School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC.
Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC.
Am J Disaster Med. 2022;16(4):271-295. doi: 10.5055/ajdm.2021.0411.
The objective of this study was to assess the training and readiness levels of Collegiate Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers to respond to mass casualty incidents (MCIs).
An anonymous cross-sectional survey of Collegiate EMS providers was performed.
Participants were US-based EMS providers affiliated with the National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation.
The main outcome measures were levels of EMS experience and MCI training, subjective readiness levels for responding to various MCI scenarios, and analyzing the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on MCI response capabilities.
Respondents had a median age of 21 years (interquartile range IQR 20, 22), with 86 percent (n = 96/112) being trained to the Emergency Medical Technician-Basic level. Providers reported participating in an average of 1.6 MCI trainings over the last four years (IQR, 1.0, 2.2). Subjective MCI response readiness levels were highest with active assailant attacks followed by large event evacuations, natural disasters, hazardous material (HAZMAT) incidents, targeted automobile ramming attacks, explosions, and finally bioweapons release. Disparate to this, only 18 percent of participants reported training in the fundamentals of tactical and disaster medicine. With respect to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on MCI readiness, 27 percent of respondents reported being less prepared, and there was a statistically significant decrease in subjective readiness to respond to HAZMAT incidents.
Given low rates of MCI training but high rates of self-assessed MCI preparedness, respondents may overestimate their readiness to adequately respond to the complexity of a real-world MCI. More objective assessment measures are needed to evaluate provider preparedness.
本研究旨在评估大学生急救医疗服务（EMS）提供者应对大规模伤亡事件（MCIs）的培训和准备水平。
对美国大学生 EMS 提供者进行了一项匿名横断面调查。
参与者为隶属于国家大学生急救医疗服务基金会的美国 EMS 提供者。
主要结果测量为 EMS 经验和 MCI 培训水平、对各种 MCI 情景的主观准备程度，以及分析 COVID-19 大流行对 MCI 应对能力的影响。
受访者的中位数年龄为 21 岁（四分位距 IQR 20，22），其中 86%（n=96/112）接受过 EMT-Basic 级别的培训。提供者报告在过去四年中平均参加了 1.6 次 MCI 培训（IQR，1.0，2.2）。主观 MCI 应对准备程度最高的是主动袭击者袭击，其次是大型活动疏散、自然灾害、危险物质（HAZMAT）事件、有针对性的汽车冲撞袭击、爆炸，最后是生物武器释放。与此不同的是，只有 18%的参与者报告接受过战术和灾难医学基础培训。关于 COVID-19 大流行对 MCI 准备情况的影响，27%的受访者表示准备不足，对 HAZMAT 事件的主观应对准备程度有统计学显著下降。
鉴于 MCI 培训率低但自我评估 MCI 准备程度高，受访者可能高估了他们对真实世界 MCI 的复杂性做出充分反应的能力。需要更客观的评估措施来评估提供者的准备情况。
