@article{ref1,
title="Patient outcome using medical protocol to limit "lights and siren" transport",
journal="Prehospital and disaster medicine",
year="1994",
author="Kupas, D. F. and Dula, D. J. and Pino, B. J.",
volume="9",
number="4",
pages="226-229",
abstract="INTRODUCTION: Emergency medical services vehicle collisions (EMVCs) associated with the use of warning &quot;lights and siren&quot; (L&S) are responsible for injuries and death to emergency medical services (EMS) personnel and patients. This study examines patient outcome when medical protocol directs L&S transport. DESIGN: During four months, all EMS calls initiated as an emergency request for service and culminating in transport to an emergency department (ED) were included. Medical criteria determined emergent (L&S) versus non-emergent transport. Patients with worsened conditions, as reported by EMS providers, were reviewed. SETTING: Countywide suburban/rural EMS system. RESULTS: Ninety-two percent (1,495 of 1,625) of patients were transported nonemergently. Thirteen (1%) of these were reported to have worsened during transport, and none of them suffered any worsened outcome related to the non-L&S transport. CONCLUSION: This medical protocol directing the use of warning L&S during patient transport results in infrequent L&S transport. In this study, no adverse outcomes were found related to non-L&S transports.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1049-023X",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}