When should you test for and treat hypoglycemia in prehospital seizure patients?

Objectives: Seizure is a frequent reason for activating the Emergency Medical System (EMS). Little is known about the frequency of seizure caused by hypoglycemia, yet many EMS protocols require glucose testing prior to treatment. We hypothesized that hypoglycemia is rare among EMS seizure patients and glucose testing results in delayed administration of benzodiazepines.

Early detection and treatment of patients with severe sepsis by prehospital personnel.

Background: Severe sepsis is a condition with a high mortality rate, and the majority of patients are first seen by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel.

Objective: This research sought to determine the feasibility of EMS providers recognizing a severe sepsis patient, thereby resulting in better patient outcomes if standard EMS treatments for medical shock were initiated.

Methods: We developed the Sepsis Alert Protocol that incorporates a screening tool using point-of-care venous lactate meters.