Child and Provider Restraints in Ambulances: Knowledge, Opinions, and Behaviors of Emergency Medical Services Providers

This article reports on a study that measured the knowledge, opinions, and behaviors of emergency medical services (EMS) personnel regarding child and provider restraint use in ambulances. The authors note that approximately 16,000 children are transported by ambulances each day, and there are an estimated 4,500 ambulance crashes each year. The authors administered a survey was given to all EMS providers in two large ambulance-service organizations and in a hospital-based pediatric ambulance service in a midsized urban area; a return rate of 67.7% resulted in a total of 302 EMS providers in the study. Nearly half were involved in an ambulance crash at least once; of those, 7.6% were injured and 1% had patients in their care injured. The majority (91%) reported some training in child-restraint use in ambulances, and half reported that they know a lot or very much about securing a critically ill child for transport. However, 30% did not identify the correct method of transport for a stable 2-year-old, and 40% did not choose the correct method of securing a child seat to the ambulance cot. Although 80% of providers regularly transported children in a car seat, 23% transported them on an adult's lap at least sometimes. Specialized pediatric-transport providers were more likely to report safe pediatric and occupant restraint practices than were community EMS providers. Pediatric restraint behaviors were not associated with years of service or history of a crash. Two thirds of respondents reported not wearing their seatbelt on the squad bench while treating patients, and half believe that wearing a seatbelt interferes with patient care. A total of 95% report wearing seatbelts in the front seat of the ambulance. The authors conclude that the frequency of crashes in ambulances, and therefore the potential for injury, may be underappreciated. Current restraint practices of some of the study group are outside recommendations and may be placing at risk some children who are being transported by ambulances. This problem is complicated by the relative infrequency of pediatric ambulance transports compared with adults. In addition, providers are risking their own safety by not wearing seatbelts in the rear ambulance compartment. However, improved equipment and education may help providers safely transport pediatric patients and protect their own safety as well.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/10696563
• Authors:
  • Johnson, Timothy D
  • Lindholm, Daniel
  • Dowd, M Denise
• Publication Date: 2006-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 886-892
• Serial:
  • Academic Emergency Medicine
  • Volume: 13
  • Issue Number: 8
  • Publisher: Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
  • ISSN: 1069-6563
  • EISSN: 1553-2712
  • Serial URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1553-2712

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Ambulances; Child restraint systems; Children; Crash injuries; Emergency medical services; Equipment; Patients; Prevention; Seat belts; Transportation safety
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Vehicles and Equipment; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor; I84: Personal Injuries; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01083170
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 31 2007 7:37AM