cornoary Syndrome (Acs) Recognition And
Management.
• Acute Stroke Recognition And Management.
• Return Of Spontaneous Circulation (Rosc).
•
 Role of the EMT

a. Should be prepared for emergency calls with knowledge, skills and

equipment.
b. Respond to the scene in a safe and timely manner.

Scene time:
-Medical case: <15 minutes - trauma case: <10
minutes

b. Assess and stabilize the patient per EMS protocol.

c. Prevent secondary injuries.
d. Transport the patient.
e. Documentation and reporting.
 EMT competencies

• Basic Life Support

• AED, supraglottic airways, suction, airway adjuncts
• Buccal/IM/IN medications
• Continous Postive Airway pressure devices (CPAP).
 “Remember this pateitnt did not choose to be in
this situation,YOU chose to help them, SO you are
obliged to do your best !”

–Shelly Evert