Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-r6qrq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-27T11:48:30.533Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Characteristics of Emergency Medical Technicians Involved in Ambulance Crashes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Jonathan R. Studnek  and
Antonio R. Fernandez
Jonathan R. Studnek*
Affiliation:
National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, Columbus, OhioUSA
Antonio R. Fernandez
Affiliation:
National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, Columbus, OhioUSA
*
EMS Research FellowNational Registry of EMTsPO Box 29233Columbus, Ohio 43230USA E-mail: jons@nremt.org
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives:

This study utilizes a [US] national sample of emergency medical services (EMS) professionals to explore the hypothesis that demographic and work-related characteristics are associated with involvement in ambulance crashes.

Methods:

In 2004, a cohort of nationally registered EMS professionals was surveyed to determine ambulance crash involvement during a 12-month period. Involvement in an ambulance crash was the outcome variable of interest. Demographics such as age, community size, service type, call volume, time spent in an ambulance, and current sleep problems were analyzed as independent variables. A multivariate logistic regression model identified variables associated with involvement in an ambulance crash within the past year.

Results:

Surveys were received from 1,775/5,565 (32.0%) participants; 1,297 (73.1%) met the inclusion criteria. A total of 111 (8.6%) of participants reported being involved in an ambulance crash within the past 12 months. When controlling for call volume and time in an ambulance, the odds of involvement in an ambulance crash within the past year were significantly higher for younger EMS professionals and those reporting sleep problems.

Conclusions:

Results from this analysis suggest age and sleep problems are associated with involvement in an ambulance crash. Future studies should investigate interventions to minimize the effects of these associations.

Keywords

ambulancecrashemergency medical technician
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 23 , Issue 5 , October 2008 , pp. 432 - 437
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Lindstrom, A: JEMS 2006 Platinum Resource Guide: Key statistics and contact information. JEMS 2006;31(1):42–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.National Registry of emergency medical technicians: 2004 National emergency medical services Practice Analysis. Columbus: NRemergency medical technician, 2005.Google Scholar
3.Gershon, RR, Vlahov, D, Kelen, G, et al. : Review of accidents/injuries among emergency medical services workers in Baltimore, Maryland. Prehospital Disast Med 1995;10(1):14–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Grange, JT, Corbett, SW: Violence against emergency medical services personnel. Prehosp Emerg Care 2002;6(2):186–190.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Hogya, PT, Ellis, L: Evaluation of the injury profile of personnel in a busy urban emergency medical services system. Am J Emerg Med 1990;8(4):308–311.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Mechem, CC, Dickinson, ET, Shofer, FS, Jaslow, D: Injuries from assaults on paramedics and firefighters in an urban emergency medical services system. Prehosp Emerg Care 2002;6(4):396–401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Pozzi, C: Exposure of prehospital providers to violence and abuse. J Emerg Nurs 1998;24(4):320–323.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Schwartz, RJ, Benson, L, Jacobs, LM: The prevalence of occupational injuries in emergency medical technicians in New England. Prehospital Disast Med 1993;8(1):45–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Sterud, T, Ekeberg, O, Hem, E: Health status in the ambulance services: A systematic review. BMC Health Serv Res 2006;6:82.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Becker, LR, Zaloshnja, E, Levick, N, et al. : Relative risk of injury and death in ambulances and other emergency vehicles. Accid Anal Prev 2003;35(6):941–948.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Biggers, WA Jr., Zachariah, BS, Pepe, PE: Emergency medical vehicle collisions in an urban system. Prehospital Disast Med 1996;11(3):195–201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Custalow, CB, Gravitz, CS: Emergency medical vehicle collisions and potential for preventive intervention. Prehosp Emerg Care 2004;8(2):175–184.Google ScholarPubMed
13.Kahn, C., Pirrallo, R, Kuhn, E: Characteristics of fatal ambulance crashes in the United States: An 11-year retrospective analysis. Prehosp Emerg Care 2001;5:261–269.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Maguire, BJ, Hunting, KL, Smith, GS, Levick, NR: Occupational fatalities in emergency medical services: A hidden crisis. Ann Emerg Med 2002;40(6);625–632.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Proudfoot, S, Romano, N, Bobick, T, Moore, P: Ambulance crash-related injuries among emergency medical services workers–United States, 1991–2002. MMWR 2003;52(8):154–156.Google Scholar
16.Saunders, CE, Heye, CJ: Ambulance collisions in an urban environment. Prehospital Disast Med 1994;9(2):118–124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17.Dawson, DE, Brown, W Jr., Harwell, TS: Assessment of nationally registered emergency medical technician certification training in the United States: The [US] Longitudinal Emergency Medical Technician Attributes and Demographics Study Project. Longitudinal Emergency Medical Technician Attributes Demographic Study. Prehosp Emerg Care 2003;7(1):114–119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18.Hosmer, DW, Lemeshow, S: Applied Logistic Regression 2d ed.New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2000.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19.Ferguson, SA: Other high-risk factors for young drivers–How graduated licensing does, doesn't, or could address them. J Safety Res 2003;34(1):71–77.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20.McEvoy, SP, Stevenson, MR, Woodward, M: The prevalence of, and factors associated with, serious crashes involving a distracting activity. Accid Anal Prev 2007;39(3):475–482.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21.Neyens, DM, Boyle, LN: The effect of distractions on the crash types of teenage drivers. Accid Anal Prev 2007;39(1):206–212.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22. National Drunk and Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Program Planner. Available at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/outreach/safesobr/13qp/index.html. Accessed 23 October 2006.Google Scholar
23.Canani, SF, John, AB, Raymundi, MG, et al. : Prevalence of sleepiness in a group of Brazilian lorry drivers. Public Health 2005;119(10):925–929.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24.Maycock, G: Sleepiness and driving: the experience of UK car drivers. Accid Anal Prev 1997;29(4):453–462.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25.Powell, NB, Schechtman, KB, Riley, RW, Li, K, Guilleminault, C: Sleepy driving: Accidents and injury. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2002;126(3):217–227.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26.Sagberg, F: Road accidents caused by drivers falling asleep. Accid Anal Prev 1999;31(6):639–649.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27.Souza, JC, Paiva, T, Reimao, R: Sleep habits, sleepiness and accidents among truck drivers. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2005;63(4):925–930.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28.Brown, WE Jr, Dickison, PD, Misselbeck, WJ, Levine, R: Longitudinal Emergency Medical Technician Attribute and Demographic Study ([US] Longitudinal Emergency Medical Technician Attributes and Demographics Study): An interim report. Prehosp Emerg Care 2002;6(4):433–439.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
29.Garbarino, S, Mascialino, B, Penco, MA, et al. : Professional shift-work drivers who adopt prophylactic naps can reduce the risk of car accidents during night work. Sleep 2004;27(7):1295–1302.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30.Lenne, MG, Dwyer, F, Triggs, TJ, et al. : The effects of a nap opportunity in quiet and noisy environments on driving performance. Chronobiol Int 2004;21(6):991–1001.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
31.Philip, P, Taillard, J, Moore, N, et al. : The effects of coffee and napping on nighttime highway driving: A randomized trial. Ann Intern Med 2006;144(11):785–791.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
32.Purnell, MT, Feyer, AM, Herbison, GP: The impact of a nap opportunity during the night shift on the performance and alertness of 12-h shift workers. J Sleep Res 2002;11(3):219–227.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
33.Schweitzer, PK, Randazzo, AC, Stone, K, et al. : Laboratory and field studies of naps and caffeine as practical countermeasures for sleep-wake problemergency medical services associated with night work. Sleep 2006;29(1):39–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar