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L Eastes

Publications and source records attributed to L Eastes.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Appropriate helicopter transport of urban trauma patients.

OBJECTIVE: Inappropriate use of helicopter transport of trauma patients in urban areas increases costs, risk of injury, and unavailability for appropriate flights. We evaluated the effect of an emergency medical service (EMS) system audit of helicopter trauma scene flights (TSFs) on appropriateness of TSFs. METHODS AND DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Defined urban area with two Level I trauma hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive TSFs 2 years before (PRE) and 2 years after (POST) audit. INTERVENTION: EMS system audit established criteria for appropriate TSFs. MAIN RESULTS: The total number of trauma system entries were similar for the two periods: PRE (1989) = 2862; POST (1990 and 1991) = 2787 and 2772. The total number of TSFs decreased after audit (PRE = 122; POST = 50). The proportion of inappropriate (INAPPRO)/total TSFs did not change (62% vs. 66%; chi 2 = 0.04; p = 0.85). There was no difference between appropriate (APPRO) and INAPPRO TSFs for mean vital signs, mechanism of injury, Trauma and Injury Severity Score (TRISS) and Injury Severity Score (ISS), mean length of stay, and proportion of survivors. Scene and transport time intervals were similar. For both PRE and POST periods, 26 APPRO patients (45%) were admitted to non-intensive care unit wards. CONCLUSIONS: An EMS system audit with general awareness of audit criteria decreased the total number of TSFs and hence the number of INAPPRO TSFs in this urban trauma system population. However, the proportion of TSFs that were considered INAPPRO did not change. Criteria for urban TSFs should be based on markers of critical physiologic patient status matched to unique care that the helicopter personnel can provide (e.g., advanced airway management).

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Financial strategies and outcomes management in trauma care: current status and predictions for the future.

In the competitive health care market of the 1990s, trauma centers face a multitude of fiscal challenges that threaten their survival. Trauma centers are confronted with the tremendous task of balancing the cost of caring for the patient with multiple trauma who requires resource-intensive care with the most fiscally responsible outcomes. Academic medical centers and residency training programs are faced with an even greater burden associated with controlling cost while providing learning experiences for physicians and nurses. Outcomes management represents the future strategy that trauma centers nationwide must embrace. Outcomes management gives trauma centers the opportunity to demonstrate their contribution to the community and society through improved patient and systems outcomes.

Financial Management, Hospital↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Intubation quality assurance thresholds.

INTRODUCTION: Quality assurance (QA) and continuous quality improvement (CQI) are valued activities within health-care organizations. Quality assurance indicators as guidelines for quality practice usually are established intuitively. The purpose of this study was to determine an appropriate threshold for successful intubation in patients transported by air and to examine factors impacting this success rate. SETTING: Fifteen rotor-wing programs from across the United States participated. METHOD: The study was a prospective descriptive design. A total of 369 flight crew members agreed to participate, and intubations were attempted on 862 patients during the 12-month study. RESULTS: Intubations were attempted on 862 patients and were successful in 788 (91.4%) of the patients. Of the patients not successfully intubated, 14 received supplemental oxygen only, 25 were supported with bag-valve-mask, 26 received a surgical cricothyroidotomy and for nine patients it was unknown what form of airway support was provided. CONCLUSION: Factors impacting successful intubation include cardiac arrest, use of neuromuscular blockade, use of sedatives and facial trauma. Data from the study support a threshold for successful intubation of between 90% and 95%.

Air Ambulances↗