Safety issues faced by paramedics in ambulances in Saudi Arabia
Background: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the risk of accident-related fatalities in the rear of an ambulance is more than five times greater than it is in the front seat. The main objective of this research was to assess ambulance design safety and identify limita...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Discover STM Publishing Ltd
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Saudi Journal of Emergency Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://sjemed.com/?mno=117455 |
| _version_ | 1827247707449720832 |
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| author | Saud Ali Algaribi Lutfiah Abdulaziz Qawwas Bandar Al mufareh Ali Hassan Aldehaim Mohammed. Al jumaan Maumon Mahmud Kharsan Mohammed Almakhalas |
| author_facet | Saud Ali Algaribi Lutfiah Abdulaziz Qawwas Bandar Al mufareh Ali Hassan Aldehaim Mohammed. Al jumaan Maumon Mahmud Kharsan Mohammed Almakhalas |
| author_sort | Saud Ali Algaribi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the risk of accident-related fatalities in the rear of an ambulance is more than five times greater than it is in the front seat. The main objective of this research was to assess ambulance design safety and identify limitations that endanger emergency medical service (EMS) providers in Saudi Arabia during their day-to-day work, especially in the rear cabin.
Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted via online surveys filled by EMS providers and a checklist filled out by supervisors, section heads, and chiefs, in Saudi Arabia, from March 2020 to April 2020. Additionally, a retrospective review was also conducted on reports by various US and international safety organizations.
Results: A total 861 participants (832 surveys and 29 checklists) were enrolled. EMS providers expressed significant challenges in terms of ensuring their own safety as well as that of the patients due to the current ambulance design, where 79% (22/29) of checklist participants and 87% (718/861) of survey participants indicated dissatisfaction with the current ambulance designs.
Conclusion: Practically, the design of the current ambulances is often unsafe for providing emergency medical treatment, and therefore the rear cabin is a dangerous environment for both the patient and the EMS provider. [SJEMed 2021; 2(1.000): 54-59] |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:39:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0cda7692d7ae4190a4e1a9ad3759ff65 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1658-8487 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-03-21T23:20:08Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | Discover STM Publishing Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Saudi Journal of Emergency Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-0cda7692d7ae4190a4e1a9ad3759ff652024-05-20T19:29:35ZengDiscover STM Publishing LtdSaudi Journal of Emergency Medicine1658-84872021-06-0121545910.24911/SJEMed/72-1592791607117455Safety issues faced by paramedics in ambulances in Saudi ArabiaSaud Ali Algaribi0Lutfiah Abdulaziz Qawwas1Bandar Al mufareh2Ali Hassan Aldehaim3Mohammed. Al jumaan4Maumon Mahmud5Kharsan Mohammed Almakhalas6Researcher and Developer, Disaster and Crisis Administration, Ministry of Health, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia & Emergency Medical Services, Royal Commission Hospital Jubail, Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia Researcher and Developer, Disaster and Crisis Administration, Ministry of Health, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia & Emergency Medical Services, Royal Commission Hospital Jubail, Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia Emergency Medicine and EMS Consultant, Chairman of ED and EMS Medical Director, Royal Commission Hospital, Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia Visiting Scientist, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA Emergency Medicine consultant and Assistant Professor, Emergency Department, King Fahd University Hospital, Khobar, Saudi Arabia Biostatistician, Royal Commission Hospital, Jubail, Saudi Arabia Head of EMS Department in Royal Commission Hospital in Jubail, Saudi ArabiaBackground: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the risk of accident-related fatalities in the rear of an ambulance is more than five times greater than it is in the front seat. The main objective of this research was to assess ambulance design safety and identify limitations that endanger emergency medical service (EMS) providers in Saudi Arabia during their day-to-day work, especially in the rear cabin. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted via online surveys filled by EMS providers and a checklist filled out by supervisors, section heads, and chiefs, in Saudi Arabia, from March 2020 to April 2020. Additionally, a retrospective review was also conducted on reports by various US and international safety organizations. Results: A total 861 participants (832 surveys and 29 checklists) were enrolled. EMS providers expressed significant challenges in terms of ensuring their own safety as well as that of the patients due to the current ambulance design, where 79% (22/29) of checklist participants and 87% (718/861) of survey participants indicated dissatisfaction with the current ambulance designs. Conclusion: Practically, the design of the current ambulances is often unsafe for providing emergency medical treatment, and therefore the rear cabin is a dangerous environment for both the patient and the EMS provider. [SJEMed 2021; 2(1.000): 54-59]https://sjemed.com/?mno=117455ground ambulancerear cabemergency medical servicesinjuriessafety systemcabin design |
| spellingShingle | Saud Ali Algaribi Lutfiah Abdulaziz Qawwas Bandar Al mufareh Ali Hassan Aldehaim Mohammed. Al jumaan Maumon Mahmud Kharsan Mohammed Almakhalas Safety issues faced by paramedics in ambulances in Saudi Arabia Saudi Journal of Emergency Medicine ground ambulance rear cab emergency medical services injuries safety system cabin design |
| title | Safety issues faced by paramedics in ambulances in Saudi Arabia |
| title_full | Safety issues faced by paramedics in ambulances in Saudi Arabia |
| title_fullStr | Safety issues faced by paramedics in ambulances in Saudi Arabia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Safety issues faced by paramedics in ambulances in Saudi Arabia |
| title_short | Safety issues faced by paramedics in ambulances in Saudi Arabia |
| title_sort | safety issues faced by paramedics in ambulances in saudi arabia |
| topic | ground ambulance rear cab emergency medical services injuries safety system cabin design |
| url | https://sjemed.com/?mno=117455 |
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